Emma Halnan, flute

Emma Halnan (flute) studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London with William Bennett and Kate Hill. She previously learnt with Anna Pope at the Purcell School of Music, where she won the 2010 Fenton Leavers’ Award. She currently studies privately with Robert Winn and Gitte Marcusson. She recently won first prize in the International Award Carl Reinecke (Italy) and in the Croydon Festival Concerto Competition 2013.

In 2010, Emma won the woodwind category final of BBC Young Musician of the Year. In the grand final, she broadcast Reinecke’s flute concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales live on BBC television and radio. Emma has played at many major venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall and St.John’s, Smith Square. In 2010, she broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s “Friday Night is Music Night” as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

She has also appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras such as the European Union Chamber Orchestra and the London Mozart Players. Emma works regularly with harpist Heather Wrighton and violist Joe Bronstein (the Aurora Trio); in 2014 they appeared at venues including Wigmore Hall and St. James’s Piccadilly. They have also been awarded a Chamber Music Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music for the academic year 2014/15, and were recently selected as Live Music Now artists. As an orchestral flautist, Emma has played principal flute in many Royal Academy of Music ensembles. She also plays principal flute in the European Union Youth Orchestra.

In 2013, she recorded Bruckner: Symphony no. 2 with Trevor Pinnock and the Royal Academy of Music Soloists’ Ensemble; this disk has now been released on Linn Records. She also recently recorded flute trios with William Bennett and Lorna McGhee; this disk is due to be released later this year. Emma is generously supported the Hattori Foundation and the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. She also won the 2014 Kenneth Loveland Gift.

Daniel King Smith, piano

Daniel King Smith (piano) has given concerts all over the world as both soloist and accompanist. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music where he won the Harold Craxton and Max Pirani prizes for Chamber Music and others for his all-round musical ability. His teachers were Piers Lane, Ruth Nye and Vanessa Latarche. His extensive concerto repertoire has led to many concerto performances in the UK and around Europe, including the Royal Festival Hall, London, various theatres in Cataluña, Spain, and San Stefano al Ponte, Florence. Daniel has frequently been a featured Solo Classical Artist on many Cruise lines including Crystal and Cunard.

Accompaniment and chamber music are a major part of Daniel’s life and he has been staff accompanist at both Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music Junior Departments and at the Purcell School leading to concerts for Prince Charles, at the Wigmore Hall and at the Royal Albert Hall. He also regularly accompanies masterclasses and end of year recitals at the London conservatoires and is often official accompanist for the Countess of Munster Trust auditions. Daniel accompanies on summer music courses including the British Isles Music Festival and Musicale. He has given recitals all over the world with Michael Collins, Carmel Kaine, Susan Milan, Robert Max, Stefano Canuti, Yuki Ito, and Anna Hashimoto, among many others.

Daniel has performed on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Ulster, and appeared in the televised finals of BBC Young Musician of the Year 1996 as soloist and regularly since then as accompanist. He was also a prizewinner in the Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist competition in 1996 and has subsequently won the Best Accompanist Prize in the same competition. In September 2003 he played as orchestral pianist with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Daniel has recorded a number of CDs, including releases with Anna Hashimoto on the Meridian label.