Daniel Scott

For me, it all started when I first heard the saxophone crooning the tune to Summertime, beautifully played by my secondary school music teacher during band rehearsal. From behind the piano where I was sat, I thought “Wow, now that’s what I want to play” – and the rest is history. Just four years later, I began my studies for a Bachelor of Music at the Royal College of Music, London with Kyle Horch as my saxophone tutor, where I was supported by an RCM scholarship. During my time there, I also studied piano with Kathron Sturrock and picked up the clarinet. My musical life was rich with quartet rehearsals, big band gigs, orchestral performances, and solo recitals. But perhaps my greatest highlight was being selected to go aboard to France with the RCM’s wind orchestra, where we had a week of rehearsals and a concert alongside students from the prestigious Paris Conservatoire, before returning to London for the second of two concerts. All in all, it was a fantastic experience! ​ Making music with other musicians is one of my favourite things to do, but there are few people I enjoy playing with more than those in my saxophone quartet. We have had some great experiences since getting together in our first year of university. We travelled to Denmark for the Nordic Saxophone Festival, to Crete for the Aegean International Arts Festival, we won the Launchpad prize in the RCM’s woodwind chamber competition twice in a row, and have performed at a number of renowned venues including the Royal Opera House and Cadogan Hall. ​In recent times, I have developed a passion for making classical music more accessible. This began through work I was involved with for dementia patients, from workshops with Teenage Cancer Trust, to a community project performance featuring over one hundred individuals at the V&A Museum, London in collaboration with the English National Opera. ​Since first hearing the saxophone, I have come a long way, and I am excited to see where life takes me next. My adventure through jazz and classical music has shown me just how versatile music can be, but it has also given me the rare opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and from far around the globe.