Gemma Webster went to the Purcell School of Music where she studied with Irma
Zaritzkaya and gave a solo performance at Buckingham Palace. During this time
she won 1st prizes in the Derby Piano Concerto Competition and the National
Toshiba Chamber Music Award competition. She went on to study at the Royal College
of Music where she won the Exhibitioner Scholarship before going on to read
music at the University of York. During this time she participated in masterclasses
with Ferenc Rados at the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove on a
scholarship from the Musicians‘ Benevolent Fund and spent three months
studying at Helsinki University and the Sibelius Academy with Ilmo Ranta.
Gemma has given recitals at Ribble Valley International Piano Festival (Artistic
Director Martin Roscoe), Hurstwood Farm (Bösendorfer Pianos), Bridgewater
Hall, and Sheffield University and performed concerts across the U.K. including
Fairfield Halls and the Derby Assembly Rooms. Her collaboration with artists
including Marie McCleod (Strings winner BBC Young Musicians ‘98) Daniel
Bates (Royal Overseas Winner ‘97) and Jeremie Maillard (Cassado Cello
Competition winner ‘96) have taken her to perform at St. Martin-in-the-Fields,
St. James‘ Piccadilly, Sheffield University, the Westleton and Bath Festivals,
the Hochschule in Bremen and the Utrecht Musikcentrum. She is a post graduate
student at Royal Northern College of Music with generous scholarships from the
Tillett Trust, Else and Leona?d Cross and the Ruth Hewitt Scholarship. She won
the RNCM. Symphony Orchestra Brown Shipley Concerto Award and has performed
under Martyn Brabbins at the RNCM. and Lancaster International series. She was
also awarded a scholarship to study with Kevin Fitzgerald at the Banif Centre,
Canada.
She teaches piano at Westminster School and regularly deputises for Benjamin
Frith at Sheffield University.
“A thinking artist.... An object lesson in the playing of Mozart ...“
Richard Danes, Bösendorfer Hurstwood Farm Recital, 2003