With the help of financial assistance from The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust for his studies from 2014 to 2016, Som Howie has been able to further his professional development by participating in a number of overseas programs, perform with internationally renowned orchestras and attend lessons by world class clarinet pedagogues.
Som’s participation in one of the UK’s most prestigious orchestral academies, Southbank Sinfonia in 2014, enabled him to participate in side by side mentoring with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Opera House and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields as well as perform the Mozart Clarinet Concerto as a soloist with the orchestra. The following year, Som was accepted into the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s (LPO) Foyle Future Firsts program where he had opportunities to perform with the orchestra and received lessons from LPO clarinet legend, Robert Hill and Principal E-flat clarinettist Tom Watmough.
In 2016, Som was selected for the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra’s inaugural Orchestral Academy where he regularly performed with the orchestra mentored by Hermann Steffanson and Johan Fransén (Royal Stockholm Philharmonic). Other internationally renowned Clarinet Pedagogues that Som has been fortunate enough to gain mentorship from include: Andrew Marriner (London Symphony Orchestra), Andreas Sundén (Swedish Radio Symphony) and Yehuda Gilad (professor of clarinet at the Colburn School of music and the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music).
Along with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Som regularly performs with The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and as Guest Principal Clarinettist of the Sydney Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, and The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestras.
Som continues to develop as a soloist both in Australia and Europe. In 2016, Som was invited to perform and record the Geoffrey Hanson Clarinet Concerto with the London Mozart Players and perform the Weber Clarinet Concerto with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra in 2017.
2016 also saw the release of Som’s debut album, ‘Première Rhapsody’, recorded by Cala Records. The album has received impressive critical acclaim and features many of the instrument’s core repertoire for Clarinet and Piano.
Som is currently a member of the Dolmen Ensemble. Since its formation, the group has performed concerts in Europe and Australasia, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.