Biography
Ghislaine McMullin
Ghislaine McMullin is a prize-winning young cellist, based in London. Recently awarded the Musicians’ Company Silver Medal 2016, Ghislaine has also received recognition from the London Symphony Orchestra, being jointly awarded the 2010 LSO Strings Academy Candide Award for the most promising young string player. She took part in the prestigious LSO Strings Experience Scheme 2016, working in the LSO cello section. Ghislaine has also recently worked as an Extra with both the Philharmonia Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra. Her playing has been broadcast on BBC Radio, NHK World Japan, The Guardian, and other media outlets worldwide. She is the co-founder of the Behn Quartet, who are currently CAVATINA Chamber Music Fellows at the Royal Academy of Music. Recent notable concert performances include the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ last ever work, Movement for String Quartet (2016) at both his memorial and live on BBC Radio 3 In Tune, and their Wigmore Hall debut in February 2018. Ghislaine has also recorded for Linn Records, featuring chamber works by Stravinsky, Birtwistle, and Maxwell Davies, conducted by Oliver Knussen. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, she studied as the Winifred Agnes Disney Scholar under Josephine Knight from 2015-2017. She also read undergraduate History at St John’s College, Cambridge, during which time she learnt with soloist and LSO principal cello, Tim Hugh. She plays a c.1760 Gagliano cello, kindly on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
Charles Mutter
Charles Mutter was born in 1970, in Sussex. He studied with Anthony Stevenson, Andrew Sherwood, Kenneth Piper (while a Junior Exhibitioner at the RCM), David Takeno (while at Jesus College, Cambridge) and Simon Fischer. As Associate Leader of the BBC Concert Orchestra, Charles has performed and recorded solo works by Armstrong Gibbs, Beethoven, Bruch, Dvorak, Elgar, Muhly, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams and Weill. Other concerto appearances have included Vivaldi at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Brahms and Tchaikovsky with Scottish Sinfonia, Korngold with the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra and double concerti by Brahms, Saint-Saëns and Delius. In October 2016 he gave the premiere of Guy Barker’s new concerto, written for him and the BBCCO. He performs Lutoslawski’s “Chain 2” as part of Rambert Dance Company’s new ballet “Life is a Dream”, premiered in London in May 2018.. He is also much in demand elsewhere as a guest leader (Philharmonia, CBSO, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) and session musician. Arranging is a particular passion of his, and projects have ranged from work on “Emmerdale” to Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. May 2018 saw the premiere of his orchestration of Graham Fitkin’s “Servant”, in Truro Cathedral.. Charles’ violin is a copy of the “Lord Wilton” Guarnerius (1742) made for him in 2007 by the brilliant young German luthier, Stephan von Baehr.
Ilona Domnich
Ilona Domnich is a lyric soprano (leggero), described by critics as a memorable voice of silken beauty with a luminous edge to the tone, a sensitive musician and an actress of magnetic presence.
She was chosen by Opera Now 2014 as Top 10 high flyers, “new generation of sopranos who are destined to have impressive careers”. The Artist of the Month in Opera 2015 and was a Telegraph's choice of best British-based talent December 2015.
Originally a pianist, Ilona was plucked by a legendary singing teacher Vera Rosza at one of the master classes. She went on to win the prestigious Wingate Scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music. Her career is growing steadily world-wide.
Ilona Domnich
Operatic highlights include Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Mimi (La Boheme), Gilda (Rigoletto),Olympia/Antonia/Giulietta (Tales of Hoffmann), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), (Fortunio), Elle (La Voix Humaine), Melisande (Pellease et Melisande), Magda (La Rondine), Tatyana (Onegin), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Eurydice (Der neue Orpheus), Venus (Judgement of Paris), Madam Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor), Blondchen (Die Entfuhrung). Ilona developed close collaboration with English National Opera, BBC Concert Orchestra, Grange Park Opera, Buxton Opera Festival, English Touring Opera, Northern sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia, Festival de Musique de Menton, Trasimeno Music Festival and Anghiari in Italy, Chopin festival in Mallorca, Aldeburgh festival, London Song Festival, Jersey international festival. Ilona appeared in concerts in London at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican, Westminster Cathedral, St. Johns’ Smith square, St. Martin in the Fields and internationally in Paris, Menton, Segura, Rome, St.Peterburg, Jerusalem, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.
