January 2015 Winner: Sophie Spencer
Sophie Spencer is fifteen years old and attends Abbotsleigh School in Sydney, Australia, on a full academic scholarship. She plays trumpet and sings in several Abbotsleigh ensembles and in various school musicals. She has been learning trumpet since 2006 and has studied with David Elton, James Brice, and Brian Evans.
Sophie is passionate about her trumpet playing and has been a member of the nationally acclaimed Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra for the past five years. In 2013, she joined the Sydney Youth Orchestra Philharmonic on trumpet. She plays soprano cornet with Warringah Brass Band and successfully auditioned for a soprano cornet chair in the 2013 National Australia Brass Youth Band, under the baton of Professor David King.
As a soloist, Sophie is the Australian National Junior Trumpet and Soprano Cornet Champion—a title that she has also held in both 2012 and 2013. She is also the 2013 NSW State Junior and Juvenile Trumpet and SopÂrano Cornet Champion.
Sophie won the 2013 NSW Band Association's Junior and Juvenile ChampÂion of Champions Award, performing on trumÂpet, and she has been the Juvenile Champion of Champions on trumpet for 2010 – 2013, inclusive.
Sophie performed in the 2013 Australian Concerto Competition and was named the “Most Promising Brass/Woodwind Peformers for the competition. She won the Brass Instrument Solo (18 years and under) division of the 2013 Sydney EisÂteddfod. She was a semi-finalist in the 2013 102.5FM Young Virtuosi/Young Performers Awards, and her 45-minute program was broadcast on 2MBS-FM. She was a finalist in the 2013 NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition and was awarded the Kuringai Philharmonic Orchestra’s Players Award in the finals.
Sophie successfully auditioned on trumpet for the 2014 Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp and spent an exciting fortnight working with like-minded passionate musicians, performing Stravinsky’s Petroushka and Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 under the baton of Alexandre Bloch. Sophie performed with the Australian Youth Orchestra in the July 2014 season under the baton of Simone Young.
A versatile musical talent, Sophie has attained advanced standing on piano, violin and viola and is currently in her eleventh year with the Australian Girls Choir. She represents Abbotsleigh in netball, softball, basketball, and touch football and also plays club netball. She has completed her bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and is hoping to attain the gold award.
When she was eleven years old, Sophie attended the 2010 ITG Conference in Sydney, Australia, and placed second in the ITG Youth Competition. She still talks of her wonderful ITG experience and hopes that she will one day have the opportunity to attend another ITG conference. Sophie is honoured and humbled to be the recipient of an International Trumpet Guild Young Artist Award.
As the January 2015 Young Artist Award recipient, Sophie will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG. Congratulations, Sophie!