A GIFTED former Greenwood Academy pupil hit some of the highest notes of his career when he played at the coveted Last Night of the Proms.
Clarinettist Adam Lee, 25, enjoyed the experience of the highly prestigious event and also played on other dates throughout the season.
The Irvine man is a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Reflecting on the gala night at the Royal Albert Hall last month, he said: “We played a huge variety, and it was actually a programme really suited to the clarinet.
“Shostakovich’s Festive Overtureand Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprenticewere real highlights, but I particularly enjoyed playing the Riffs from Bernstein’s Prelude, Fugues and Riffs – it’s originally a piece with a prominent solo clarinet part but the version we played was adapted to have trumpet as the lead instrument, played by Alison Balsom.
“However, a fair bit of the original clarinet solo part remained so it was great to have a chance to play it – it’s a very jazzy and rhythmically driven piece and that’s the sort of stuff I love playing.
“I played in a total of 10 Proms this year, seven in my new role at the BBC SO and three just before leaving the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.”
Adam has been playing the clarinet since the age of nine and said: “I started when I was in Primary 6 and I got my lessons through the North Ayrshire Music Service. My first clarinet teacher was Rachel Considine.”
Asked why he had opted to play the clarinet, Adam said: “When the opportunity came to play an instrument, I originally wanted to learn the saxophone.
“But there were none available so clarinet was the next best thing … so I guess you could say I was never really drawn to it, but it seems to have been fate that I ended up with it!
“While I was at Greenwood Academy, I won several musical prizes and performed for many years at the Ayrshire Music Festival, at which I won the Best Overall Instrumental Performance three years in a row.
“Towards the end of my school years, I also studied at the RCS (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) Junior Conservatoire through the Transitions programme, from 2015 to 2017.”
A full-time musician, now living in London, he is co-principal clarinet with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, joining at the beginning of August.
Before that, he was principal clarinet No. 2 at the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for two years.
He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for his undergraduate degree from 2017 to 2021, graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Performance with First Class Honours, as well as the Principal’s Prize for Excellence in the School of Music.
Adam said: "I then went on to study at the Royal College of Music in London from 2021 – 2023, graduating with a Master of Performance with Distinction and the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal, which is awarded to a graduating student who has been judged to have made outstanding contributions musically and in other important ways to the Royal College of Music.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have had many amazing concert experiences but some recent highlights are playing in the BBC Proms Korea as part of a tour with the BBC SSO in December 2024, at the Festival Printemps des Arts in Monte-Carlo earlier this year with the BBC SO.
" I also work with the Aurora Orchestra from time to time who are famous for their presentations and performances of pieces from memory."
He revealed: “My main ambition is to continue sharing my passion for music making with audiences and my colleagues.
“Upcoming is the BBC SO season opener for 2025 – 2026, and we’re playing Mahler’s 9th Symphony with our Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo – I’m really looking forward to this. And of course, there are many other concerts throughout the season that’ll be keeping me busy.”
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