2025 Awards Ceremony

Woking Young Musicians’  Trust  May 25^th 2025

The climax in the annual schedule of the long-established Woking Young Musicians Trust is the Award Ceremony in May.  The 2025 Ceremony took place on 25 May at St Peters Church, Old Woking, in the presence of the Mayor, Councillor Amanda Boote. 

Mike Smith, trustee, introduced each performer in an attractive and varied programme – Audrey Man (harp) in pieces by Prokofiev and Deborah Henson-Conant, Kate Brazendale (voice) in extracts by Jonathan Reid Grant and Jason Howland, and Winifred Allam (violin) in the first movement of Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No 3; also, Daria Hudson (piano) told us how her small award will be used to facilitate the repairing and tuning of her piano.  The Mayor then spoke warmly about the work of the Trust and congratulated the performers.

As is our custom, we then welcomed the return of two former Award recipients – Hollie Tibbotts (flute, 2018) and Rhia Thomas (violin, 2020).   It was a pleasure to witness their progress: we enjoyed their growing musical maturity and authority.

Our grateful thanks are due to the excellent piano accompanists, Maureen Galea, Adam Stanworth and Jonny Lovatt.

The Trust is pleased to be able to give such encouragement to aspiring young musicians and this to provide a valuable contribution to the musical activity of this region.

Audri Mann on the harp

Rhia Thomas on violin