BTS AWARDS

BTS ANNUAL AWARDS 2022

The winners of this year’s BTS Annual Awards were announced by BTS Vice-President Jon Stokes at the British Trombone Festival. Congratulations to all the recipients on their well-deserved awards.

Sheila Tracy Award – Emily White

Emily studied trombone at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and baroque violin at Trinity Laban. She loves the freedom that can be found in early music performance practice and contemporary music and has commissioned many new pieces for sackbut. Her trio, Pandora's Box, with John Kenny and Miguel Sevillano Tantos has toured their improvisatory take on contemporary and early music across Europe and the USA. She is a member of The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, regularly plays principal for Il Giardino Armonico in Italy and works with Alte Musik Berlin, B'Rock, Les Talens Lyriques, and the 'crack British ensemble’ (The Observer), In Echo. Emily directs Sackbut Frenzy, which includes current and former students of hers. Their first album A Cry Was Heard, of new and old music for early instruments, was released in October 2022. She is professor of sackbut at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, teaches trombone and sackbut at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and trombone at Wells Cathedral School, and has recently been a guest sackbut tutor at Trossingen Conservatoire in Germany. She was awarded an ARAM for services to early music and is a Conn-Selmer affiliated artist. Teacher of the Year – Lindsay Shilling

‘This is a massive honour to be named ‘Teacher of the Year’ by the BTS membership and the certificate will proudly go up on the wall next to the FRCM certificate that I was awarded earlier this year. Many thanks for this recognition!’

Lindsay studied, as an Associated Board Scholar, at the Royal College of Music with John Iveson and Arthur Wilson. Months after graduating in 1981 he accepted his first teaching post, teaching all brass instruments, for Kent Music School. In 1992 he was asked to deputise for John Iveson which led to his official appointment as trombone professor at the RCM in 1997. Lindsay’s tenure of 25 years at the RCM has run in tandem with a successful orchestral career including positions with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra, and since 2003 Section Principal Trombone with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Outstanding Contribution – Rob Burtenshaw

‘What a nice surprise. Thank you very much to you and the BTS.’

Originally from Scarborough, Rob first learnt the trombone with the appropriately named Joe Blewitt before attending Chetham’s School of Music, where he was taught by Peter Leary. Awarded an Exhibition to the Royal College of Music, Rob studied with Arthur Wilson. In his final year he won the Arthur Sommerville Brass Prize and gained the ARCM diploma with honours.

In 1978 Rob joined the newly formed Orchestra of Opera North as Sub-Principal Trombone. There he enjoyed the musical variety, from 80’s nights to Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and the lifestyle so much, that he stayed for 43 years. During this time Rob also freelanced with many of the UK’s major orchestra’s, including playing at the Proms with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé, London Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He also recorded Gabrielli with the LSO Brass.

Alongside his playing career Rob taught trombone at Chetham’s and Leeds University, as well as brass at schools such as Bingley Grammar and Giggleswick. Many of his former students hold orchestral positions in the UK and beyond, and others are heads of education authorities. Rob claims to have learnt much from his pupils and discovered useful teaching techniques from coaching adventure sports! Rob is a keen skier who lives in the Pennines, where he can pursue many outdoor activities such as hill walking, mountain biking and paragliding. Player of the Year – Helen Vollam

‘I’m extremely flattered and humbled to receive this award! There are so many worthy players and I’m honoured to have been chosen this year.’

Helen has been Principal Trombone of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 2004, the first woman to be appointed principal trombone of a London orchestra, and she is also member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Bones Apart Trombone Quartet. Her schedule with the BBCSO includes performing in many of the BBC Proms each year, including the legendary Last Night of the Proms, broadcast worldwide. She can also be heard on numerous film, TV and video game soundtracks.

In demand as a guest teacher, Helen has given classes throughout the UK and is Visiting Artist in Trombone at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She was on the Artist Faculty for the 2017 Dublin Brass Week and has adjudicated for BBC Young Musician, Royal OverSeas League, BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award, BTS, International Trombone Association, Swisstbone and Ian Bousfield Getzen competitions.

Student of the Year – Josh Cargill

Josh is a bass trombonist currently studying as a postgraduate at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Dave Stewart, Simon Wills and Mark Templeton. Originally from Belfast he completed his undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music where he remained true to his brass band roots playing with the WFEL Fairey Band for four years. Having worked professionally over the past year with groups such as the Hallé, Opera North and Irish National Opera, Josh hopes to follow a career on the London freelance scene. ◆