Poppy loves to perform, but what is really important to her is being able to bring pleasure to others through her music. Poppy is a music scholar at Marlborough College where she studies with Philip Dukes. She is a member of the Junior Department at the Royal Academy of Music, leads the Somerset County Youth Orchestra, and hopes to study and perform professionally. She achieved Grade 8 violin age 8, ATCL performance diploma age 12, LTCL December 2021 and was a recipient of Future Talent Awards in 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021.  Further achievements are AYM Awards - Robert Lewis Scholarship 2017, AYM Viola Bent Award 2018-2022, a Two Moors Festival winner in 2017 and 2018 and a 2nd in the national finals of Rotary Young Musician of the Year. In recognition of Poppy’s exceptional work for a number of charities, most notably the Amber Trust, Future Talent, and AYM (Awards for Young Musicians), Poppy was awarded a Rotary Young Citizen’s Award (2021), and a Diana Award (2021) - the latter being one of only six such awards nationally.

Future plans and engagements include an FTCL qualification in 2022 and two solo appearances with The Orchestra of St. John’s performing The Lark Ascending in 2022/23. Poppy is currently preparing for Conservatoire auditions, where she hopes to achieve a place for September 2023. 

She plays on a loaned violin, and the Pierce bow has completely transformed her playing. https://youtu.be/rVEM5hkWNAg . 

She plays on a loaned violin, and the Pierce bow has completely transformed her playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36A59PJyQnk

Her teacher writes: ‘Poppy McGhee is a young violinist of exceptional promise. I have had the pleasure of teaching Poppy for some years now and she is extraordinarily diligent, naturally gifted, but above all, willing to engage in rigorous hours of practice and the technical discipline which goes hand-in-hand with her innate musicianship.

For the LTCL qualification she performed the complete Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, Wieniawski Polonaise in D and Lutoslawski ‘Subito’. She is a wonderful inspiration to her peers and is generous and kind in the support of others less talented than herself, which is a precious quality in life. I know she will prove herself a fine ambassador for your Trust.’