Biography

Colm graduated with a Master of Arts from the Royal Academy of Music in 2014, where he studied with Nicholas Miller. Prior to this, he studied Violin Performance at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, after moving from London to the US in 2005.

Colm has an active life as a musician and enjoys performing as an orchestral violinist, chamber musician and soloist. In the final year of his undergraduate degree, he won the Richard R. Deas Concerto Competition, and performed Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. During his time at the Royal Academy of Music, Colm took part in several masterclasses with violinists such as Tasmin Little, Thomas Brandis and Claire Hayes.

Colm currently performs frequently with several other London-based orchestras including London Firebird Orchestra, London Arts Orchestra, and Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra.

Outside performing, Colm enjoys teaching and working with children. In his free time he enjoys reading, watching rugby, working as a member of social staff with the National Children’s Orchestra, and visiting his parents in Beijing.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

What or who inspired you to become a professional musician?
I’ve been playing violin for almost as long as I can remember. I decided to become a professional musician pure and simply because the more serious I became about playing, the more I enjoyed it.

What’s on your playlist right now?
Right now there is Bruch Scottish Fantasy, Brahms Piano Quintet, Grieg String Quartet, then some Earth Wind and Fire, Jackson 5 and AC/DC.

What do you love about classical music?
The thing I like most about classical music is the way a piece can tell a story without using words. I also love the complexity of the harmonies and how it never ceases to be interesting, plus I’m constantly discovering new pieces that I’ve never heard before.