Lunchtime Recital - Jenny Gao (mezzo soprano), Yuri Inoshita (piano)

Programme:

TBC

Biographies:

Jenny Gao is a mezzo-soprano and violinist of Chinese and Egyptian heritage, currently pursuing her studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.

Jenny’s musical journey began at the age of five, when she started playing the violin in local churches. Her talent quickly flourished, earning her a scholarship to perform with The National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. At twelve, Jenny discovered her passion for singing, and by sixteen, she had decided to dedicate herself fully to vocal studies. Within one year, she achieved a Grade 8 Distinction in voice while studying at The Purcell School, where she attended on a full scholarship.

During her time at The Purcell School, Jenny studied under Tom Marandola and also attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on a full scholarship. She has since continued her vocal training at Trinity Laban with Lynton Atkinson and Sebastian Wybrew, following earlier studies with Robert Alderson. Jenny has participated in masterclasses with world-renowned singers and coaches, including Tim Evans-Jones, Deirdre Delaney, and Aigul Akhmetshina, and has further enriched her artistry through studies with Martin Vacha and Rannveig Braga from the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien in Vienna.

Jenny participated in competitions at a young age, winning 2nd Prize at Leicester MusicFest (age 17) and 5th Prize at the International Mimas Festival (age 19). Beyond performance, she is passionate about music education. In 2022, she founded MusicTeachersUK, a platform designed to connect conservatoire musicians with students, nurturing the next generation of young performers, which she continued for her undergraduate degree. In her final year of her degree, she was blessed to work with David Braid and David Black on 'Songs of Opposing Considerations' which is out on all platforms.

Yuri Inoshita is a Japanese pianist based in London, currently pursuing her MMus studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire under the tuition of Martino Tirimo.

Born in Barcelona, raised in Paris and Tokyo, Yuri started her musical training at the age of five and received piano, solfège and choir lessons at the Conservatoire Claude Debussy in Paris. After graduating from Toho Gakuen High School of Music, she completed her bachelor's degree in Intercultural Communication at Hosei University in Tokyo, besides her musical studies at Toho Gakuen College of Music.

As soloist, Yuri has been performing in public since young age and has been a member of the Baroque Ensemble in Tokyo to give concerts playing both on clavichord and on modern piano at venues including the Baroque Festival 2016 at the Matsumoto Memorial Hall. Since moved to London in 2021, she has given concerts at St. James’s Piccadilly, St. Paul’s Covent Garden, Polish Hearth Club, University Women’s Club, etc. She is regularly invited to perform at St. Alfege Church, St. George’s Beckenham and the Old Royal Naval College. Since September 2023, she is a scholar of the Peter Harris Charitable Trust.

As well as being a soloist, Yuri is an active collaborative pianist, and was awarded the David Gosling Prize for Piano Accompaniment in 2023. She has participated in chamber masterclasses taken by Raphael Wallfisch, Krysia Osostowicz, Carducci Quartet, and vocal projects including the workshops by Stephen Hough, the National Opera Studio, and the Wigmore Masterclasses with Thomas Quasthoff and Nicky Spence. Her Piano Trio, Meissa Trio, has been working together since 2023 and has won prizes in international competitions.

As an improvisor, she performed her own composition 'improvisation on Haiku (Japanese poem)' at the New Lights Festival 2024.

Presented in association with Trinity Laban Music Conservatoire

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