Eddie Mead (Young Musician and Composer)

As a young musician, Edward Mead currently studies at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England, where he divides his time between cello and composition studies. Brought up in Wales, Eddie began playing the cello, cornet and piano at the age of 7, while attending the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Junior Department. In 2013, he received the Junior String Prize there, as well as winning Urdd Eisteddfod competitions in both the string and brass categories. Since gaining a place at The Yehudi Menuhin School, with cello as his main instrument, Eddie has studied with teachers such as Adrian Brendel, Thomas Carroll, Bartholomew LaFolette, Steffan Morris, and Ioan Davies, as well as receiving numerous masterclasses, including lessons with Benjamin Zander, Guy Johnston, Colin Carr, Richard Lester, and John Myerscough. In 2015, Eddie appeared as a soloist in the Neath Festival in Wales, playing a Vivaldi Cello Concerto, accompanied by the Nidum Ensemble. Eddie went on to win the string category of the National Eisteddfod in 2018, and was a finalist for the Blue Riband Award, performing in the Wales Millennium Centre with Chris Williams. As a chamber musician, Eddie has played with instrumentalists such as Akiko Ono, David Dolan, Bartholomew Lafolette, Nigel Hutchinson and Svietlana Kosenko, appearing in The Wimbledon Festival, Grange Park Opera Gala Dinner, as well as performing in Winchester College. Eddie is equally as passionate about orchestral playing as he is solo and chamber music playing, and has belonged to the National Children's Orchestra, the National Children's Chamber Orchestra, and is now in his 3rd year of playing in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. In NYOGB , Eddie has worked with conductors including Mark Wigglesworth, Kirill Karabits, and Jaime Martin, as well as composers Rick Dior, and Larry Gove, and has performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall, and Konzerthaus Berlin. Eddie is also a permanent member of the Apollo Philharmonic Orchestra, residing in London, which is a brand new and entirely student-made orchestra.

Outside of his experience as a cellist, Eddie has recently taken up composing, and in 2019, Eddie's piano piece, 'Inspired by Beethoven' was performed and recorded by Susanne Kessel, and published by Editions Ferrum. More recently, Eddie composed a violin piece called 'Gestures' which was selected by the Red Note Ensemble, and recorded by Jackie Shave. This piece became the creative impulse for a short cello composition which was selected by the BBC Young Composer 30 Second Challenge, and recorded by Michael Atkinson, from the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Eddie receives regular composition tuition from John Cooney, David Dolan, and Mathew Taylor, and has also had lessons with Michael Betteridge, and Simon Fontanelli. Eddie's works have been performed in the Menuhin Hall, Beethoven Haus Kammermusiksaal, and Klavierhaus Klavins. Eddie has also taken part in conducting classes, including participating in a conducting workshop with Sian Edwards at The Royal Academy of Music, and received lessons from Tim Redmond at the Ingenium Academy. Eddie has also received regular conducting and score analysis lessons with James Young and Damian LeGassick.