Biography

Jack started playing percussion at the age of 15 and made remarkable progress in a short space of time. For the last two years of his schooling, he studied percussion at the Aberdeen City Music School where he had a master class with Evelyn Glennie.

At the age of 16, Jack joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, which is a rare distinction. In 2008 he performed with NYO in the Roundhouse, London, Leeds Town Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, the Sage Gateshead, Snape Maltings and the London Barbican under Vasily Petrenko. He also played at the Royal Albert Hall under Anatoly Papanov as part of the BBC Proms.

Jack is also a member of the Aberdeen Youth Orchestra, the Grampian Youth Orchestra and the Aberdeen Sinfonietta. In 2008 he won the 18 and under percussion and snare drum classes in the North East of Scotland Music Festival and was runner up in the Ishoka Young Musician of the Year competition.

Jack’s ambition is to become a solo percussionist.  His teachers feel that he has the winning combination of huge talent and hard work to get him to the top of his profession.

How the Award Helped

Jack was offered a place to study percussion by a number of UK Conservatoires and chose to take up a place at the Royal College of Music in London. The Dewar Arts Award will help to cover the substantial expenses to study in London. His award has been extended for a second year, and subsequently for a third.

Since the Award