Laura Newey (violin and piano)

Laura was born in 1999 and began to play the violin when she was three and the piano three years later.  She won a place in the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain aged six – their youngest ever member and has won places in the Orchestra in each subsequent year, including Leverhulme scholarships for 2007 and 2008.

By the time she was ten, Laura was travelling to London to have violin lessons with a specialist violin teacher. This meant that Laura was able to develop her playing to a very high standard; however the constant travelling was having a huge impact on her family. Future Talent was able to provide funds to enable Laura to continue with her violin lessons with her teacher in London, something which would not have been possible without Future Talent’s help.

Being able to continue receiving regular lessons with her teacher meant that Laura continued to make excellent progress with her playing. Achievements to date include securing a place in the Under 13s Orchestra of the National Children’s Orchestra, and being chosen to play a violin solo at the Purcell Room as well as a piano solo in the Festival Hall in the National Suzuki Concert series.

Since Future Talent began its support, Laura has also been invited to become a member of the Heisenberg Ensemble, an adult semi-professional chamber orchestra in St Andrews. Laura was also one of four Future Talent musicians invited to play at a Future Talent 200 Club event at the House of Lords, where she performed on the piano.

Soon after this concert, Laura began studies at Chetham’s School of Music where she had gained a scholarship. Laura continues to make excellent progress at Chetham’s and is also now receiving violin lessons from a tutor from the Royal Northern College of Music.

Since Future Talent met Laura, her aspirations have always remained the same – she really wants to be a soloist, although she is not sure whether it will be violin or piano.

“Music is important to me because of its beauty and because it can be so different; it can be like a tiger, or a mouse. It’s like a friend who is always there…” (Laura Newey)