Simon Wilkins began studying the piano aged ten under John Talbot, having already been learning the ‘cello for several years. His keyboard skills are currently in demand as an organist and pianist at Bitterne Park URC in Southampton. Between 2001 and 2006 he played with Southampton Youth Orchestra, leading his section in the final year and touring venues in Europe and the United States, including Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Liszt Academy in Budapest. In 2005 he was fortunate enough to join other young musicians from around the country on a course organised by the BBC Proms and contemporary music ensemble Between the Notes, which culminated in a Proms performance with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins, broadcast on BBC Four and Radio 3.

After completing his sixth-form studies, Simon was accepted to study Music at Royal Holloway, University of London. He gained a 2:1 for the Bachelor’s Degree, including a First for the Special Study in Performance course, and remained there on a scholarship to complete a Master’s degree. Simon continued to take an active part in musical life at Royal Holloway, giving solo recitals and performing with several ensembles of various sizes, including the University of London Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2008 he participated in a highly successful visit to Hong Kong with this orchestra, joined by world-renowned young soloists Nicola Benedetti and Leonard Elschenbroich. Simon has also worked with Pavlo Beznosiuk, James Bowman, Julian Lloyd Webber, Victoria Mullova and the Barbican Piano Trio. He performed Haydn’s C major ‘Cello Concerto with the Oadby and Wigston Civic Orchestra (Leicester) in October 2010.

Simon is also a composer, and over the past twelve months has had chamber works performed by CHROMA and The Contemporary Consort, as well as a Dvořák orchestration by the university orchestra. He was commissioned to write an arrangement for chorus and orchestra of The First Nowell by Andover Choral Society, performed in December 2010. Recently he was shortlisted for the University of St Andrews’ 600th Anniversary Composition Prize, and his orchestral work The Sun Rising will be performed there in April of this year. Simon intends to take further study in composition at PhD level in the future.

When not engaged in musical activities, Simon enjoys taking long walks in the country and ‘inventing’ new varieties of curry, although has so far been unsuccessful in trying to combine the two simultaneously.