The Annual Music Competition (AMC) Gold Medal Final is now only days away. Before we take our seats in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 30 May, get to know the four soloists who are competing the Gold Medal and first prize of £15,000. First up, trombonist Kris Garfitt. For the past two years, the winner has come from the wind and brass section; in the form of James Buckle bass trombone and Jonathan Radford saxophone; can Kris make it a hat-trick?
He is a member of the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and first prizewinner of both the 2018 International Tenor and Bass Trombone Competition in Budapest and the 2018 International Juozas Pakalnis Competition of Wind and Percussion Instruments in Vilnius.
He graduated in 2015 from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, with a First Class Honours Degree. During his time at Guildhall, he undertook regular lessons with Eric Crees, Peter Gane and Christopher Houlding, and later with Fabrice Millischer in Freiburg Musikhochschule.
Kris is extremely busy as an orchestral musician. Besides regular concerts with the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, he is performing regularly with many of Europe’s biggest orchestras and has worked with some of the best conductors in the world.
Alongside his orchestral career, Kris also manages to negotiate a busy schedule as a solo musician. He has performed as soloist with orchestras on numerous occasions, with professional ensembles such as the Vilnius City Chamber Orchestra and the Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra, performing concertos by Nino Rota, Lars-Erik Larsson, Christopher Rouse and Gyula Fekete and a sonata by Benedetto Marcello.
Shortly after winning his job in 2016 Kris experienced an increased interest and love of the trombone’s wonderful solo repertoire, leading him to find a duo with the exceptional Korean pianist, Seri Dan. Together they perform regular concerts throughout Germany and beyond. In 2018 alone, they have performed concerts in Lithuania, and made small tours in England and Germany. They are already planning tours in 2019 in both China and Korea, along with another tour in England.
As well as Kris’ first award competition successes in Budapest and Lithuania, he was also the first prize recipient of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Brass Prize (funded by the Armourers and Brasiers) in May of 2015.
To find out if Kris can add to this already-gliterring list of achievements, book your tickets here for the Gold Medal Final on 30 May.
