Thomas Daish

“Thomas started learning the oboe during the winter of 2001 and successfully auditioned for the Hampshire county youth wind orchestra after six months under the tuition of Andrew Knights. During the summer of 2002, he toured Tuscany with the Orchestra and also achieved the Hampshire exceptional ability award, which would fund his future lessons. In 2004, he joined the County Youth main Orchestra and was given the part of the bass oboe solo in Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets’ (a personal highlight in his musical career since the bass oboe is such an uncommon instrument) and was invited to tour France with the County Wind Orchestra in 2005. Thomas became the principle oboist of the County Youth Orchestra in 2006 and toured the Lake Garda region of Italy performing Shostakovich symphony no.5 the following summer. He maintained his position as principal oboist and member of the county chamber orchestra until April this year and is now focusing on his A-Level exams. He achieved his ABRSM Grade 8 oboe with distinction after 3 years of tuition and is currently working towards an ABRSM diploma, which he will be taking later this year. He has also acquired ABRSM Grade 8 Piano with a distinction and is preparing to take Grade 8 Organ in July. Thomas has just accepted an offer to study a joint honours degree in Music and History at the University of Birmingham and will begin his studies in September. Something he particularly looks forward to, since the reputable faculty of music was first headed by one of his greatest classical inspirations, Sir Edward Elgar.This year, Thomas has performed as a soloist in various charitable concerts and was awarded the runner up prize in the Music at Beaulieu award 2008 under the adjudication of Sir David Wilcox. His most recent orchestral performance was that of Beethovens 5th Symphony under the direction of Sir Roger Norrington, playing with the Southern Symphonia, Members from the Orchestra of the age of enlightenment and the Hampshire County Youth Chamber Orchestra.He is currently working on a new set of repertoire and is expecting to release his first classical solo album before September to complement a charity concert he is personally organising.” – taken from biographical notes from the music at Beaulieu award 2008 programme.