Francesca Cox – Winner of Howarth Oboe Scholarship 2012/13

Howarth of London are pleased to announce that Francesca Cox has been awarded the Howarth Oboe Scholarship for 2012/13.

Francesca Cox, 15, started at Junior Guildhall in October 2007 studying oboe with Irene Pragnell, whom she continues to study with. In 2010 she achieved a high distinction in her Grade 8 oboe exam.

Francesca has played principle oboe in the National Children’s Chamber Orchestra, National Children’s Orchestra and the Barbican Young Orchestra. She is currently principal oboe of the Junior Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra and has also played solos in Shostakovitch’s Symphony No.5 and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Other public performances include Mahler’s Symphony No.1 at St John’s, Smith Square and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet at the Barbican Centre.

In addition to her accomplishments on the oboe, Francesca has achieved both Grade 5 voice and Grade 8 piano. She is a music scholar at Tormead School and plays in the Tormead Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Chamber Choir and School Choir. She also sings in the Junior Guildhall Chamber Choir and was a Guildford Cathedral chorister for two years.

We wish her all the very best in future and look forward to seeing her progress even further!