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Trinity Laban Saxophone Competition 2023 winner announced

Wed 18 October 2023

Congratulations to Jake Phillips, the winner of this year’s Trinity Laban Saxophone Competition, and Steph Barker who was awarded a highly commended!

The annual Trinity Laban Saxophone Competition took place on October 9, and was adjudicated by Dr. Emilie Capulet (Programme Leader – BMus). Competitors were required to perform a five-minute movement/section/piece from their 2023 end of year recital programme, reacting to the written feedback given to develop their performance.

The programme was as follows:

  • Annabelle Duxbury Improvisation 1 (Ryo Noda)
  • Steph Barker Fusion Suite. Mvt 3 (Catherine McMichael)
  • Zhiwei Feng Prelude and Cadence from Prelude, Cadence and Finale (Alfred Desenclos)
  • Amadea Topalli Hot Sonate: Mvt I (Erwin Schulhoff)
  • Lily Skinner The Door of No Return: Mvt 3: The Door of Return (Althea Talbot-Howard)
  • Jake Phillips October Dances: Mvt 2 (Mick Foster)

Dr. Emilie Capulet said: “It was wonderful to hear such a varied and diverse programme of works, performed to the highest standards by all the students taking part.”

Jake Phillips, the 2023 winner said: “Firstly, I would like to thank Howarth of London for sponsoring the competition. It was a great opportunity for us all to perform and receive some well-informed and much-appreciated feedback from our new program leader Emilie Capulet.

I was last on the program, and it was a privilege to stand outside and hear all the other participants perform before me. I played the second movement of Mick Foster’s October Dances, an exciting but melancholic piece which really challenged me and brought out the best in my playing. It was an honour to win the competition and I look forward to continuing my progress with the help of some new equipment (courtesy of Howarth of London, thank you again!)”

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support we receive from Howarth of London to make this annual competition possible and extend our thanks to Gavin Tate-Lovery (TL alum) for joining us on their behalf. The winner received a £250 voucher to spend at Howarth of London’s shop at 31 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PN.