Maestoso is a woodwind ensemble from Williamwood High School in East Renfrewshire. Its members are all 4th year pupils (14-15 year olds). The emsemble was formed in 2005 when its members were at Netherlee Primary School where music is such an inspirational and important part of the curriculum.

Maestoso's first concert, in 2005, was in Eaglesham where the group were performing to help raise money for Castle Toward.

Maestoso now performs regularly at functions, community and charity events on the South Side of Glasgow. It has won several prizes including the Glasgow Music Festival open class for Music Making and the Drummond Miller Prize for services to the community. Maestoso has, over the past 2 years raised over five thousand pounds for different charities. Maestoso is the only group from a Scottish state school which has been selected to perform as part of the National Chamber Music Festival for Schools.

Maestoso has performed at the National Holocaust event and recently at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and the Armed Forces Day celebration in East renfrewshire.

In June, Maestoso took up an invitation to perform in France at the Disneyland Paris resort and later the same month, performed at a glittering bash in London where they were presented with the UK 2008 Busking Cancer Champions award by Rod Stewart for raising money for Cancer Research. You can view photos of both trips on the Photos Page.

Recently, Maestoso received the highest mark ever rewarded in Scotland for their Trinity-Guildhall Recital. Maestoso recieved 98 marks out of 100.

 

Maestoso has been fortunate to benefit from generous sponsorship which enabled them to go to France and London. East Renfrewshire Council, BAM FM, The wm Mann Foundation, The Netherlee Trust fund of 1939, Pollok Arts Society and Macroberts were all behind the successful tours.

 

The group also benefits from 9 sets of brillaint parents who are wonderfully supportive and who spend a huge amount of time as part time taxi drivers!

The musical director is Stephen West who teaches oboe and Cor Anglais at the RSAMD Junior abd Senior departments. Stephen was Principal Cor Anglais and Oboe with the RSNO for 20 years and now also works part time as an instrumental instructor for East Renfrewshire.