Originally from Surrey, Rebecca Whitener studied clarinet with Timothy Lines, Angela Malsbury and Michael Harris at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Rebecca is a past winner of the Tunbridge Wells International Young Concert Artists (TWIYCA) Wind Section, the Symphony Hall Recital Competition and recipient of the Silver Medal of The Worshipful Company of Musicians. Rebecca’s solo and chamber engagements have included recitals at the Wigmore Hall (London), Symphony Hall (Birmingham) and Colsdon Hall (Bristol). She has performed, recorded and toured internationally with orchestras that include the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Ballet Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Festival Ensemble Stuttgart, Britten-Pears Orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia and the (UBS) Verbier Festival Orchestra .
Rebecca is also passionate about music education. She has been part of music education projects run by the LSO, SCO Connect, Scottish Ballet In and Out, Music in Hospitals and Music Mites (Milton Keynes). She has also coached woodwind for the West of Scotland Schools Concert Band (WSSCB), the Advanced Chamber Music Course at Benslow (Hitchin), Bach to Baccus(Trittenheim, Germany) and enjoyed a wonderful four year post as Chamber Music Coach and Assistant Conductor with the Palace Band (London). Rebecca currently teaches clarinet and coaches chamber music at the Junior Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, teaches woodwind for the East Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde Schools Instrumental Music Services and conducts the East Dunbartonshire Schools Wind Band.
Lesley Bell grew up in Fife and was a pupil at the Junior Academy of Music in Glasgow. After two years at Napier University in Edinburgh she transferred to the BA Music course at the RSAMD where she graduated with a First Class Honours in 2003.
Lesley now combines teaching at Aberdeen City Music School and St. George’s School for Girls in Edinburgh with a freelance career. She has performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. She also performs in the Ebony Duo with the pianist Fiona Macleod.
Lesley is also a musician in the Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and has performed with them in France, Luxembourg, Nova Scotia and Romania.
Originally from Edinburgh, Jenny Stephenson is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Marseille at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Région de Marseille where she specialised in contemporary music. Jenny has performed with The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Orchestra of Scottish Ballet. Her solo performances include Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, The Copland Clarinet Concerto and the Artie Shaw Concerto for Clarinet. Jenny is also an active chamber musician and as well as performing regularly with the Arunda Reed and Beresford Trios as well as playing for the ‘Music in Hospitals’ scheme, Scotland.
Jenny is an actor/musician for children’s theatre company Very Victorian Tales appearing as Lady Chisholme in “The Little Girl Who Loved Stars” and Miss Critch in “Henry the Litter Bug Worm” in venues throughout Scotland. As an educator Jenny is currently part of the teaching staff for No Strings Attached, a charity committed to providing opportunities for young people with asthma. Jenny has led Youth Music Initiative workshops for the Fèis Rois and taught at both the RSAMD Junior Academy and RSAMD Musicworks.
Nicola Turner was born in Edinburgh and after graduating from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with a BMus(Hons) in 2007, she moved to London where she completed an MA(Distinction) at the Royal Academy of Music.
As a proactive and dedicated chamber musician, Nicola is a winner of the Nicholas Blake Ensemble prize from the Royal Academy of Music and the Mary D Adams prize from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She is also a founding member of the Scottish Wind Ensemble.
Nicola has always been a keen orchestral player and has performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Nicola Benedetti, the British Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Contemporary Orchestra, Edinburgh Grand Opera and the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra.
Nicola is thoroughly active in the education system and has over 12 years experience teaching clarinet, saxophone, clarinéo and piano to students of all ages and standards in both solo and group contexts. She is currently the clarinéo, clarinet and saxophone tutor at Portobello Music School.