Ramsey Music Society will continue its 2026 concert season on Monday, May 18 with a performance by two young musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music.

Cellist Clara Hope Simpson and pianist Phillip Leslie will present a programme of solo and duo works at Ramsey Grammar School’s West Building at 7.30pm.

Simpson is an award-winning cellist who has appeared as a soloist at venues including Wigmore Hall, Stoller Hall, and Kodak Hall.

She has received several honours, including the John Barbirolli Memorial Prize for Cello and the Musicales Prize at the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as the Cello Concerto Competition at the Eastman School of Music.

She has performed internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared with ensembles including the Manchester Beethoven Orchestra, Oldham Symphony Orchestra, RNCM Repertoire Orchestra, and the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra.

Pianist Phillip Leslie is recognised for his diverse programming and expressive style. He has performed widely across the UK and Europe, including appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, and Salle Cortot in Paris.

Leslie has received multiple awards, including the Weingarten Prize and Silver Medal Keyboard Award. He has also appeared as an emerging artist for the Usher Hall’s 2023/24 season and is a laureate of several international competitions.

He has worked with orchestras including the Scottish Sinfonia and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and has featured on BBC Radio. Leslie studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Royal Northern College of Music, and L’École Normale de Musique de Paris.

For the Ramsey concert, the duo have selected works by Dvořák, Debussy, Coleridge-Taylor, Fanny Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Brahms, combining solo piano pieces with major repertoire for cello and piano.

Tickets cost £15 and will be available at the door, payable in cash, while admission is free for school-age pupils.