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BIOGRAPHY

Rianna Henriques is an experienced woodwind doubler. She graduated from the Royal College of Music, in July 2023, with a Joint Principal Study Bachelor of Music degree in flute and saxophone, as a full scholar. She is currently studying at the RCM for a Master of Performance degree in flute. A receiver of many scholarships and awards, Rianna is currently a Help Musicians Postgraduate and Kathleen Trust Award Holder for the second year running, and previously, a Drake Calleja Trust and Craxton Memorial Trust Scholar, in addition. In previous years, she was awarded the RCM Junior Department’s Sally Wainwright Woodwind Prize, the Sarah Markham Saxophone Award and the Alleyn’s School WJ Smith Music Scholarship.

 

In 2018, Rianna was one of eight London Philharmonic Orchestra Junior Artists. Her performance success includes a concert at St John’s Smith Square performing Bizet/Borne’s flute concerto, Fantaisie Brillante sur Carmen, with orchestra and performing in her own coffee morning recital in the Royal Albert Hall’s “Elgar Room”. This adds to her performance venue history featuring Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the Birmingham Symphony Hall, Ronnie Scott’s, the Jazz Cafe, and internationally: the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and David Geffen Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center, to mention a few.
 
More often than not, Rianna performs with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Chineke! Orchestra, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Brixton Chamber Orchestra. She recently joined the band for the RSC’s production of Pericles, featuring Alfred Enoch, performed at both the Swan Theatre, in Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. The National Youth Jazz Orchestra commissioned Rianna to compose an arrangement of Ian Carr’s, Roots, performed with Nikki Yeoh at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and Milton Court for the EFG London Jazz Festival. She also performs with Jasmine Myra's band; performance highlights include playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival Residency, the Stockholm Jazz, EFG London Jazz, Love Supreme and We Out Here Jazz Festivals.

 

Rianna has been emerging in the television and film industry and is often scouted by reputable companies, such as BBC Radio 3, Vogue and Netflix. Rianna is currently the saxophonist in singer, RAYE’s band. She has performed with her internationally and at events such as the BRIT Awards, Capital FM’s Summertime Ball, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and the Jonathan Ross Show. In May 2023, Rianna featured in an orchestral rendition of “If I Ain’t Got You” alongside Alicia Keys, to celebrate the release of Netflix’s Queen Charlotte, A Bridgerton Story. Other artists Rianna has worked with include Jorja Smith, Clean Bandit, Craig David, Beverley Knight and Hermeto Pascoal.

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Read Rianna's blog post on the DEBUT website at this link!

INFORMATION

QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor of Music (Honours) - Joint Principal Flute and Saxophone

  • DipABRSM - Principals of Instrumental Teaching (Saxophone)

  • DipABRSM - Alto Saxophone

  • Grade 8 (Distinction) - Alto Saxophone

  • Grade 8 (Distinction) - Flute

  • Grade 8 - Theory of Music

SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS
  • Received Help Musicians Postgraduate and Kathleen Trust Awards for the academic year of 24/25 (second year running) - May-July 2024

  • Received a Drake Calleja Trust Scholarship and Help Musicians Postgraduate, Sir Richard Stapley Trust, Craxton Memorial Trust and Kathleen Trust Postgraduate Awards, all for the academic year of 23/24 - April-June 2023

  • Has been offered a Postgraduate flute place to start in 2023, at the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music, who also awarded Rianna an Entrance Scholarship - December 2022

  • Became a John Lewis Partnership Scholar supported by the Victor Dahdaleh Foundation Scholarship, updating her Royal College of Music Scholarship status- August 2022

  • Macfarlane Walker Trust grant for Wiseman double woodwind case - August 2022

  • Wolfson Instrumental Award - December 2021

  • RPS Instrument Purchase Grant by the Royal Philharmonic Society - July 2020

  • Orpheus Trust Grant - April 2020

  • Full BAME Scholarship by the Royal College of Music - September 2019

  • Sarah Markham Saxophone Award - July 2019

  • Sally Wainwright Woodwind Prize by the Royal College of Music Junior Department- July 2019

  • Lizbeth Elliott Woodwind Prize by Alleyn's School - July 2019

  • Music Scholarship by Alleyn's School - September 2012

​ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCES
  • Played a set with Symphonica ft. Mr Switch/the Ibiza Orchestra, supported by Marvin Humes at Bla Bla Restaurant and Nightclub, in Dubai - December 2023
    Had my Elbphilharmonie debut, in Hamburg, with the Chineke! Orchestra - July 2023

  • Played in the Windrush 75 Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, accompanying Craig David, Beverley Knight, Loose Ends, Hak Baker and Cleopatra Rey with the Chineke! Orchestra. Presented by Trevor Nelson - June 2023

