Kirin Howat is a Yorkshire-born violist born in 2004. He is currently undertaking his undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with Lucy Nolan. He plays in many different orchestras and ensembles at the RNCM, gaining a vast amount of experience. He was born in Sheffield and still remains a prominent player in the Sheffield community.

 

​Inspired by his older sister, he decided to begin violin lessons with Karen Taylor aged 8. He then further studied with Hannah Thompson-Smith at the Rotherham Music Service, exploring different types of music making. In 2017, Kirin had the privilege of performing in the Royal Albert Hall which he recalls as a "breath-taking experience" and knew from that moment that music was his passion.

 

In 2018, Kirin was awarded the Viola Scholarship from his youth orchestra at the time, Sheffield Youth Orchestra. This allowed him to use a viola from the orchestra and begin his studies with Julie Doubleday. Kirin is currently the principal viola player in the well-renowned City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra and has toured with the orchestra to Germany in 2022 and will tour Spain in the summer of 2024.

 

After obtaining his place at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music, Kirin has performed in a multitude of concerts and further developed his musical abilities. Recently, he has led the RNCM Opera Orchestra in the winter of 2023, playing the Snow Maiden and was co-principal viola for the RNCM Chamber Orchestra in 2024 alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia in a side-by-side concert.

​He, with his colleagues, recently founded the Osian Ensemble, a fluid chamber collective which had its debut concert involving more than 30 musicians.

 

​Kirin aspires to work as an orchestral musician, soloist and with Osian Ensemble. Kirin plays on a Paul Ayres viola, made in 2014 which is generously loaned to him by the RNCM.