Presented by the Royal Academy of Music
Born in Singapore, Clarissa Lim emigrated to England when she was seventeen to further her violin studies at Wells Cathedral School in Somerset. She studied with Catherine Lord and was Principal Second violinist of the Wells String Chamber Orchestra. She gave a performance of Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto no.1 with the orchestra there which was highly commended. She has been privileged to play in masterclasses with Zuo Jun, So Ock Kim, Ning Feng and Suzuki Sawa.
She has been honoured to have worked under the tutelage of Semyon Bychkov, Sir Mark Elder, Christopher Warren Green, Trio Owon and the Escher Quartet.
Laura Jane Armstrong is an aspiring cellist awarded scholarships to a variety of music Conservatoires and studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Benjamin Hughes. She has played as a soloist with Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as an orchestral member of the Northern Chamber Orchestra and toured Scandinavia as a member of the Estonian Festival Orchestra under the baton of Paavo Jarvi. Her most recent performance was the debut of the Seashells duo at Ronnie Scott's jazz club.
Highlights of this year have included radio broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Swedish radio and WBGO (a New York radio station) and participation in the Northern Chords Festival.
Weng Soon Tee is a Malaysian born pianist. he is currently an Alan Mussray scholar at the Royal Academy of Music in London under the tutelage of Carole Presland. Throughout his music journey, Weng has performed as a soloist with the Taunton Sinfonietta and Somerset County Orchestra. Weng has most recently won the Watford International Piano Competition where he was praised by the judges for 'representing the music in such a sincere and understated way' and being a 'pianist of exceptional imagination'.
Other prizes include Taunton Young Musician of the Year, and first in Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland Young Musicians Festival Competition and Asia Piano Competition.