Meet our SWMS Alumni

Amy Irvine
Flute Specialist & House Parent

Amy is a flautist from Somerset who joined the South West Music School (SWMS) Core Programme while studying in sixth form. She was also a member of the South West Youth Orchestra for three years, including a tour of France in partnership with the West of England Youth Orchestra. Amy gained so much from her time at SWMS, particularly through the residential courses, which remain some of her most treasured musical experiences. She is delighted to return as a House Parent and enjoys supporting and encouraging the next generation of young musicians.

After leaving SWMS, Amy studied at Bangor University, graduating with a First Class Bachelor’s degree in Music before completing a Master’s degree in Music Performance with Distinction. Throughout her studies, she performed with the University Symphony Orchestra each year, while her recital programmes explored themes including twentieth- and twenty-first-century women composers, folk traditions, and the influence of jazz on classical flute repertoire. Following graduation, she was invited to give a solo lunchtime recital at Bangor Cathedral.

Amy has performed with a wide range of orchestras, wind bands and chamber ensembles, and particularly enjoys playing in musical theatre pit bands. Her theatre credits include Oliver!, Grease, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Cabaret, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Bad Girls, Sweet Charity, Sister Act, and The Wind in the Willows.

She currently plays flute and piccolo with West Mendip Orchestra, Weston Light Orchestra, and her flute quartet, Silver Ensemble. Alongside her performing, Amy is passionate about supporting others and promoting positive mental health, and volunteers as a peer mentor in her spare time.