Music on Thursdays
SCHUBERT - SCHUMANN - BRAHMS
Thomas Humphreys, baritone Raya Kostova Humphreys, piano from the Royal Academy of Music |
Supported by: Leatherhead Concert & Arts Society |
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Thomas Humphreys, baritone
Thomas Humphreys was born in 1988. In 1997, after singing in choirs including Southwark Cathedral, at the age of 8, he joined Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, where he rose to become principal soloist and toured with the choir to Japan, the USA and throughout Europe.
In 2001, Thomas was awarded a music scholarship to Wellington College, Berkshire, where he further pursued his passion for singing, as he sang with the school orchestra on their Australia tour '05 and performed Schumann's Dichterliebe at the age of 17 at South Hill Park, Bracknell. In his last year, he received 2nd prize in the RSO Young Musician of the Year Award.He was then awarded the Lord and Lady Lurgan Scholarship Trust, the Leverhulme Undergraduate Award and the Kathleen Bayfield Award to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London. There he met his current teacher Joy Mammen, HonRAM.
At the Royal Academy of Music he achieved great success, receiving 2nd prize in the John Warner Memorial Award (2008), the award for 'Most Promising Male Singer' in the North London Festival (2008), 2nd Prize Ludmilla Andrew Russian Song Prize (2010) and reaching the Final of the Thelma King Award (2010). It was at the Academy that he met his wife, the pianist Raya Kostova Humphreys, with whom he has performed many concerts, specilaising in German Lieder and Russian Romances.
Thomas made his operatic debut with Opera Holland Park, with the role of 'Badger the Miner' in their recent production of Tobias Picker's Fantastic Mr. Fox. In 2011, he was cast in the title role of Ullmann's 'The Emperor of Atlantis' at the Grimeborn Festival, and was critically acclaimed for his performance. In the following year, he covered roles for English Touring Opera and Buxton Festival Opera. In competition, he has recently won 3rd Prize at the Maureen Lehane Vocal Award, taking place in the Wigmore Hall and also 3rd Prize in the Bromsgrove Young Musicians Platform (2011).
He has participated in masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Robert Tear, Malcolm Martineau, Helmut Deutsch and most recently with the renowned Baritone Wolfgang Holzmair at the Oxford Lieder Festival. Thomas continues to be in demand as a soloist and recitalist throughout the country and, indeed, beyond, with concerts including recitals in Bulgaria and Italy.
Thomas has his own website here: http://www.thomashumphreys.com/default.html
In 2001, Thomas was awarded a music scholarship to Wellington College, Berkshire, where he further pursued his passion for singing, as he sang with the school orchestra on their Australia tour '05 and performed Schumann's Dichterliebe at the age of 17 at South Hill Park, Bracknell. In his last year, he received 2nd prize in the RSO Young Musician of the Year Award.He was then awarded the Lord and Lady Lurgan Scholarship Trust, the Leverhulme Undergraduate Award and the Kathleen Bayfield Award to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London. There he met his current teacher Joy Mammen, HonRAM.
At the Royal Academy of Music he achieved great success, receiving 2nd prize in the John Warner Memorial Award (2008), the award for 'Most Promising Male Singer' in the North London Festival (2008), 2nd Prize Ludmilla Andrew Russian Song Prize (2010) and reaching the Final of the Thelma King Award (2010). It was at the Academy that he met his wife, the pianist Raya Kostova Humphreys, with whom he has performed many concerts, specilaising in German Lieder and Russian Romances.
Thomas made his operatic debut with Opera Holland Park, with the role of 'Badger the Miner' in their recent production of Tobias Picker's Fantastic Mr. Fox. In 2011, he was cast in the title role of Ullmann's 'The Emperor of Atlantis' at the Grimeborn Festival, and was critically acclaimed for his performance. In the following year, he covered roles for English Touring Opera and Buxton Festival Opera. In competition, he has recently won 3rd Prize at the Maureen Lehane Vocal Award, taking place in the Wigmore Hall and also 3rd Prize in the Bromsgrove Young Musicians Platform (2011).
