University News Last updated 12 November
Junior Conservatoire alumna Ellie Slorach has come full circle, taking to the stage as a Conductor for a recent City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) family concert.
Junior Conservatoire offers specialist musical tuition for talented and enthusiastic young musicians aged between 8 and 18 years. The programme trains students to a level where they are ready to gain a place at a senior conservatoire or another music college, and provides preparation for the Associated Board exams to grade eight and diploma levels.
Ellie led the Family Concert: Music from the Movies at Symphony Hall on Sunday 19 October. The Halloween-themed programme included music from The Addams Family, Harry Potter franchise and Home Alone. Among those in the audience was Ellie’s former RBC Oboe Tutor Jenni Phillips.
Now the Founder and Artistic Director of Kantos Chamber Choir, Engagement Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Associate Conductor of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Ellie once studied oboe as a Junior Conservatoire musician. She went on to study Music at the University of Manchester, followed by Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Ellie said: “It felt like a full circle moment to conduct the CBSO family concert; I remember going to Symphony Hall to hear the CBSO when I was a teenager! It was also really special to have my family, who live in Birmingham, in the audience.
“It also brought back fond memories of my time at Junior Conservatoire, such as playing in the Symphony Orchestra, singing with the choir and learning some wonderful pieces for the first time.”
Head of Woodwind Jenni Phillips added: “It was so exciting to see Ellie conducting the CBSO. I have strong memories of her natural musicianship as an oboist, and I am delighted to see her channelling that into her conducting now. She was in her element!”