Jessica Gale - Pianist & Vocalist

Jessica's late discovery of her passion for music at fifteen set her on a remarkable journey, transforming her from a novice to a distinguished pianist in just a few years.

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Early Training and Education:

Jessica began formal piano lessons with Julia Hartmann at Hindhead Music Centre at the age of fifteen. In just four years, she completed all ABRSM Grades 1-8, enabling her to pursue a career in music.

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University Studies and Masterclasses:

From 2010 to 2013, Jessica studied Music at the University of Surrey, graduating with a BMus (Hons). Under the tutelage of Margaret Roberts, she participated in performances at the Performing Arts Centre and Guildford Cathedral. In 2011 and 2012, she attended masterclasses with renowned pianists James Lisney and Simon Nicholls, focusing on works by Brahms, Liszt, Schubert, and Poulenc. Her final year included a detailed study on Clara Schumann supervised by Jeremy Barham and Baroque Fugue Analysis with Dimitris Exarchos, focusing on J.S. Bach.

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Post-Graduate Achievements, Recordings, and Competitions:
Jessica achieved her ABRSM Piano Performance Diploma in December 2014, followed by Grade 8 Music Theory in November 2015. In 2015, she won the Valerie Taylor Challenge Trophy at the Basingstoke Music Festival and released her first CD featuring works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, and Robert Schumann. Her second CD, released in August 2017, included pieces by Scarlatti, Haydn, Rachmaninov, Brahms, and Chopin. In 2017, Jessica won the Doreen Ayliffe Challenge Cup and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead Arts Council Shield. That same year, she achieved her LRSM Diploma in Piano Performance in July and was awarded the Kathleen Chuter Challenge Cup in March 2018.

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Recent Activities:

In April 2019, Jessica attended a 'Piano Retreat' at Finchcocks in Kent, featuring masterclasses with Petros Moschos. She won the Senior Special Trophy at the Aldershot and Farnborough Music Festival in May 2019 and placed first in the Chopin Class. In 2020, she attended a Rachmaninoff Masterclass with Warren Mailley-Smith. During November 2021 and March 2023, Jessica and her duet partner Eric, performed at some music festivals. They played duets by Brahms, Mozart and Tchaikovsky (arr. Rachmaninoff) and received Distinction(+). More recently, in December 2023, Jessica returned to Finchcocks for an ensemble session, which included duet playing, performing on two pianos, and playing pieces with other pianists for six and eight hands. She also sang musical theatre repertoire for her ARSM diploma, which she passed with distinction in May 2024.

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Current Work:

Jessica performs locally and teaches piano, singing and music theory at a secondary school and privately, offering lessons to students of all ages. She actively maintains her YouTube Channel, showcasing many of her piano performances as well as some vocal performances.