September 2022 sees the welcome return of Claire Hawkes as our Musical Director, following a year teaching in Tanzania.
Claire’s musical career began at the age of ten when she won a Buckinghamshire County Music Scholarship. She was awarded a Foundation Scholarship to study clarinet and piano at The Royal College of Music in 1997 where she won the RCM Clarinet Prize and Thurston Competition and gained her Diploma in solo piano. After leaving the RCM, Claire embarked on a busy freelance career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician for ten years, which took her playing and coaching all across England, Europe and Africa and included various performances on TV and Radio. During this time she also held posts as Junior Fellow at the RCM and chamber music coach at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Following two years studying for a Masters Degree in historical performance in France, and a year working at Kampala Music School, Uganda, Claire set down roots in the South West and was Director of Music at Leweston School, Sherborne, for seven years. She led the chapel choir on a tour to South Africa and injected the Choral Society with inspiring and challenging works such as ‘Zimbe’, Ellington’s ‘Scared Concert’ and Mozart’s Requiem. Claire is also a Trustee of Friends of Kampala Music School. Becoming Director of Music at St Joseph’s School, Launceston in 2017 gave the opportunity to run four very different award winning choirs, and coach for Royal Schools of Church Music singing awards. Claire was Musical Director of The People’s Choir, Yeovil for five years and enjoyed exploring an eclectic range of choral music with them. Claire has been awarded the Certificate of Professional Practice in the Kodály Concept of Music Education with Distinction. She teaches Kodály Musicianship and works as a freelance musician, teacher and choir director in Oxfordshire. |