This workshop is part of National Chamber Music Day which celebrates chamber music in Scotland with performances and events for members of the public across the country.  

Tutored by Christine Arant @christinearantflute
and Zoe Sayer (more information about below).

Kemnay Church Centrem Church Lane, Kemnay AB51 5QP

Plan for the Day

10.00 arrive & coffee/tea
10.15 -11.00 General Woodwind Workshop (air usage and posture,     intonation, tone production)
11.15 -12.15 Break out into groups,(tutored chamber music session each group receives at least 20 mins)
12.15-1.30 Lunch at Bennachie Lodge Hotel (not included) – 5 mins walk – or alternatively bring your own lunch
13.45-14.30 Mini Masterclass (performance and feedback with the chamber groups)
14.30-15.45 Play-through an ensemble piece
15.45 tea and depart

For amateur and semi-pro players – places will include at least four players of each instrument (Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon).

There will be an emphasis on ensemble playing with focus on different aspects of orchestral playing (intonation, working with other sections, finding one voice as a section). 

Music will be chosen by Christine Arant and will include works by R. Strauss but preformed groups may bring their own. 

Fee £25.00 inc. teas & coffee
Students in F/T education £10.00

Contact Ian Clark at clarkzian@icloud.com to book.

Booking now extended to 30th August 2019.

Christine graduated with a Master of Music degree in flute performance from the University of Auckland in New Zealand where she studied with Uwe Grodd and Catherine Bowie.

Prior to moving to Scotland in 2016, she worked as an active soloist, orchestral player, chamber musician and teacher in New Zealand and the United States, where she lived for several years.

During her university years, Christine won first place in the Classic Quest Concerto Competition, earning a scholarship and a concert appearance as a soloist with Manukau City Symphony Orchestra. She was also the winner of the University of Auckland Concerto Competition. In addition, she was runner-up in the Unison Concerto Competition, New Zealand’s national level instrumental competition, and she was also awarded the Best Woodwind Player prize. She has made appearances as a soloist with Auckland Youth Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Community Orchestra, and other ensembles.  While she trained as a classical flautist, she also received the Best Jazz Flautist award in the National Annual Youth Jazz Festival in New Zealand, leading her very own combo band.

After she moved to the U.S. in 2011, she performed regularly with the Raleigh Flute Choir in North Carolina and was invited to be one of the judges for the Raleigh Area Flute Association Flute Festival. She has also performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and North Charleston Pops Orchestra in South Carolina. In 2015, Christine was one of the chamber music tutors for the Philadelphia International Music Festival. A truly versatile flautist, Christine is currently based in Aberdeen and has performed with the Aberdeen Sinfonietta and the Aberdeen Chamber Orchestra.

Zoe Sayer grew up in Yorkshire and started her musical journey on the oboe at the age of 9. She discovered the bassoon aged 13, achieving ABRSM Grade 8 in both instruments by 15, and then focused on the bassoon with lessons from Roy Walmsley at Leeds College of Music while she did her (science) A-levels. She was a member of the Eastern Area Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, Harrogate Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and the North Yorkshire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, performing in numerous concerts across the area, including Mozart’s bassoon concerto as a soloist, as well as tours to Denmark and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She decided to pursue a degree, PhD and career in geology, but continued music as a serious hobby. She has played bassoon with Imperial College and Bangor University orchestras, the Crosby Orchestra, Oban Bach Orchestra and most recently Grampian Concert Orchestra, Aberdeen Chamber Orchestra and Inverurie Orchestra, with whom she performed Weber’s Bassoon Concerto in 2018. She has recently taken up the saxophone to explore the world of jazz, and has achieved the Scottish Advanced Diploma in Jazz, studying under Richard Ingham at St Andrews University in her spare time. She also attends regular chamber music courses, including Ullapool Variations and Wind Serenades in Birnham and Cubertou, where she has been coached in ensemble playing by Laurence Perkins, Sarah Watts, Rosie Stanisforth and numerous other professional wind players. She has a passion for enjoyable music making and rocks (especially limestone), and enjoys passing on her skills in technique and ensemble playing.