Amelie Donovan and Aaron Burrows

Amelie Donovan, flute

From a young age, Amelie has enjoyed the arts and has always been involved in creative activities. Aged eleven, she began to teach herself the flute, and after progressing to grade three alone, began to take lessons at school. Aged sixteen, she has now achieved ARSM diploma with distinction, having made rapid progress with her new teacher, Susie Hodder-Williams. Amelie finds music a great way to express herself as her dyslexia makes it difficult to use words. Alongside music, ballet is one of her biggest passions and she enjoys exploring the relationship between music and ballet.
In her first year at Exeter College, Amelie is studying Music A-level, Music Performance BTEC and Photography A-level. She loves all three courses and particularly enjoys the contrast between the two music courses. She aims to immerse herself in all musical activities available to her inside and outside of college. She has had the opportunity to take masterclasses with several successful flautists such as Ian Clarke, Kate Hill and Robert Manasse. Amelie is currently a member of South West Music School, Centre for Young Musicians Taunton, and the National Youth Folk Ensemble.

Amelie likes a wide variety of music including classical, folk and rock and has enjoyed playing orchestral pieces with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on their "Rusty Musicians" days and at Piggott's Junior Camps. Some of her favourites include Holst’s Planets, Dvorak 8 and Shostakovich 5. Amelie also loves to watch musical performances live as it enables her to feel more engaged in the music and visually notice how composers use sections of the orchestra. This inspires her to compose and have fun creating new music.
Amelie has attended many residential courses, such as Live Music Now where she enjoyed the rewarding experience of working with and performing music for elderly people in residential care. She will be attending their residential course again this year, this time focusing on presenting music to children with special educational needs. She aims to become a successful professional musician, performing and teaching the flute.

Aaron Burrows, piano

Aaron Burrows is a collaborative pianist who has performed in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Barbican Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Snape Maltings Concert Hall and LSO St Luke’s. 

Regularly engaged as an orchestral and chamber musician, Aaron has performed with London Symphony Orchestra Players in the LSO Soundhub Scheme, alongside the London Symphony Orchestra, in the Multi-Story Orchestra, University of London Symphony Orchestra and Guildhall School of Music Orchestras. 

Having studied composition with Mathew Kaner, Aaron is known for his involvement in contemporary music and has premiered several new works (Mark Anthony-Turnage, Richard Causton, Mathew Kaner and Oliver Leith). 

Aaron is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having studied with Pamela Lidiard, Philip Jenkins and Caroline Palmer. He was awarded a Guildhall Artist Fellowship for 2015-16 with specialism in piano accompaniment and contemporary music.