Lewis Chinn
RPS Philip Jones Brass Prize | £1,500
Lewis Chinn is a versatile freelance musician and multi-instrumentalist. He recently graduated with a First Class Honours degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he studied tuba with Les Neish. Originally from Suffolk, Lewis began playing the tuba at the age of eight. As a student at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, he received the John Fletcher Award, the Wolfson Award, and the Constance Farrington Brass Prize. In 2023 Lewis won Trinity Laban’s Gold Medal Competition and Audience Prize, with the adjudication praising the ‘enormous amounts of joy and exuberance [he brought] to his playing’. This success led to the formation of CYMBIOSIS, his own tuba and percussion duo with Micah Baker, which frequently performs his compositions and arrangements. The duo recently toured Switzerland. Lewis has always struggled to stick to only one instrument and genre, and thus can be found performing across the country: playing sousaphone in a nightclub, tin whistle in a cèilidh band, or singing Renaissance madrigals in a cathedral. A tuba player at heart, Lewis’ deep love for British folk music permeates his musicianship. In addition to performing, Lewis is a dedicated music educator, working as an instrumental tutor in schools throughout London. In his spare time, Lewis enjoys hiking, real ale, and Morris dancing.
Lewis writes:
'I am extremely grateful to be a beneficiary of the RPS Philip Jones Brass Prize. To be supported by the Royal Philharmonic Society and Ursula Jones is an amazing opportunity. The award will allow me to focus on my personal musical development and solo tuba playing. As someone who is simply excited by all things music, there are so many projects and ideas I’ve been wanting to do – it is the perfect opportunity to get started. The award will support me in purchasing equipment I need for my performance practice, whether that’s electronics or a practice mute for my tuba. It will also help me in paying accompanists and engineers for recording projects I want to do. This funding not only supports me practically, but ignites my drive and passion to forge my own musical journey. I cannot thank the RPS enough.'
You can find out more about Lewis via the following links: