Alice Thompson has recently returned from the Netherlands where she spent three years studying for her Master of Music at The Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.
Prior to this, Alice completed her bachelor’s degree with first-class honours and the TCM Trust’s Silver Medal Award at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Here she studied with Anna Noakes and Alan Baker. Alice’s studies in The Hague continued to flourish under the tutelage of Thies Roorda and Dorine Schade and were generously supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Highlights from Alice’s studies at Trinity Laban include winning a place on the London Sinfonietta Academy, winning Trinity Laban’s coveted Harold Clarke Woodwind Competition and reaching the semi-finals of their Concerto Competition in 2011 and 2012.
Whilst in the Netherlands, Alice was selected through successful audition to perform Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloéas Principal Flute with the Royal Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra. Alice performed frequently as part of the Netherlands Flute Academy Ensemble and most recently, toured Europe as Principal Flute and Piccolo of the European Union Youth Orchestra.
Alice is excited to be living in London again and looks forward to performing as Principal Flute with the London Graduates Orchestra and continuing to perform with her chamber music ensembles – as a duo with Finnish guitarist, Antero Pellikka and with Marijke Welch and Richard Allen in their London-based flute, viola and harp trio.
What do you love about classical music?
I love the fact that because of music I have met people from all over the world. Even if we do not speak the same language we can communicate through the music we play. I love the fact that music is so versatile and can express absolutely everything, even some emotions that we might find difficult to put into words.
Which three people, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with and why?
I’d love to go to dinner with John Cleese because I think he would be incredibly funny and knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects; Wassily Kandinsky so that I could discuss my Master research paper entitled The Painting Musician with him; and Freddie Mercury because I think he was an amazing performer and very talented musician.
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us
I enjoy painting and practising yoga in my spare time and I am currently learning Finnish.