  • Toured with the Chineke! Orchestra to Canada and North America - March 2023

  • Performed in a masterclass with Principal Flautist of the London Symphony Orchestra, Gareth Davies, at the Royal College of Music - May 2022

  • Took part in at-home photoshoot with nkoda - July 2021

  • Performed with the Chineke! Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall - July 2021

  • Interviewed on BBC Radio 3 to introduce herself and to talk about her favourite repertoire - October 2020

  • The Chineke! Junior Orchestra were semi-finalists in Britain's Got Talent 2020​

  • Performed a concerto, Bizet's Carmen, at St John's Smith Square - May 2019

  • Performed at her own recital at the Royal Albert Hall, Elgar Room - November 2018

  • Joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra Junior Artist Scheme 2018 - September 2017

​JAZZ PERFORMANCES
  • Commissioned by the National Youth Jazz Orchestra to compose an arrangement of Ian Carr’s, Roots, performed with Nikki Yeoh at Ronnie Scott's, and Milton Court for the EFG London Jazz Festival - November 2023, February 2024

  • Played with Lisa Simone and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra at Cadogan Hall – ‘Keeper of the Flame’: A Daughter’s Tribute to Dr Nina Simone - October 2023

  • Played with Jasmine Myra at the Montreux Jazz Festival Residency, in Switzerland, and the Stockholm Jazz Festival, in Sweden - October 2023

  • Opened Main Stage at We Out Here Jazz Festival alongside Jasmine Myra - August 2023

  • Performed at Love Supreme Jazz Festival alongside Jasmine Myra - July 2023

  • Played for the EFG London Jazz Festival and BBC Radio 3 at the Jazz Cafe and the Barbican Centre with Jasmine Myra and her Big Band.- November 2022

  • Played with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, alongside the Brazilian jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist, Hermeto Pascoal, at the Barbican Centre - May 2022

  • Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club debut with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra - January 2022

​TELEVISION, FILM & FASHION
  • Announced as a tenor saxophone player for RAYE's World Tour - May 2024 

  • Headlined BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend on the Main Stage with RAYE - May 2024

  • Played with RAYE at the BRIT Awards 2024, a London Hilton Hotel private event and the Jonathan Ross Show - March 2024

  • Featured in Netflix’s Queen Charlotte, playing “If I Ain’t Got You” with multi-Grammy winner, Alicia Keys (also released as a new single) - May 2023

  • Vogue Natural History Museum shoot with the Chineke! Orchestra, Jorja Smith and Griff - April 2023

  • Airing of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro advert featuring Rianna on sax - August 2022

  • Played baritone saxophone at a Puma X Liberty London private event for the launch of the female European League kits- June 2022

​TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Rianna recently achieved a distinction in her ABRSM Principals of Instrumental Teaching exam and has had years of experience teaching and educating both younger, and older pupils. She has visited several primary schools for outreach projects and workshops, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra Overture Day, at the Royal Academy of Music, and RCM Sparks workshops, at the Royal College of Music.

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Pupils for Rianna are long-standing, the students she is currently teaching are a range of ages and have been a pupil of Rianna for well over a year. Rianna is open to teaching learners of all ages and abilities, and for as long or short-term as they desire.

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Due to Rianna being a full-time BMus student, her teaching hours are limited but she is always willing to compensate. If you are interested in lessons, please use the contact form in the menu bar.

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What Rianna teaches:

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  • Flute (from beginner/Grade 1 - Grade 8)

  • Saxophone (from beginner/Grade 1 - Grade 8)

  • Theory of Music (from beginner/Grade 1 - Grade 5)

DANCE & MUSICAL THEATRE
  • Invited to play in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Pericles (flute, saxophones, clarinet) at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre - July 2024

  • Royal College of Music musicians collaborated with Rambert Dance School producing a music and dance showcase at Rambert School’s Studio Theatre - February 2024

  • Member of the pit band for In The Heights with the South London Youth Theatre at the Shaw Theatre - August 2021

  • Member of pit band in Cats, the Greatest Showman and Peter Pan for Theale School, at the Hexagon Theatre - 2017, 2018 and 2019

  • Positive Vibez show (directed by Tamykha Patterson), solo performances at Catford Broadway Theatre, supporting Stephen Lawrence - July 2016

  • Performances of Les Misérables, CabaretAnything Goes, Arabian Nights and Haroun and the Sea of Stories at the Michael Croft Theatre - from 2012 to 2016

  • Tap dancing/Ballet/Musical Theatre (Saturday Performing Arts - Scott and Wiseman School of Dance) - from 2005 to 2015

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