Conducting debut for former Highland student
Former Highland student Tomas Leakey is to make his conducting debut back in his hometown of Inverness on 27th March, when he will conduct a performance of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale.
The Inverness Stravinsky Players is an ensemble founded specially for this project and is made up of some of the best local musicians – all of whom are also staff of The Highland Councils Instrumental Tuition Service. Whilst fulfilling the ambitions of many of the musicians to perform this work for some time, the project has also created the opportunity to make a wonderful introduction to Stravinsky and 20th century music for local school pupils during a short tour of 4 local schools – Charleston Academy, Nairn Academy, Glenurquhart High School and Dingwall Academy.
The most important aims are to ignite in the pupils an enthusiasm for this music and to inspire those who already play and encourage others to take up an instrument. However this is not just a musical project but, equally, a dramatic one and the project is also very lucky to be joined by the actor and director John McGeoch and his team.
Members of the public will also be able to enjoy The Soldier’s Tale as Tomas and the musicians will be performing in Inverness Town House on Wednesday 27th March at 8pm.
After leaving the area in 2007, Tomas completed a degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge where he developed his already active skills as a trombonist, pianist and conductor in the University’s extraordinary music scene. He has continued to study piano and conducting privately and decided after the end of his degree that it was music he wanted to continue with rather than physics. Next year he will be continuing his conducting studies at post-graduate level.
Tomas said: “My love of music was truly ignited during the years in which I was a member of the Highland Regional Music Groups and it is a great honour to return to the Highlands and be given the opportunity to be at the helm of a project like this.
“A very important part of The Soldier’s Tale, and of the spirit in which it was composed, is that of entertainment and with this in mind I don’t want to give away the story here! It is suffice to say that the main themes are as relevant today as they were in 1918. Musically, the work takes influences from across the world with military marches, an Argentine tango, a Viennese walt,z a Germanic chorale and many Russian folk melodies.”
The Highland Council’s Music Development Officer, Norman Bolton said: “It is a delight to be able to support this project, not only for the benefit of the school audiences, but also as a valuable development project for the staff involved. Being able to collaborate with former Highland students at this level is a fantastic endorsement of the good work and teaching which takes place in our schools and in Regional extra-curricular activities.”
Advance tickets for the public performance are available now from Leakey’s Bookshop and The Music Station on Church Street. Although it is anticipated that there will be some availability on the evening of the performance, tickets which cost £8 or £5 concession can also be reserved by calling 01463 224564.