Sophia Elger
Key Facts
- Instrument: Saxophone
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sophiaelgermusic/
Biography
Sophia Elger is a British saxophonist whose performances have been described as “captivating, exciting, and engaging” (Richard Ingham). She is currently studying her Master’s degree at the RCM where she is a Leverhulme Arts Scholar and recipient of the Biddy Baxter and John Hosier Trust Award 2o21. Sophia is a committed soloist and ensemble player. In addition, she has developed an interest in initiating and directing collaborative projects incorporating other creative disciplines. In 2021, Sophia won First Prize in the Jane Melber Saxophone Competition, Second Prize in the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain Competition, and Third Prize in the RCM Contemporary Competition. In 2020, she was awarded Second Prize in the RCM Concerto Competition.
Sophia is a Musicians’ Company Young Artist and a DEBUT Horizon Artist. She has performed extensively as a soloist at venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields, Charing Cross; the Victoria and Albert Museum, Kensington; the Regent Hall, Mayfair; and The Lighthouse Concert Hall, Poole (where she performed Alexander Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto). Recently she performed Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da Camera with the RCM Orchestra.
As a chamber musician, Sophia has performed in several mixed ensembles and in 2020, her saxophone quartet was awarded First Prize in the RCM Woodwind Ensemble Competition. She has commissioned several chamber pieces that include the saxophone and has participated in the premieres of other new works in Denmark, France, and the UK. She performed in the Arts by the Sea Festival, in Bournemouth, and in both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.
As well as being a musician, Sophia has a deep interest in the visual arts. During the lockdown, she developed an interest in directing projects that combine music with the visual arts. She was asked to participate in the inaugural concert of Nuova Concerts, an online platform, at which she performed Five Figures. This was a collaborative project of her own conception, involving the commissioning of five composers to write a short solo saxophone piece based on five paintings that she had produced. Sophia has participated in masterclasses with Arno Bornkamp, Graeme Blevins, Vincent David, Claude Delangle, Simon Diriq, Mariano Garcia, Daniel Gauthier, Simon Haram, Joshua Hyde, Lars Lien, Joonatan Rautiola, and Christian Wirth. Past teachers include Amy Dickson and Huw Wiggin.
Musicians’ Company Award: Biddy Baxter Award 2021
Page Updated: March 2022
Photo Credit: Josh Doherty