This is 17-year-old Jacob’s second year playing with AYO. He is an APO Young Achiever as well as NZSO Mentoring recipient for 2019. In 2018 Jacob won the AYO Soloist Competition with his performance of Mouquet’s La Flute De Pan, which he plays in the May concert series. In 2018 he was a Chamber Music New Zealand National Finalist winning a Joan Kerr Gold Award with his chamber group “Orbit”.
Jacob has played the flute for 9 years. His teacher is Melanie Lançon (APO) and his previous teachers include Eric Lamb, Catherine Bowie and Raewyn Donaldson. He has received additional individual lessons with Bridget Douglas (NZSO) and Kathryn Moorhead (APO). He achieved distinction for ABRSM Grade 8 flute in 2015.
Jacob was a Pettman National Junior Academy of Music Scholarship recipient from 2016-2018. Jacob attended masterclasses at the 2016 NZ Flute Fest with Uwe Grodd, where he also performed as a soloist. He attended the Akaroa music festival in 2017, placing 2nd in the solo competition for open instrumentalists. Jacob was section leader in both the Westlake Symphony Orchestra and Westlake Concert Band during his time at Westlake Boys High School. He has played in the APPA Festival Orchestra and APO Summer School Orchestra for two years. In 2014 he won the top prize in the APPA Knights Templar Competition culminating in a solo performance of Poulenc in the Auckland Town Hall.
Jacob hopes to become a professional flutist in the future, travelling around the world performing solos, doing chamber music and entering competitions.