bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
ist and music educator.
Clark appeared on the 2007
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
reality show, ''Classical Star''.
Education
Clark began studying the bassoon at the age of twelve at
West Calder High School
West Calder High School is a secondary school in West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland. The current school building was officially opened in 2018 by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the UN's Special Envoy for Global Education.
History
The school ...
in West Calder with Russell Cowieson, having previously played the violin since the age of five. She later studied at the Junior Academy of the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...
with Janet Bloxwich. She won the Gilbert Innes Prize for woodwind and the 2004 Concerto competition, and in 2004 and 2005 was awarded the Wolfson Scholarship.
Clark went on to study with
John Orford
John Orford is a British classical bassoonist.
He studied under Charles Cracknell and William Waterhouse at the Royal Manchester College of Music. After graduation, he became a member of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, and later the BBC Symphony Or ...
at the
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...
, where she received the Queen's Commendation for Excellence, the Louise Child Prize for Academic Achievement and the Irene Burcher Prize for Woodwind.
Career
In 2006 Clark gave a recital on BBC Radio Scotland, and also performed the Hindemith Trumpet and Bassoon Concerto with John Wallace. She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland for four years and in 2007 performed with Camerata Scotland NYOS Futures.
Clark was runner-up in the
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
programme ''Classical Star'' for her performance of the Hummel Bassoon Concerto with the
City of London Sinfonia
City of London Sinfonia (CLS) is an English chamber orchestra based in London. CLS performs regularly across the city of London in venues from East London clubs to traditional Central London concert halls. CLS is orchestra-in-residence at Opera ...
at LSO St Luke's. On 5 August 2009 she performed the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic at the BBC Proms.
Clark has made four solo and contributed to three other recordings with
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Kodály method workshops in schools across Scotland. She teaches musicianship and conducting at the
National Youth Choir of Scotland
NYCOS (formerly known as National Youth Choir of Scotland or NYCoS) is a youth arts organisation, dedicated to providing high-level singing opportunities for Scotland's young singers aged 0–25. Led by Artistic Director, Christopher Bell, NYC ...