Aldeburgh Music

Freya Aquarone (saxophone)
Freya started playing alto sax when she was 11 years old. She is a member of the Norwich County Senior Jazz Band, takes part in the Norfolk County Music Festival each year, and sometimes plays with the Norwich School sixth form band. She is currently experimenting with composing and is also hoping to get a jazz trio together soon.

Paul Armitage (violin)
Paul is 12 years old and goes to Northgate High School. He started learning the violin (using the Suzuki method) with Roger Owen at the age of five, and began learning piano (jazz and classical) at age seven. He is a regular participant at the Suffolk Music Festival and is a member of the South Suffolk Youth Orchestra.

Natalie Bevan (cello)
Natalie is 13 and lives in Cambridge. She has been learning the cello for six years and currently studies with Veronica Henderson. A member of the County Youth and National Children’s Orchestras, Natalie also plays in the City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. She plays a cello loaned to her by the Benslow Instrument Loan Scheme.

Sebastian Black (composition)
Sebastian Black was born in 1996, lives in Essex and attends Ipswich School. He studies composition and analysis with Joseph Phibbs, plays the oboe, and learns the piano which he taught himself from the age of three. He now learns with David Strauss. He started composing seriously in 2007, and now works in a very contemporary style, influenced mainly by Carter, Boulez, Knussen and Wagner.

Ben Brown (percussion)
Ben is 16 years old and first started playing drums and percussion at the age of 8. He takes part in the annual Norfolk County Music Festival, plays in the Norfolk County Youth and Norwich Philharmonic Orchestras, and is a member of the Norwich Students’ Jazz Orchestra. He is also currently learning piano, to help further expand his tuned percussion playing.