He has participated in masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Robert Tear, Malcolm Martineau, Helmut Deutsch and most recently with the renowned Baritone Wolfgang Holzmair at the Oxford Lieder Festival. Thomas continues to be in demand as a soloist and recitalist throughout the country and, indeed, beyond, with concerts including recitals in Bulgaria and Italy.
Thomas has his own website here: http://www.thomashumphreys.com/default.html
Raya Kostova Humphreys, piano
Raya Kostova Humphreys was born in Varna (Bulgaria) and began playing the piano at the age of four. She studied at the National School of Arts in Varna, where she attended master classes with Iuri Bukov, Catherine Vickers, Boris Bloh, Tomislav Nedelkovich-Baynov and Bozhidar Noev. At the early age of 11 she made her concerto debut with the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra playing Bach- Piano concerto in D.
Raya has won numerous prizes and was awarded two scholarships as a gifted youngster by the Ministry of Culture after performances at the Competition for Czech and Slovak Music (Varna, 2007) and the International Competition for German and Austrian Music (Burgas, 2007). In addition, Raya was awarded a prize by the Mayor of Varna for her personal achievements as a young musician in 2007. Between 2008 and 2009 she made her first appearance with both the Varna Symphony Orchestra and ‘ Project Muzica’ playing Chopin-Grande Brilliante Polonaise and Mozart- Piano concerto no.23.
Raya received the Elsie Prater Award in 2009 to study at the Royal Academy of Music where she is taught by Tatyana Sarkissova and has participated in many major master classes (Stephen Hough, Pascal Devoyon, Hartmut Rohde, Thomas Brandis and Simon Crawford-Phillips) and competitions, including winning 3rd place in the Else Cross Brahms Prize ‘11. She is regular guest of the National Bulgarian radio and gives concerts throughout the UK and Europe, recently performing recitals for the ‘Armonie della Magna Graecia‘ festival in Calabria, Italy.
Recently, Raya attended the Oxford Lieder Festival Mastercourse, run by the renowned baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, also with Andrew West, Michael Dussek and Roger Vignoles. Last year she was awarded the Mirhane McLauren-Howard Bursary and the Cedar Trust Award to study at the Dartington International Summer School with Daniel Adni and on the Britten-Pears Russian Song Masterclass with Joan Rogers and Roger Vignoles respectively.
Raya is a keen chamber musician and performs regularly with her husband, the baritone Thomas Humphreys.
Raya has her website here: http://www.rayakostova.com/default.html
Raya has won numerous prizes and was awarded two scholarships as a gifted youngster by the Ministry of Culture after performances at the Competition for Czech and Slovak Music (Varna, 2007) and the International Competition for German and Austrian Music (Burgas, 2007). In addition, Raya was awarded a prize by the Mayor of Varna for her personal achievements as a young musician in 2007. Between 2008 and 2009 she made her first appearance with both the Varna Symphony Orchestra and ‘ Project Muzica’ playing Chopin-Grande Brilliante Polonaise and Mozart- Piano concerto no.23.
Raya received the Elsie Prater Award in 2009 to study at the Royal Academy of Music where she is taught by Tatyana Sarkissova and has participated in many major master classes (Stephen Hough, Pascal Devoyon, Hartmut Rohde, Thomas Brandis and Simon Crawford-Phillips) and competitions, including winning 3rd place in the Else Cross Brahms Prize ‘11. She is regular guest of the National Bulgarian radio and gives concerts throughout the UK and Europe, recently performing recitals for the ‘Armonie della Magna Graecia‘ festival in Calabria, Italy.
Recently, Raya attended the Oxford Lieder Festival Mastercourse, run by the renowned baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, also with Andrew West, Michael Dussek and Roger Vignoles. Last year she was awarded the Mirhane McLauren-Howard Bursary and the Cedar Trust Award to study at the Dartington International Summer School with Daniel Adni and on the Britten-Pears Russian Song Masterclass with Joan Rogers and Roger Vignoles respectively.
Raya is a keen chamber musician and performs regularly with her husband, the baritone Thomas Humphreys.
Raya has her website here: http://www.rayakostova.com/default.html
