Mayoral reception for Lisburn musician Jamie Howe

August 10, 2020

A talented young Lisburn musician has just been appointed as the leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra. 18-year-old Jamie Howe impressed directors with his credentials and as a result, has been honoured with a precious 239-year-old violin. The exquisite instrument was made by Joseph Gagliano in the late 1700s and donated to the Arts Council in recent years.

The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Hon Nicholas Trimble, recently held a special reception at Lagan Valley Island to recognise Jamie Howe’s incredible achievements.

The Mayor said: “On behalf of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, I would like to congratulate Jamie on his successful appointment as the leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra. Jamie Howe is an extremely talented young musician from Lisburn and to be awarded with such a beautiful instrument is a huge accomplishment. Along with his latest success, Jamie is also a member of the viola section of the National Youth Orchestra. We are very proud of the home-grown talent in our council area and Jamie should be very proud of what he has achieved at the age of 18. We wish him the very best of luck in his new position and his upcoming studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London.”

Speaking at the reception, Jamie Howe said, "I would very much like to thank the Mayor for a wonderful reception. It was a lovely afternoon and a real honour to perform on the Milton violin in the Civic Centre. I am delighted to have been appointed leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra and I am very grateful to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for the loan of this outstanding instrument."

The National Youth Orchestra of Northern Ireland was established in 1993 and is supported by public funding along with National Lottery funding through the Arts Council.