ABOUT CALUM
Calum is a Live Music Now artist and graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, receiving a BMus Honours first class degree in July 2011 and a Masters in Performance in November 2012 on clarinet, having studied with John Cushing (former Principal RSNO). During those five years he won The Mary D. Adams Prize for Chamber Music, the Classical Concerto Competition and The Governors’ Woodwind Recital Prize. Edinburgh.
In January 2010 he performed Carl Nielsen's clarinet concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as part of a joint scheme with the RCS and in February that year he was interviewed and broadcast Sir James MacMillan's solo work From Galloway on BBC Radio 3. He freelances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Orchestra of Scottish Opera and has appeared as Guest Principal with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and the RSNO. In August 2013 he made his Edinburgh International Festival debut in a performance of Pierrot Lunaire with Scottish Ballet. He plays with The David Patrick Ensemble and recorded an album, The Jazz Rites of Spring, in 2015.
Calum has commissioned and premiered many new works including “Prey” by Claire McCue, “Reed Talk” by Rory Boyle, "Twitch" by American composer Tim Miles and “Hot Chocolate” by American composer, Kyle Berry.
CALUM ROBERTSON and SALLY CARR
Recently established duo, Calum and Sally have set out to champion and enlarge the repertoire for soprano and various clarinets.
Sally Carr was educated at St Mary's Music School and the University of Edinburgh. She studies singing with Susan Hamilton and is soprano choral scholar at Old Saint Paul's and a Lay Clerk at the Robin Chapel. She has been the recipient of both the Tovey Memorial Prize and the Janet Buckley Memorial prize promoted annually by the Reid School of Music. She is an alumna of the renowned UK young artist programme 'Genesis 16' and sings with 'echo', a new ensemble that comprises graduate Genesis members.
She is also currently involved in projects with the Scottish Voices ensemble and as part of a duo with clarinettist Calum Robertson. She has performed in several performances with Edinburgh Studio Opera: as Julia Bertram in Jonathan Dove's Mansfield Park and most recently as Belinda in their 50th--anniversary production of Dido and Aeneas.
She has recently been featured as a soloist alongside ensembles such as the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, the Edinburgh Practice choir, the Roseneathe Singers and the Scottish Bach Players.
▶ Listen to Calum and Sally... SIROCCO WINDS
Calum started playing with Sirocco Winds at the end of 2016. They enjoy a busy schedule both as a wind trio and quintet giving concerts around Scotland and beyond. A particular highlight has been playing for The National Trust of Scotland Cruise in September 2017 and looking forward to playing again in September 2018.
OLD SAINT PAUL'S
Calum is Assistant Organist at Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh. His duties include playing for High Mass and Evensong on Sunday’s and singing, accompanying, conducting and rehearsing the choir. In January 2014 he was awarded The Harriet Cohen Memorial Award for young musicians establishing careers resulting in a new commission for clarinet and choir by Claire McCue called Kneeling which he has since recorded with the choir.
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Some Recent Reviews
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The following night, the church was even more deeply candlelit for a thoughtful intelligent programme of music for clarinet and soprano beginning with Michael Nyman’s brilliant Mannahatta, Calum Robertson’s bass clarinet dancing in an exhilarating angular rhythmic workout while soprano Sally Carr's radiant soprano celebrated the vibrancy of New York with Walt Whitman’s words
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The tub of hot chocolate topped with cream on arrival at the candle lit Old Saint Paul's Scottish Episcopal Church towards the end of a busy day at the Fringe is extraordinarily welcome. With a considerable sized audience to hear them, soprano Sally Carr and clarinettist Calum Robertson were ready to enchant us - and they succeeded.
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...Mendelssohn's Konzertstuck No. 2 just flowed, with each movement seamlessly easing into the next.
Calum Robertson, charmed and seduced every pair of ears in the house with his alluring, chocolatey playing of the basset horn, the un-trumpeted sex symbol of the woodwind family.