Zoe Hancock started playing the flugel horn at the very young age of  6, when she attended the learners group of her local village band in the  clay mining area of St Dennis. She soon progressed through to the Youth  Band and at the age of 9 played her first contest with the young and  revitalised St Dennis Senior Band. Zoe's passion grew more as she  started competing in Solo Contests throughout Cornwall and won many  prizes. During her time with St Dennis, the band gained promotion from  the Fourth to Championship section within six years.</p>

At the age of 10 she joined the Cornwall Youth Brass Band and  attended her first course with the National Youth Brass Band of Great  Britain in Easter 2006. Here she gained invaluable, experience and  knowledge from top class sectional tutors and was directed by world  class conductors such as Bramwell Tovey, Dr. Robert Childs, Christopher  Adey and Dr. Nicholas Childs. Easter 2007 saw Zoe appointed principal  flugel horn which she maintained for eight courses. In 2009 she won the  Harry Mortimer Solo Award and in 2010 was presented with the Maud Wright  Award.

Zoe was a finalist in the 2010 Radio 2 Brass Young Musician and  currently studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with her  instrumental tutor, Owen Farr. After completing her first year at music  college she was awarded The Harry Mortimer Memorial Trust, Brass  Student of the Year.

In 2010, with the Tredegar Town Band, she achieved many successes on  the contest stage culminating in a unique double, winning both the Grand  Shield and the British Open in the same year. Zoe joined Black Dyke  Band in November 2010 as their flugel horn soloist and is really looking  forward to the new challenges and further experiences ahead.

Text and picture from www.blackdykeband.co.uk