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 was the cover Musical Director, as well as on the wind chair for the RSC’s production of Pericles, featuring Alfred Enoch, then Zach Wyatt, 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!

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​​​Read Country and Townhouse's School House Magazine, featuring an article on Rianna at this link!