Bury St Edmunds teenager Oscar Lyons is preparing for debut Hunter Club headline gig and full-time Royal Academy of Music studies

A talented Bury St Edmunds teenager is gearing up for his debut headline gig at a town club – while preparing for a full-time music course in London in September.

Oscar Lyons, 18, who attends St Benedict’s Catholic School, will perform a sold-out gig with his quartet and former tutor Chris Ingham at the Hunter Club, in St Andrew’s Street South, on February 24.

Oscar was introduced to the piano by his parents aged five, first working through the classical grades before joining a three-year musical programme at Snape Maltings.

“It is a diverse programme that really opens you up to different genres,” said Oscar. “Then, for the last three years, I have been on the Royal Academy of Music junior jazz course, travelling to London every Saturday.”

The course has seen him develop his skills, confidence and passion for jazz, while he also met the three other musicians who make up the Oscar Lyons Quartet: George Johnson, tenor saxophone; bassist Chris Diamond and Luke McCarthy on drums.

And from September, after also receiving offers from Trinity and Guildhall, Oscar will be studying at the Royal Academy full-time on a four-year course.

Oscar said his parents had been ‘so supportive’ of his passion for music.

“My dad did a degree in music and German – he always loved music, but in particular jazz and he was the inspiration and the means by which I discovered jazz,” said Oscar. “My dad is British and my mum is Mexican and the way those two cultures have blended through my music has been really special.”

This month’s gig will open with a ‘Hunter Club first’ as Oscar and Chris Ingham take the stage together on two pianos playing a selection of their favourite pieces.

“It will be really fun,” said Oscar.

Chris decribed Oscar as ‘remarkable’, adding: “Oscar really is special, a once-in-a-generation talent. We’ll be hearing a lot more from him on the national stage in the coming years.”

In the gig’s second half Oscar will be joined by his quartet for a set of original compositions.

“I am very excited it has sold-out,” he said.

And while this is Oscar’s first Hunter Club headline performance – he previously joined Chris and his band there for a couple of tracks aged ‘12 or 13’ – he has a history of public performance which started back in primary school.

The former St Edmund’s Primary School pupil used to play ‘happy birthday’ for his fellow pupils on the school piano at every Friday assembly from Year Three onwards.

Looking to the future, Oscar’s dream is to be an artist. He said: “I am a pianist and a composer and see myself hopefully becoming a professional musician, enjoying making music.”