Katy Woolley

French Horn

Katy started to play the French horn aged 10 at her home in Exeter. At the age of 12 she joined the Royal College of Music Junior Department where she studied under Susan Dent. Whilst studying at the RCMJD, Katy won awards including the Anthony Gray Horn prize. She continued her undergraduate education at the RCM in 2007 and in 2011 she graduated with a first class degree as the Tragore Gold Medallist. She studied with Simon Rayner and Tim Brown and had also enjoyed an ERASMUS exchange to the Universitat der Kunste Berlin where she took studied in the class of Christian Friedrich Dallmann.

At the start of her final year at the RCM, Katy was appointed 3rd Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra. She was not only the youngest member of the orchestra but also the first female brass member in the orchestra's history. In November 2011 she was subsequently made Co-Princpial horn of the Philharmonia.

Katy had previously been a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra where she played principal Horn for nearly 2 years. She is also a keen Alphorn player and has been featured as a City of London Festival soloist on this instrument.