As a young cornet player, Vicky Blair grew up in West Lothian, very close to Edinburgh, and is a product of the rich brass band community there. From 2003-09 she studied trumpet at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, receiving a Bachelor of Music with Honours and, most recently, a Masters in Music (Performance). Whilst there she studied with John Gracie (Principal trumpet, Royal Scottish National Orchestra), Mark O’Keefe (Principal trumpet, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) and Peter Franks (Principal trumpet, Scottish Chamber Orchestra).

In July 2009, Vicky was delighted to have received the RSAMD Blair Memorial Prize for Excellence in Brass. During the last few years she has benefited from master classes with Alison Balsom, John Wallace, Rex Richardson and Hakan Hardenberger.

In 2008, Vicky was a participant in the much-esteemed London Symphony Orchestra Brass Academy, where she studied with their Principal Trumpet, Rod Franks. As a freelance trumpet player, Vicky has performed with many of Scotland’s leading orchestra’s including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Jamie began playing the French horn at the age of 11 and two years later joined the junior department at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Jamie enjoyed 5 years there and then progressed to study full-time at the RSAMD with: David Flack, John Logan, David McClenaghan and Hugh Potts. Jamie graduated in 2011 with an honors degree of the first class and in 2012 with a Post Graduate Diploma. During his time there, Jamie won the prestigious Governors Recital Prize for Brass and was also presented with the Blair Memorial Prize for Excellence in Brass.

Still based in Scotland, Jamie enjoys regular freelance work with all of the Scottish Orchestras and been successful in gaining trials for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for second horn. Jamie’s playing career to date has taken him to many countries around the world including Norway, Germany, Spain, Malta and Mauritius.

In his spare time Jamie can be found flying around the skies of Scotland as he is in the final stages of training for his Private Pilots License.

Andrew was born in Lancashire, but brought up in Stirling. He started playing the cornet at 11, but changed to euphonium a year later. After working with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, Andrew changed to tuba and has since trained at Hochschule fur Musik in Koln, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Scottish Academy of Music, Glasgow.

Andrew was a member of HM Band of the Scots Guards 2000-03. He has also played with Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ballet Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Northern Ballet Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and Bochumer Symphoniker.

He also has considerable experience in the folk and jazz fields and has recorded and performed live with Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, True North Orchestra, Martin Green Machine, Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra with Bob Brookmeyer and Lee Konitz, Celtic Connections’ project With Strings Attached: Blazin Fiddles with Justin Currie, Eddie Reader and Colin MacIntyre.

Born in Edinburgh, Paul began playing Baritone at the age of seven and went on to become the principal Euphonium player in the celebrated West Lothian Schools Brass Band, winning Scottish, British and European titles as well as several individual awards. He later attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music to study Euphonium with David Dowall, Electro-Acoustic Composition with Dr Alistair MacDonald and Trombone with Kevin Thompson and Lance Green. During his time at RSAMD Paul was awarded the Countess of Munster Musical Scholarship, the Barcapel Music Award, the Robert McCreath Memorial Prize and The Governors Recital Prize (Brass).

He has performed with Scottish Brass (BBC SSO brass quintet), RSNO Brass Quintet, Brass Ensemble and Big Band and numerous musical productions and freelance orchestras. Paul has also enjoyed performances with RTE Symphony Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra as well as all of Scotland’s major Orchestras. On a lighter note, Paul was intermittently a member of P&O Cruises’ in-house orchestras, a role in which Paul worked with artists and performers as diverse as Paul Daniels, Elaine Delmar, Roy Walker, Iris Williams, Gerrard Kenny, Allan Stewart and Claire Sweeney.