Gabby Woodward, Alumna 2016

Gabby Woodward left Queen Anne’s in 2016 to take up a place to study Music at Worcester College, University of Oxford.

Although just 21 years old, Gabby is already an established composer and conductor. Film music is her main focus; however, she writes pieces for the concert hall and her works have had public performances in venues such as the Basilica of St Maria Maggiore in Rome, Westminster Abbey, London Olympic Park, Ashmolean Museum and St Peter’s Eaton Square.

In October 2019 Gabby conducted a world premiere of her piece ‘The Anthem’ from St Matthew at the School’s 125th Anniversary Service at Westminster Abbey. It was a magical moment to have a Queen Anne’s Alumna leading current students in an exclusive musical performance.

In a recent interview with the school magazine Gabby looked back at her time at Queen Anne’s; “When I joined the school as an all-round scholar, I didn’t know much about classical music. At my audition, I had sung a Disney song and I remember John Padley laughing at the piano. In L4, I switched from the flute to the oboe and joined the choir”

 However, the Saturday morning sessions for music scholars were of particular significance as these covered all genres of music and gave me an amazing overview of repertoire, from Purcell to the modern day, which has been so helpful to me as a composer and conductor. It was wonderful to learn without boundaries in those classes.