Download Biography of Edward Southall

Biography of Edward Southall
Edward Southall was born in Hereford on Christmas Eve 1986, and has since
lived in London and Liverpool. His present home is on the island of Jersey. At the age of
five he began learning the piano and 'cello and, two years later, the trumpet. After
excelling at the piano, Edward took up the organ in 2000. He is now in demand as a
church organist and is the Organ Scholar at Victoria College, where he frequently
accompanies the Boys' Choir. He presently studies piano with Jean Randles, trumpet with
James Harrison, organ with Robin Stubbs and ’cello with Gerard Le Feuvre. Although
Edward has a passion for performing, his forte lies in composition.
He has successfully auditioned for the Composers’ Course of the National Youth
Orchestra of Great Britain on several occasions since 2001. This has given him the
opportunity to work closely with established composers such as Paul Patterson, Diana
Burrel and Gary Carpenter.
Edward’s composition for four celli was acclaimed in the BBC / Guardian
Newspaper Young Composer of the Year Competition 2003. It was performed by
members of the NYO and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. This was followed by an invitation
to compose a piece for The Rising Generation, “A celebration of outstandingly talented
young UK composers under the age of 18.” Edward’s submitted composition, Athens is
Burning!, was performed by the Endymion Ensemble and premiered at the South Bank in
February 2004. This piece was also used to introduce a discussion about young
composers broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 show, The Green Room, in August of the same
year.
Edward has succeeded in obtaining a place at the Royal College of Music to study
Composition for a year to be followed by undergraduate study of Music at Queens’
College, Cambridge.
Away from the music scene, Edward enjoys gardening, table-tennis and water
skiing. He hopes to become a professional composer of music for film.
Edward Southall
Jersey, March 2005