Bournemouth Chamber Music Society

Friday 5th September 2008 at 7.00pm - £10.00 (students £5.00)

Helen Nicholas (piano) &
Jay Jenkinson (cello)

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Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, East Cliff, Bournemouth

Saint-Saëns :	Cello Concerto no.1 in A minor
and music by :	Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Moszkowski
Helen Nicholas and Jay Jenkinson have both taken part in our Young Musicians' masterclasses and this year came back as 'apprentice tutors'.

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HELEN NICHOLAS
Helen has enjoyed a varied musical life around her local area of Poole, Dorset. She began piano lessons at the age of six and since then has had much experience of solo
performing.

Helen has participated in many competitions, winning the Junior Piano Section at the Southampton Music festival in 2005. The following year, she was given the title of “Pianist of the Year” at the Bournemouth Music Festival, as well as taking part in a master class by Philip Fowke in the PACA Piano Prize, finishing as runner-up. Her other significant performances include three solo recitals at St Peter’s Church, Parkstone.

Helen is also a very enthusiastic chamber musician and last year, her piano quartet won First prize at the Bournemouth Music Festival. She is a very experienced accompanist and was the pianist for a local theatrical choir. Helen’s other musical interests include orchestral performances on the violin and viola, and composition, a career path that she would be interested in pursuing.

She achieved her ABRSM Performance Diploma in 2005, under the tuition of concert pianist Dr Mark Tanner, who was keen for Helen to learn Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto.

Her first complete performance of the work was in June 2007 with the Dorset County Orchestra, followed by another performance with the same orchestra earlier this year. Helen has just completed her first year at Trinity College of Music. She has studied with Yonty Solomon and is currently under the tutorship of Mikhail Kasakevich. Her ambitions are to perform as a solo pianist and to continue her chamber music, which gives an added dimension to her musical life.

JAY JENKINSON
Originally from Poole in Dorset, Jay began playing cello at the age of 8, and spent 2 years as principal cellist in both the Wessex and Dorset Youth Orchestras. In 2007, he gained a scholarship to study at Trinity College of Music in London and has now completed his first year, studying with Richard Markson.

Jay is a versatile player, and at college he balances his time between learning solo repertoire and his various chamber music groups, as well as playing with larger ensembles.

This year, he has taken the opportunity to form a Piano Trio with Helen Nicholas in London, having already won the chamber music category with Helen in last year’s Bournemouth Music Festival.

Jay has a passion for playing all types of music and is part of the Wessex String Quartet, performing on a wide scale in and around Dorset, with their musical efforts currently focused on performances during the Christmas season this year, as well as a concert in Cherbourg in early September. Although he enjoys performing music with the various groups he comes in contact with, Jay believes that teaching is an integral part of music making, and hopes to teach cello in the future in addition to performing. Having already assisted in taking musical workshops with young children, in February of this year he formed part of a group of student 'apprentice tutors' working with the Lycydas Trio, coaching school chamber music groups in the Bournemouth Chamber Music Society's masterclass series.

Jay is especially grateful to the Benslow Instrument Loan Scheme and the Jolliffe Trust for their support throughout his musical life, and enabling him to progress his musical career.

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