Penwortham star is rising

Sophie Robertshaw, 23, attended Penwortham County Primary School (now known as Penwortham Primary School), Penwortham Girls’ High School and Runshaw College.

Her talents started to bloom early on and she was an accomplished musician at school, playing in the Lancashire Youth Concert Band and Orchestra for a number of years.

She is about to return to the schools she attended as a professional musician seeking to inspire others.

On leaving college she was awarded a scholarship to the Birmingham Conservatoire and graduated in 2012 with a first-class honours degree in music.

She then won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London where she is presently studying on their masters’ programme in Orchestral Performance.

But people can see the bassonist live next week as a member of the Cataleya Quintet.

Cataleya have won a number of awards and have played at venues throughout the capital, including the Royal Albert Hall, the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre and St Martin’s in the Fields. Later this year they will be playing in Paris, Toulouse and Hungary.

Sophie met other members of the quintet, from Spain, Scotland and Hungary, whilst studying at the Royal College.

Cataleya recently recorded their first CD Live at Boconnoc recorded during a concert at the Boconnoc Estate in Cornwall.

As well as concert performances Cataleya also do educational outreach work in schools and colleges.

They play the Clitheroe Concerts Society on March 5 starting at 7.30pm.