The award winning Northern Quarters Brass Quartet has announced that it has appointed Andy Wareham as its Composer in Association.

The ensemble, which consists of Tom Smith, Laura Conway, Emma Conway and Amy Ewen will premiere his first work for them, entitled, 'NQ Fanfare', as the opening to their final Chamber Assessment at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Acclaim

Andy has already gained widespread critical acclaim for his works, including a number of accolades — from the 'Vivendi' and 'Best Student Composition' at the 2016 UniBrass Championships to success at the Cory Band, A4 Brass Quartet British Trombone Society Composers Competitions.

The 27 year old has held the position of 'Young Composer in Residence' with Black Dyke Band working under the mentorship Prof Philip Wilby and continues to perform regularly on the UK jazz circuits. He is a former alumnus of Cardiff University and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Thrilled

He told 4BR: "I'm thrilled to be teaming up with Tom, Laura, Emma and Amy as their Composer in Association.

They are some of the brightest stars in the brass band movement, forging a name for themselves as an imaginative, forward thinking and versatile group, so naturally, I jumped at the chance to make a small contribution to their music-making!"

It's a wonderful opportunity to further explore quartet writing and I'm looking forward to collaborating on some exciting future projectsAndy Wareham

Exciting future

He added: "The Association came about through my work with the Black Dyke Band, of which Laura is a member.

It's a wonderful opportunity to further explore quartet writing and I'm looking forward to collaborating on some exciting future projects."

Find out more at www.andywareham.com