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The DYMF Recital Awards are generously supported by the Davison Young Musician Foundation.

The Davison Young Musicians Award was established in March 2021 by Tom and Peter Davison, to provide opportunity for aspiring young musicians to showcase their talent and win an award to assist them with their studies in music.

For the second time, New College has collaborated with the Davison Young Musician Foundation (DYMF) to provide Recital Awards to students studying at the University of Oxford. Students were invited to audition by the Faculty of Music in collaboration with ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. On Monday 28th October, the selected students auditioned for the opportunity to be selected for a recital award - a monetary award and the opportunity to perform a recital at The New Space. 

The DYMF adjudicating panel made the rare decision to award two Recital Prizes, as the standard of auditionees was extremely high. The first place Recital Award was awarded to Maria del Mar Umbert Kimura, who has recently completed an MSt in Music Performance at Somerville ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. The second place Recital Merit Award was awarded to George Lawson, a violinist in his final year studying Music at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. 

The winners' recital for the second Award Series at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ took place on the 20th of November at The New Space, featuring winner Maria Umbert Kimura (piano) and runner-up George Lawson (violin). 

Maria del Mar Umbert Kimura is a Spanish-Japanese pianist who had recently completed her MSt in Music Performance from Somerville ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ (University of Oxford) with distinction, where she also read Music as an undergraduate student. She is particularly passionate about piano accompaniment and chamber music and is in demand in Oxford as a collaborative pianist. Mar has performed with leading ensembles such as the Oxford University Orchestra, Oxford University Sinfonietta, orchestra VOX, Ensemble Isis, Somerville ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Choir, Schola Cantorum of Oxford, Opus 48 Choir, and Komuna Collective. As an accompanist, she has worked with professional musicians including Emma Kirkby, Anthony Roth Constanzo, and Will Dawes as well as with numerous university and conservatoire students. Over the years she has received solo and chamber music masterclasses from Libby Burgess, Anna Tilbrook, Tom Poster, Paul Roberts, Marta Zabaleta, and the Castilian Quartet, among others. Mar was awarded the Margaret Irene Seymour Music Award as an undergraduate, as well as a substantial music scholarship towards her MSt, and received the Archibald Jackson Prize for high performance in her master's degree. 

Violinist George Lawson, co-leader of the Oxford University Orchestra, is part of the mentorship scheme at the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and has performed as a member of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra as an orchestral apprentice. He was also most recently a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the U.S. on its European tour to Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Berlin (Konzerthaus), Ravello, and the Lucerne Summer Festival (KKL) under the direction of Daniel Harding. During his time at Oxford, George has also founded the Lawson quartet and performed as part of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective. He was the leader of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra for 2 years and a member for 4 years and toured to China and Europe including performances in the Vienna Musikverein and Rudolfinum in Prague. During his time at FSYO he was also a member of the Symphonic Orchestra’s quartet and performed the Schubert Octet at the Timucua Chamber Festival. He has also been the leader of the University of Central Florida Chamber Opera ensemble for three years. 

Programme:

GEORGE LAWSON (accompanied by Mar Umbert)

Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 2
Beethoven's Romance in F Major

MAR UMBERT

Aiguablava (Alicia de Larrocha)
5 Danzas Gitanas (Joaquín Turina)
El amor y la muerte - from Goyescas (Enrique Granados)
Invitación (Alicia de Larrocha)

The inaugural DYMF recital at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ took place on the 7th of June at The New Space, featuring winner Alfred Fardell (piano).

Alfred was in his final year reading music at St. Peter's ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Oxford. He performs regularly as a solo pianist and chamber musician in Oxford and London, and has appeared at venues including St John's Smith Square, Winchester Cathedral and the Holywell Music Room.

He started his musical training as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral, before winning a music scholarship to study at Winchester ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. He currently studies the piano with Anna Tilbrook and took up a scholarship on the Ensemble Piano course at the Royal Academy of Music in September 2024. 

Programme:

FRANZ SCHUBERT

Piano Sonata in A Major, D.959

Michaelmas 2024

• Recital Award (1st place): Maria del mar Umbert Kimura Piano
• Recital Merit Award (2nd place): George Lawson Violin

Trinity 2024, Alfred Fardell Piano