Grace Macdonald

Grace Macdonald was born and grew up in Jersey in the Channel Islands. She starting playing the saxophone when she was 11 years old, in order to join her school band. She attended Chetham’s School of Music for sixth form and is now in her second year at the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with Rob Buckland.

Prior to Chetham’s, Grace was Jersey’s Young Woodwind Player of the Year for 2012 and 2013; she won the Jersey Symphony Award in 2013, leading to the opportunity to play with the Jersey Symphony Orchestra at their Summer Proms concert and a concerto with the Jersey Youth Chamber Orchestra.

Whilst at Chetham’s, Grace had the opportunity to perform in many concerts both in and out of school ranging from a performance of Bernstein’s On the Waterfront at the Milton Court Concert Hall, Barbican in London with the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra to the soloist in the Ronald Binge Saxophone concerto with the Bridgnorth Sinfonia. She has also performed with piano in concerts in Ischia, Italy and St James, Piccadilly in London.

Since joining the RNCM Grace has pursued her love of chamber music; joining a new saxophone quartet who have performed both traditional and contemporary music, including premieres, at a variety of venues both in and outside of the RNCM. Grace has also formed a cross-over blue-grass ensemble consisting of saxophone, electric bass and percussion which she hopes to write and arrange new music for in the future.

Grace’s performances since joining RNCM include several performances with the RNCM Jazz collective and RNCM saxophone orchestra, including a performance in the Selmer show rooms in Paris. She has also had two new solo pieces written for her, which were premiered with dance in Manchester this year as part of a collaboration with the Northern Ballet School.

Grace has attended master-classes with Vincent David, Rob Buckland, Kyle Horch, Phillipe Geiss, Tim Garland and Naomi Sullivan.