MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
HANNAH SEYMOUR (she/her)
Hannah is an oboist from East Sussex. She is currently a postgraduate oboe scholar at the Royal College of Music, London and is gratefully supported by the H R Taylor Charitable Trust. She is studying with Rosie Jenkins, Julian Koch, Nick Deutsch, John Anderson and Christine Pendrill. In 2022 she graduated with a first class honours degree from the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studied with Jenny Galloway, Jonathan Small and Gill Callow. Whilst at the RNCM she was awarded the Winfield/Graham Solo Wind Prize, and Second Prize in the Evelyn Rothwell (Barbirolli) Oboe Prize.
Hannah has had a variety of performance experience to date, ranging from performing with the BBC Philharmonic to releasing an album with her prize-winning reed quintet Northern Reeds in February 2024. She has performed across the country at Cadogan Hall, the Bridgewater Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. She has previously played with the Hallé and Opera North on their Professional Experience Schemes, and was a member of the Chipping Campden Festival Academy Orchestra earlier this year. She has also played side-by-side with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the English National Ballet.
She is a passionate educator, having been an ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation over the past two years. She has previously mentored the National Children’s Orchestra and worked at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester.
Above all else, she is a huge advocate for expressing what you truly believe in, and EMPOWER provides the supportive environment and community which enables her to do that.
“I consider myself a positive, reliable and level headed person, but being a musician really tests this at times. My first oboe teacher always told me that there was a certain psychology behind playing the oboe, and I believe that now more than ever…
As an introverted, anxious and insecure teenager, the one thing I felt confident in was playing the oboe. I felt supported, listened to and a sense of importance, and this is what inspired me to continue.
At 16, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I was sure it wasn’t music. I considered studying biology or conservation, but I didn’t think I was built for the university environment. A county youth orchestra tour a year later made me realise that playing the oboe was exactly what I wanted to commit myself to, and I was informed that such thing as conservatoires existed - who knew?!
Music college has been a huge journey. Despite being the best thing I’ve ever done, I would be lying if I said it didn’t have its challenges, with a pandemic, reed meltdowns and cracked instruments, it has certainly tested me. Deep down it has always come back to doing what I love, and being surrounded by like-minded people.
The most impactful role models in my life have been women, particularly my music teachers. They have supported and pushed me in just the right ways. EMPOWER has grown into such a special community and I feel that as a young female, to use my voice and to help people to be inspired like I have been in the past, feels like my way of giving back. Supporting and championing other women is crucial and we should never forget that.”
SINÉAD WALSH (she/her)
Hailing from Dublin, Sinéad Walsh is quickly developing a diverse career as a flautist and young industry leader. Recently selected as a Southbank Centre Future Artist for the 24/25 season, she is currently a postgraduate scholar at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and is gratefully supported by the Academy, Help Musicians and the Flax Trust.
Sinéad previously received a first class honours degree from the Royal Northern College of Music, studying under Laura Jellicoe, and was awarded the Sir John Manduell award upon graduation, the college's top prize, for exceptional contribution and outstanding potential. Sinéad was the elected Students' Union President for the 22/23 academic year and continued her advocacy work as Chair of the Conservatoires UK Student Network for 23/24.
In 2022, Sinéad won 1st prize and was awarded the McCullough Cup and RTE Lyric FM Bursary at the Feis Ceoil, Ireland’s largest classical music competition. She was subsequently a finalist in the prestigious RDS Bursary competition, the largest award of its kind in Europe. Other recent awards include being awarded the 'Young Musician of the Year' at the 2023 Clandeboye Festival.
Sinéad is an experienced solo, orchestral and chamber musician performing regularly across the UK and Ireland, having worked alongside the Ulster Orchestra, the Hallé, Philharmonia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, BBC Philharmonic and Opera North.
She is also an enthusiastic teacher and is a tutor at the Oxford Flute Summer School, tutors at Muswell Young Musicians, and previously worked at Chethams School of Music in Manchester.
Sinéad plays on an Altus 1807 flute purchased through the generous support of the Wolfson Foundation.
