Video: Jordanstown cellist hits the right note at awards

David Sloan was one of five young musicians to scoop an accolade at the Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Awards.

Winners receive an award of £5,000, allowing them to learn from a master musician, mentor, teacher or composer.

The winners will also receive two professional radio broadcast engagements, including one with the Ulster Orchestra.

The awards, run by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland, were launched earlier this year to support the development of young Northern Ireland musicians.

Cellist David was one of the winners in the classical section.

The young musician studies with Professor David Strange at the Royal Academy of Music in London where he holds a Leverhulme Trust Orchestral Mentorship and the Sylvia Simon Scholarship.

David is a member of the 2014/15 London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts and graduated with a First from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2013 after winning all the chamber music prizes.

Classical pianist and BBC Radio presenter John Toal will mentor David to help him prepare for performances with The Ulster Orchestra for BBC Radio concerts.

The local musician said: “This award will help me achieve the highest level of playing and the performance opportunities to help launch my career.

“I am absolutely delighted to be a recipient of the BBC/ACNI Young Musicians Platform Award NI.”