Hugues Roberts, 2019

“The NZUK Link scholarship with Southbank Sinfonia is invaluable: it’s an opportunity to develop the professional and practical skills needed to develop a career as a classical musician.”

With a French/Kiwi heritage, and a family love of music, Hugues started playing the flute when he was seven years old, encouraged by friends at school, a flute in the cupboard at home, and his mother, who accompanied him on the piano. Hugues studied music at Royal Academy of Music in London and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, applying for the NZUK Link Scholarship in 2018, following recommendations from former recipients.

Hugues thoroughly enjoyed his SBS experience, playing with the same group of people, and developing valuable skills. These included, gaining confidence to work at pace and doing new things in different ways, particularly through SBS’s education work and public speaking opportunities. Not only did SBS enhance Hugues’s musical skills, but also his practical and professional skills.

These days Hugues is a freelancer, working with different orchestras around the UK, including the Concert Orchestra in Belfast, the Concert Orchestra in Dublin, the Royal Opera House, and the Halle in Manchester. He stays in contact with SBS, and recently performed at the NZUK Link Foundation Elman Poole memorial concert.