Gavin Higgins becomes a Patron of Awards for Young Musicians

Ben Goldscheider, Gavin Higgins & London Chamber Orchestra
at London premiere of Higgins' Horn Concerto
(Photo: Jerome Weatherald)

Composer Gavin Higgins, whose horn concerto was recently premiered by Ben Goldscheider [see my review of the London performance], and who is Composer-in-Association with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, has become a Patron of music charity Awards for Young Musicians (AYM).

AYM aims to ensure that family finances and other obstacles do not get in the way of musical talent by supporting young musicians from low income families, with funding and other help, and supporting music education through training, advocacy and research.

Gavin Higgins was an early beneficiary of AYM, and he describes his new role with the organisation as something of a "full circle moment." Born into a brass-banding family, but a condition of receiving a full scholarship to study at Chetham’s School of Music was that he had to transition from brass-band instrument to French horn. AYM helped Higgins purchase the instrument.

Gavin Higgins' comments "I couldn’t afford my own, so I was playing on the school horn for a long time. It was bashed up, it was dented, there were holes in it, which I had to put Blue Tack in, the water key was broken. I had to put elastic bands around it, and it got to the point where I just needed my own instrument."

The announcement comes in the lead up to the inaugural Arts for Impact campaign. Any donation made to AYM from 12 noon on Tuesday 19 March to 12 noon on Tuesday 26 March will be doubled until they reach their fundraising target of £10,000, see the AYM website for details.