Jessica Hayes started learning the cello at the age of 4 under the Suzuki method. She is currently on the professional development course at the Royal Northern College of music playing in the Halle Orchestra to receive her International Artists Diploma. Last year she received her first class Masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music studying with Josephine Knight having received a first class degree for her undergraduate programme. During her time at the Academy she has also studied for a term in Paris Conservatoire Superior International with Xavier Phillips and Roland Pideux. She has had chamber music coaching with members of the Skampa quartet, Amadeus quartet and Carducci quartet and has worked with contemporary composers such as Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, also performing a world premiere by Sir Anthony Turnage. She is currently receiving regular coaching from the Badke quartet as a member of the Brooks quartet, who have just won first prize in the Wolfe Wolfinsohn String Quartet Prize having taken part in the London String Quartet Symposium. The Brooks quartet played in the Messian festival in 2007 as part of
the South bank series. This year they are receiving regular coaching from Thomas Brandis. Jessica also played in the Schubert festival 2006 and the Paganini festival 2005.
Jessica has won various prizes at the Academy including the Douglas Cameron prize 2006, The Delius prize 2008, The Harry Isaacs prize and been highly commended in the Harold Craxton prize and playing the Brahms double concerto 2008. Recently she came first in the Wilfred Parry competition playing Brahms sonata in E minor with Alissa Firsova. She has lead symphony orchestra in the Academy under Yan Pascal Tortellier and Sir Colin Davis. This year she is also a Leverhulme Fellow. Having won Chandos Young musician of the year, 2005, she performed Elgar cello concerto in Malvern Theatre in September 2008. She also performed the Brahms Double concerto in May 2008 with Stroud Symphony Orchestra. Last year she was a “future first” for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, being conducted by Vladimir Yurowski which also involved playing with other members of the scheme in the Purcell rooms and also in the Royal Festival Hall. Jessica is also on tour with the European Youth
Orchestra last year under Vladimir Ashkenazy having toured to Soel ,Tokyo and Yokohoma for 6 weeks over the summer and also played in Berlin, Holland and Italy under Visily Petrenko. This year she toured around Europe under Andrew Litton. Jessica was recently awarded gold for an outstanding performance in the Marlow International concerto competition 2008 playing Shostakovich concerto no. 1. She is supported by the Stradivari trust, Leverhulme trust, The John Baker Development Award and the Musicians Benevolent Trust.
Jessica plays a Grancino cello, 1685, kindly supported by the Stradivari Trust.
