Mark Simpson

Mark began his musical studies at the age of nine. He began to play the recorder in his primary school, St Margaret’s Anfield, and it was here, that he was offered the oppurtunity to play the Clarinet.

A passion for playing started to grow and he soon found himself rising through the ranks of the Liverpool Music Support Service’s Saturday Morning Music school, the Merseyside Youth Orchestra (now the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth) and eventually the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain where he was principal Clarinet for two years playing under conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Mark Elder, Giandrea Nosedea and Richard Hickox.

As a soloist Mark succeeded in Local competitions such as the Liverpool Music festival, where he was the first person ever to be named young performer and young pianist of the year in the competition’s 80 year history. He was also named Young performer of the year in the 2004 Southport Music festival. In 2005, at the suggestion of his then clarinet teacher Anne Mcnaught at the Junior department at the RNCM he entered the BBC Young Musician of the Year compeition 2006. He later went on to win the competition and was crowned the winner after performing Nielsen’s clarinet concerto with Yan Pascal Tortellier and the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage Gateshead.

Later on in the year he was a winner in the senior category of the BBC Proms/Guardian young composer of the year, the first person ever to win both competitions. Mark’s passion for composing began at the age of 12 when he heard Stravinsky’s epic "Rite of Spring" on BBC Radio 3. His talent for composing was first recognised aged 14 when he participated in a composition workshop with Stephen Pratt and members from Manchester based contemporary music ensemble PSAPPHA, after which they decided to programme his piece "Space" in their Manchester and Liverpool performances. He spent his first year in NYO on the composers’ course with Gary Carpenter, who was later to become his composition teacher, and Paul Patterson. He received his first commission aged 15 from ensemble 10:10 and his second, a Septet, was reviewed in the Times; "... two tautly worked movements ... locked together with the kind of musicality, panache and avoidance of stunts only possible with genuine, 100 per cent talent". This piece was later performed in Chicago, by the Chicago symphony orchestra’s new music ensemble, Chicago NOW. He also took part in the London Philharmonic orchestra’s "seven minute soundings" scheme where his piece "Sketch" was performed in the Queen Elizabeth Hall by the LPO.

Since 2006 Mark has enjoyed a busy two years as both a composer and performer. As a Clarinetist he made his debut performance in the Wigmore hall, toured the Middle East, performed in America as the Lakewood music scholar, appeared in the Beethoven Fest Bonn and the Mecklenburgh spielfest. As a concerto soloist he has appeared with the City of London Sinfonia, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Northern Youth Sinfonia, Chester Philharmonic, Manning Camerata and the Malcolm Sergent festival orchestra. He has appeared as soloist alongside the BBC Philharmonic in the BBC Proms last night of the proms in the Park in Heaton Park and most recently in Hyde park alongside the BBC concert orchestra and Carl Davis in fron tof 40,000 people. He is deeply commited to the performance of new music and has commissioned works from Gary Carpenter, Patrick Nunn, Gavin higgins and Stephen Pratt.

As a Composer his first Orchestral piece "Threads", commissioned by the NYO for their 60th anniversary Gala concert was premiered in the Sage Gateshead in April. His most recent piece, a work for Oboe and ensemble was performed by Jonathan Small and ensemble 10;10 on the 14th May in St George’s Hall concert room. He is most recent piece "A mirror-fragment..." inspired by the poetry of Melanie Challenger will be performed by the Royal liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on the 11th of October.

Mark studied Clarinet with Nicolas Cox at the Junior RNCM from 2005-2007 which was made possible by a bursary from Williams motor company. He lived in Berlin for 6 months. In October he commences his studies in Oxford reading Music at St Catherines college. He is supported by the Fame Academy education bursary.