Beatrice is in her fourth and final year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), studying ‘cello with Kathryn Price.
In September she will start a two year Master of Arts postgraduate degree course at the Royal Academy of Music in London. “The standard of candidates at this year’s auditions, combined with an unprecedented level of interest in the Academy, has been exceptional. It therefore gives me special pleasure to offer you one of the few places available in your Principal Study (cello) for entry in September 2011. In recognition of your achievement, the Academy is awarding you an Entrance Scholarship of £1,000 towards your tuition fees for the 2011/2012 academic year”. (letter from the Academy 20 December 2010).
Beatrice is involved as a cellist with many solo performances, chamber, and orchestral works in and around Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire and Wales. She also works as a gig/session musician, as well as undertaking out-reach work to primary schools. She is assistant to her teacher Kathryn Price on the “Junior” programme at the Royal Welsh College.
Beatrice started to learn the ‘cello whilst still at Westwood-with-Iford Primary School, near Bradford on Avon under James Monckton as part of the Wiltshire Music Service. She gained a music scholarship to Monkton Combe School, Bath where her teachers included Shena Power and Audrey Luckhurst. She started learning with her present teacher at the RWCMD Junior Department when 16.
Beatrice plays a 19th century German ‘cello which originally belonged to her great-grandmother who lived in Bath. Her bow is made by John Stagg of Bristol and her strings supplied by The Sound Post
Beatrice Newman – Solo Performances:
Beatrice has given many concerts and recitals, covering a variety of repertoire. She has performed both the Elgar concerto (2006 whilst still at school) and the Haydn C major concerto (2008) and the Vivaldi Double with Lorna Davis in San Lorenzo del Escorial, all with orchestras, as well as many other solo performances including the Prokofiev and Rachmaninov sonatas. Venues have included the Pump Room, Bath, The Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon and St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth. In 2007 she was awarded the ‘Bath Young Musician of the Year’ trophy.
Beatrice is principal cello of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, String Ensemble, Opera Orchestra, Cardiff Camerata and Opera d’Draig.
Beatrice Newman – Chamber music:
Beatrice is a member of the McKenzie Piano Trio, which was awarded the Cardiff Violins Chamber Music award in 2009. The trio were also part of the Beethoven Piano Trio series, working alongside the Gould Trio. Her College Quintet was awarded the Cardiff Violins Prize in 2010. Her work with the Beaman string quartet, includes her outreach work in Belfast, and the Newman String Quartet performs regularly. She also performs as a duo with violinist Elisabeth French, and has been guest cellist to the Poznansky Quartet. She is the leader of the 12 strong cello ensemble of the Matisse School, which performs in the Basilica at El Escorial. (see the audio files under the music tab). She is also principal cello of the RWCMD Chamber Orchestra, String Ensemble and Opera Orchestra.
She has been coached by members of the Gould Trio, Emperor Quartet and Eroica Quartet; also by Jon Thorne, Matt Jones, Peter Esswood and Richard May.
Beatrice Newman – Orchestral:
As well as leading the cellos for the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Ddraig project, performing Mozart operas, she is also the principal cellist of the Cardiff Camerata orchestra, the Symphonia Cymru and the student-run Symphonia Newfdd. Beatrice has also been on placement with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 2010 and three times in 2011.
Before joining the RWCMD, she was the leader of the ‘cellos of both the West Wiltshire Youth Orchestra which took her to the Royal Festival Hall in London, and the Wiltshire & Swindon Youth Orchestra (‘resident’ conductor Tim Redmond) performing three times a year and including tours to both north and South Italy including William Walton’s home in Ischia in the presence of Lady Walton where they performed the Walton Cello Concerto with Natalie Clein as soloist.
