Local Student Reaches Final of BBC Young Musician 2020

Percussionist Isaac Harari's performance to be broadcast this Sunday

Isaac Harari

Local student Isaac Harari reached the category finals of the BBC Young Musician 2020 competition which took place before lockdown in Cardiff

They are to be broadcast on BBC4 this Sunday (24 May) at 7pm.

The Latymer Upper student from Chiswick reached the percussion final and is looking ahead to a bright future as a professional musician, having recently been awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in September.

Isaac began his musical journey on piano aged five, and started on the drum-kit at 7, learning first at Bush House, then with local drummer Fred Fontane in Chiswick. Many of those who attended Belmont Primary School at that time will remember him drumming in the school’s band.

Upon joining Latymer Upper age 11 as a music scholar, he started lessons on orchestral percussion with Stephen Gibson.

He is now in his last year at the school and plays in several of its ensembles (Big band, Jazz Collective, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and, Latin Band) as well as the school musicals. In 2017, he joined the Saturday junior department of the Royal College of Music where he has been having lessons with percussionist Cameron Sinclair.

Having decided to pursue music professionally, last term he auditioned and has been awarded a full scholarship to start percussion studies at the Royal College of Music next September. He has given performances in various London venues, his latest being a recital in the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room.

Isaac was due to take his A Levels in Music, English Lit and French this summer.

There are no professional musicians in the family and both his parents are filmmakers. However, his dad is an amateur pianist and cellist and taught Isaac piano, until he moved on to learning with pianist Andrew Bottrill at Latymer.

You can watch the highlights of BBC Young Musician Percussion final on Sunday at 7pm on BBC4, and Isaac’s full performance on the BBC I Player and the BBC Young Musician website afterwards.

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May 19, 2020