Jamaal Kashim is seventeen years of age and has been studying with Professor Daphne Boden at the Royal College of Music Junior Department (RCMJD) for nearly ten years, having been inspired by the harpists of the LSO. Since then, he has shown himself equally accomplished in both orchestral and recital settings, in addition to performing as a concert harpist.

Jamaal’s virtuosity has been recognised in many competitions including being awarded first prize in both the Rickmansworth Young Musician of the Year Competition 2024 and the Reading Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians’ Competition 2024, as well as second prize in the Bromsgrove Young Musicians’ Platform 2024. Jamaal is thrice winner of RCMJD’s Gordon Turner Harp Competition, twice runner up of their Barbara Boissard Concerto Competition and was twice awarded Junior Musician and Chamber Musician of the Year at Woking Music Festival. He has performed for His Majesty King Charles III and was the recipient of the inaugural Junior Musician Award from the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Sir Andrew Parmley. 

Jamaal was a London Philharmonic Orchestra Junior Artist 2023/2024. His orchestral experiences include Principal Harp of the Royal Concertgebouworkest Young Orchestra 2023, the RCMJD Symphony Orchestra and membership of the National Youth Orchestra GB, with whom he performed at the BBC Proms. He was Principal of the National Children’s Orchestra of GB for five years, the Chineke! Junior Orchestra and the London Schools Symphony Orchestra, with whom he was a Scholar of the Countess of Munster Trust. He has performed at venues including the Berlin Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw, Royal Albert Hall and Barbican.

As a joint first study composer at RCMJD with Dr Pitkin, Jamaal was awarded first prize in the Robinson College New Directions Composition Prize 2024, second prize at the Surrey Hills Young Composer Competition 2024 and highly commended in BBC Young Composer 2023. He was also a finalist in the National Centre for Early Music Young Composers’ Award 2024.  His work has been featured on BBC Radio 3, Google Arts & Culture and with English Heritage. Jamaal is grateful to the estate of Humphrey Searle for their support in his ongoing composition studies.

Beyond music, Jamaal was a keen men’s artistic gymnast competing multiple times at the English and British National Championships. Forced to retire due to injury, Jamaal is now training as a British Gymnastics judge through the mentorship of his former coaches at Woking Gymnastics Club. He was home-educated for most of his life and intends to further his music education at university.