Olivia Sham: Piano
Sydney-born Olivia Sham is studying with Professor Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she was awarded a full scholarship. She previously studied with Elizabeth Powell at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, graduating with First Class Honours and the University Medal.
Olivia has won numerous prizes and awards, including third prize in the 18th A.M.A. Calabria International Piano Competition (Italy), third prize in the 4th International Concerto Competition (Hastings Music Festival, UK), the 2006 John Allison Piano Scholarship, prizes in the 2006 Australian National Piano Award, and was keyboard winner of the 2003 Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year.
Olivia has played with various orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra (Australia), Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (USA), Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra (Italy), and Finchley Chamber Orchestra (UK). Her performances have been broadcast on Australian national radio and television.
Grant Sinclair: Trombone
New Zealander, Grant Sinclair began playing trombone in brass bands from an early age. Around the same time he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from Canterbury University, Grant began casual work with the Christchurch Symphony. At the beginning of 2004, he abandoned engineering in favour of music, and began studying this at Victoria University of Wellington. Grant completed his undergraduate degree in 2007, and is now studying towards Masters under Ian Bousfield and Dudley Bright at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was awarded the 2008/9 John Solomon Brass Prize. For the last three years, Grant has been Principal Trombone of both the Vector Wellington Orchestra and the Central Band of the RNZAF. He also regularly played for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, and Christchurch Symphony. In November of 2005, Grant performed the New Zealand premiere of the Rota Trombone Concerto with the Wellington Youth Orchestra. In July 2006 he performed the New Zealand premiere of Takemitsu's Fantasma/Cantos II as guest soloist with the New Zealand Secondary Schools Orchestra. Grant is now co-principal trombone of the University of London Symphony Orchestra.
Barrett Hocking: Trumpet
Barrett has been a professional musician since 2000. He has recently moved to the United Kingdom from Aotearoa, New Zealand where he started playing the Trumpet at the age of nine.
Throughout his time in the New Zealand music scene Barrett has performed in many musical groups and in various musical styles. He has performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Army Band, RNZAF Central Band, The Roger Fox Big Band, National Youth Orchestra, The Quintessential Quintet, National Brass Band of New Zealand, The Darren Watson King Size Blues Band, Thomas the Funk Engine and all New Zealand’s major regional orchestras. Prior to starting his postgraduate studies in London he was awarded an Honours degree (first class) in Classical performance at the New Zealand School of Music.
