Mark Simpson (clarinetist)
Encyclopedia
Mark Simpson is a British
clarinetist from Liverpool
, who won the BBC Young Musician of the Year
2006 title on 20 May 2006, playing Nielsen
's Clarinet Concerto
with the Northern Sinfonia
and Yan Pascal Tortelier
at The Sage Gateshead. In the same year, Simpson was also the winner of the BBC Young Composer of the Year competition, becoming the only person in history to have ever won both competitions. He resides in Merseyside
and attended King David High School
, Liverpool before attending the Royal Northern College of Music
junior department where he studied clarinet
with Nicolas Cox. He was also Principal Clarinet in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, playing a Peter Eaton clarinet. After a term at the Royal College of Music
, Simpson spent the rest of his gap year in Berlin
, and attended St. Catherine's College
, Oxford University reading for a BA in Music from 2008-2011.
He is a composer
, who was commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain to write his first orchestral piece, Threads for Orchestra , which premièred at The Sage Gateshead on 1 April 2008. His It Was As if the Earth Stood Still was broadcast over BBC Radio 3
's "Hear and Now" in November 2005, and his Lov(escape) in the concert he gave as one of the finalists in the Young Musician competition in September 2006.
He has played at the last night of the proms
in 2007 at Hyde Park
London
, performing Artie Shaw
's Concerto for Clarinet.
On 3 July 2008 he played in Liverpool as the solo clarinetist for the premiere of Emily Howard's Liverpool, The World in One City along with the Liverpool Youth Orchestra and 500 primary school children.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
clarinetist from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, who won the BBC Young Musician of the Year
BBC Young Musician of the Year
The BBC Young Musician of the Year is a televised national music competition. It is broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four biennially, despite the name, and hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
2006 title on 20 May 2006, playing Nielsen
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
's Clarinet Concerto
Clarinet Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 [D.F.129] was written for Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.-History:...
with the Northern Sinfonia
Northern Sinfonia
The Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, based initially in Newcastle upon Tyne, and currently in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history, the orchestra gave the bulk of its concerts at the City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2004, the orchestra has been resident at The...
and Yan Pascal Tortelier
Yan Pascal Tortelier
Yan Pascal Tortelier is an internationally renowned French conductor and violinist and is the son of the late cellist Paul Tortelier.-Biography:...
at The Sage Gateshead. In the same year, Simpson was also the winner of the BBC Young Composer of the Year competition, becoming the only person in history to have ever won both competitions. He resides in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
and attended King David High School
King David School, Liverpool
The King David School located in Liverpool, England is a popular specialist humanities college mixed voluntary aided Jewish Orthodox secondary school....
, Liverpool before attending the Royal Northern College of Music
Royal Northern College of Music
The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
junior department where he studied clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
with Nicolas Cox. He was also Principal Clarinet in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, playing a Peter Eaton clarinet. After a term at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, Simpson spent the rest of his gap year in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and attended St. Catherine's College
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
, Oxford University reading for a BA in Music from 2008-2011.
He is a composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, who was commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain to write his first orchestral piece, Threads for Orchestra , which premièred at The Sage Gateshead on 1 April 2008. His It Was As if the Earth Stood Still was broadcast over BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
's "Hear and Now" in November 2005, and his Lov(escape) in the concert he gave as one of the finalists in the Young Musician competition in September 2006.
He has played at the last night of the proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
in 2007 at Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, performing Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
's Concerto for Clarinet.
On 3 July 2008 he played in Liverpool as the solo clarinetist for the premiere of Emily Howard's Liverpool, The World in One City along with the Liverpool Youth Orchestra and 500 primary school children.