CBSO appoints Section Leader Clarinet with orchestra family history.

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is delighted to announce the appointment of Oliver Janes as Section Leader Clarinet.

British Clarinettist Oliver, 23, was born into a musical family with both parents playing violin in the BBC Philharmonic. The violin was Oliver’s first instrument at the age of seven; after achieving grade 5 he realised it wasn’t the instrument for him. Oliver’s late grandfather John Fuest, who was Principal Clarinet with the CBSO from 1955 to 1970, handed him his first clarinet and the rest is history.

In 2014, Oliver graduated with a First Class Honours from the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with Mark van de Wiel. Prior to the Academy, he completed his Sixth Form studies at Chetham’s School of Music, under the tuition of Rosa Campos-Fernandez.

Oliver has played with the Philharmonia, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and John Wilson Orchestra and has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta on Bass Clarinet. Acclaimed for his “awe-inspiring control of the instrument” and “totally captivating playing”, Oliver was a finalist in the Royal Overseas League Wind and Brass category in 2013.

Oliver said: “’It’s a real honour to join such a world-class orchestra and I think it will take some time to fully sink in! It’s such a special feeling sitting in my grandfather’s chair fifty years on and I know he would have been very proud, especially as I’ll be sitting next to another of his students!”

CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock said “I am delighted to welcome Oliver to Birmingham. We often talk about the CBSO as a family, and in this case that’s especially apt given Oliver’s family connections with this seat in the orchestra. We have a great track record in identifying and nurturing outstanding young talent, and this appointment is yet more evidence of this.”

Oliver’s first concert with the orchestra will be on December 10th.