Jamaal Kashim is a harpist, studying with Professor Daphne Boden at the Royal College of Music Junior Department (RCMJD). He was inspired to do so following a family concert with the LSO, having been dazzled by the sound of the opening twelve notes to the Danse Macabre. Since then, he has shown himself equally accomplished in both orchestral and recital settings, in addition to performing as a concert harpist. He is thrice winner of RCMJD’s Gordon Turner Harp Competition, twice runner up of their Barbara Boissard Concerto Competition and was awarded first prize at Silk Street Junior Concerto Competition.

He has performed a concerto with European Youth Summer Music Orchestra and has been invited to perform a concerto with Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra having been a finalist in their Young Musician Competition. Jamaal was twice awarded Junior Musician and Chamber Musician of the Year at Woking Music Festival and last year nominated finalist in their Young Musician Competition. He was joint principal harpist of the Royal Concertgebouworkest Young Orchestra 2023 and also a member of the National Youth Orchestra of GB, with whom he performed at the BBC Proms. Jamaal was principal of the National Children’s Orchestra of GB for five years, the Chineke! Junior Orchestra, and the LSSO, with whom he was a scholar of the Countess of Munster Trust. He has performed at major venues including the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Concertgebouw, the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, the Barbican and others. He is currently an LPO Junior artist 2023/2024.

As a joint first study composer at RCMJD with Dr. Jonathan Pitkin, Jamaal spent much of his time through lockdown developing skills in composition and arrangement, with particular focus on writing for screen. A key inspiration was British composer Lorne Balfe and his soundtrack to the BBC’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s, His Dark Materials.  Jamaal was overjoyed when Lorne shared one such arrangement to social media and was thrilled to be invited to sit in on a recording session with Lorne. Jamaal was highly commended in BBC Young Composer 2023 and Surrey Hills Young Composer 2022 and his work has been featured on BBC Radio 3, Google Arts & Culture and in projects with English Heritage.  Jamaal is grateful to the estate of Humphrey Searle for their support in his ongoing studies of composition.

Beyond the music, Jamaal was a keen men’s artistic gymnast competing multiple times at the English and British National Championships. Forced to retire due to injury, Jamaal is now training as a British Gymnastics judge through the mentorship of his former coaches at Woking Gymnastics Club. Jamaal was home-educated throughout his life but commenced study at Woking College in September. He is considering further study in Music, Engineering or Japanese.

See: Jamaal Kashim at Breinton in the 2024 Local Young Performers Soirée on Saturday 10 February