Nina Savićević and James Connolly

PROGRAMME OF MUSIC

Programme

Biographies

James Connolly is a Baritone studying on the Postgraduate Vocal Studies course at the Royal Northern College of Music. During his tenure at the RNCM, he has been awarded First Prize in the Frederick Cox competition for singing and the Bessie Cronshaw Song cycle prize. James was also awarded the Williams Howard ‘Honourable mention’ and was a finalist in the Joyce and Michael Kennedy competition for the singing of Strauss.

James is a regular solo performer on both the concert and stage platform. He has performed in concerts for RNCM songsters, London Concertante, Didsbury Coffee concerts and for the Gilbert and Sullivan society centenary weekend. James has performed the roles of ‘Edmund Bertram’ in Jonathan Dove’s chamber opera ‘Mansfield Park’ and ‘Byermyata’ in Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘The Snow Maiden.’ James was recently a Young Artist with the Buxton International Festival, which involved performing in the chorus of Verdi’s ‘Ernani’ and one of the extras for Ethel Smyth’s ‘The Boatswain’s mate.’

James holds the position of Bass Lay Clerk at Manchester Cathedral, with whom he sang for the funeral of Sir Bobby Charlton. Additionally, James regularly sings for BBC Radio 3 broadcasts with the Daily Service singers and in various projects with Kantos Chamber choir.

Nina Savićević

A prize winner of both national and international competitions, British pianist Nina Savicevic is the recipient of the prestigious Wright Scholarship, the Eric Horner Award and the Haworth Trust Scholarship at the Royal Northern College of Music. She began her studies under Dr Galina Kulish at St Petersburg’s Rimsky Korsakov Conservatoire, Russia, and later on Caroline Diffley. She gave her very first concert after three months. In 2013 Nina was awarded a full scholarship to study under Hilary Coates at Wells Cathedral School, one of the UK’s specialist music schools.

During her time at Wells, Nina gained success in various competitions, most notably winning first place at the Birmingham Piano Competition, first place in the piano category at Taunton Young Musician, and third place and Audience Prize at the Windsor International Piano Competition. She has competed in BBC Young Musician and was a finalist at the Scottish International Youth Competition. Nina was also awarded the Robert Lewin Scholarship from Awards for Young Musicians which enabled her to work alongside the
BBC Symphony Orchestra at Maida Vale Studios.

Born in Exeter 2001 of Croatian-Serbian descent, Nina often performs across the UK and abroad, actively promoting Serbo-Croatian classical music. Her overseas engagements include concerts in Croatia, Serbia, France, and Germany. She gave her most recent UK recitals in Manchester and Scotland, and has been invited to perform at the Cheltenham Music Festival, Budleigh Salterton Music Festival and East Devon Music Festival.

She has performed on BBC Radio South West with David Fitzgerald, and BBC Spotlight with Victoria Graham and Justin Leigh. Nina also takes interest in British music, recently performing Finzi’s Eclogue for Piano and Strings with the Exeter Symphony Orchestra.

Nina has worked alongside and received masterclasses from an array of eminent pianists, including Barry Douglas, Stephen Hough, Vovka Ashkenazy, Steven Osborne, Joanna Macgregor and Christopher Elton, as well as working overseas with professors from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Zagreb’s Academy of Music. As of September 2019, Nina studied at the Royal Northern College of Music under Helen Krizos, and recently completed a bachelors and masters degree.

Nina performs regularly across the UK, most notably at the 1901 Arts Club in London, St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, the Pittville Pump Room, the Cheltenham Town Hall and Girton College, Cambridge. 

Alongside performing, She also became a mentor for Young Sounds where she works alongside young musicians and guides them with their studies, and she is also a cathedral piano tutor for the Diocese of Leeds, the UK’s leading choral education programme, teaching choristers who are part of the national singing programme. 

In June 2025, Nina looks forward to making her debut with the St John’s Festival Orchestra. She also founded and became the artistic director of Topsham Music Festival, which has been active since 2023.