Ilona’s fruitful collaboration with Southbank Sinfonia and Simon Over, with whom she has performed the Brahms requiem, Mendelssohn ‘Lobgesang’, Ravel Scheherazade, Gounod ' Missa sollemnis' and the roles of Tatyana and Gilda, led to the creation of an Operatic CD 'Surrender' with the baritone Leo Nucci, recorded and produced by Rupert Coulson (the producer of The Rolling Stones) is released by Signum classics.
Ilona is currently preparing roles with Montserrat Caballe to debut in Opera houses around the world. She will also sing Poulenc Gloria at Notre dame de Paris , Brahms requiem, Chant d'Auvergne, a recording of V. Williams 'the Scott of Antarctic' with Royal Scottish national orchestra, Beethoven 9th and recitals with Benjamin Frith and Simon Over in London and Nice. Ilona is also developing her own one woman show- based on songs of Marlene Dietrich and Jacques Brel with opera director James Bonas and a jazz group.
John Alley
John Alley is Principal Keyboard Player with the London Symphony Orchestra. He began his musical training as a chorister of Westminster Abbey, thereafter studying piano at the Guildhall School of Music with James Gibb. Starting as an accompanist, he began working as an orchestral pianist and has played with most of the British orchestras along with the London Sinfonietta and chamber orchestras such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the English Chamber orchestra.
He has performed in over a hundred BBC Promenade Concerts and has worked with many of the twentieth century’s major composer/conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Hans Werner Henze, Witold Lutoslawski, George Benjamin and Oliver Knussen. He has recorded extensively for television, radio and CD.
James Edwards
James was born in Essex and began his singing career as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, continuing his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. He was a member of the Young Artists’ Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
His roles include the title role in Albert Herring at the Salzburg Landestheater, Novice Billy Budd for English National Opera, Push by David Bruce for Tête-à-Tête, Sempronio Lo speziale in Tel Aviv, Mr Erlanson A Little Night Music at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Pirelli Sweeney Todd and Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress for the Gothenburg Opera, Lensky Eugene Onegin for opera by definition, Roderigo Otello for the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Mas de Daumas Gassac The Lovely Ladies at the Buxton Festival and First Brother The Seven Deadly Sins for the Royal Ballet. Recordings and broadcasts include The Carmelites for Chandos and Friday Night is Music Night for BBC Radio 2.
He made his BBC Proms debut in 2006, and he has performed in concert with the BBC Philharmonic, Brighton Philharmonic, Huddersfield Choral Society, London Philharmonic and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
His current diary includes Don José Carmen at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Casta Diva – The Life and Loves of Maria Callas at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, Beethoven Choral Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Mass in C at the Kilkenny Arts Festival, Messiah with the Royal Choral Society, Handel Saul on tour with the Israel Camerata, Mozart Litaniae de Venerabili Altaris Sacramento with the Academy of Ancient Music at Mozartiana 2012 in Gdansk, Summer Spectacular and Last Night of the Proms with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a Christmas Gala with the Ten Tors Orchestra and Viennese Galas with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
In 2011, James Edwards was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music by the Governing body of the RAM for distinguishing himself in the field of Opera.
Claudia Figueroa
Claudia Figueroa was born in Santiago, Chile with her interest in the folk music of Latin America stemming from the time when, as a child, she first picked up the guitar.
Since moving to London in 1976 she has played an active role in the international music scene playing with different bands including Quimantu, Working Week (with whom she sang on the critically acclaimed single “Venceremos”) and with world famous guitarist John Williams both recording and touring.
Claudia was a member of the world famous group “Incantation” with whom she recorded the soundtrack for the film “The Mission” and was the singer and guitarist with the Rambert Dance Company on the classic ballet by Christopher Bruce, “Ghost Dances”.
Fejes String Quartet
Tamas Fejes – Violin I
Elizabeth Lloyd – Violin II
Mike Lloyd – Viola
Rachael Lee - Violincello
Formed in 2006, the Fejes Quartet first came to know each other as members of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. A chance opportunity to work together as a quartet established a musical collaboration of the highest standard, and they quickly gained a reputation for their lively performances and engaging approach, resulting in invitations to perform at music societies throughout Scotland. During the 2010 season, concerts included the RSAMD chamber series and a performance at Pollock House Arts Society to celebrate their 50th anniversary. A tour to Hungary to perform Bartók was a particular highlight.
In January 2011, the quartet toured Northern Scotland with great success, where they also promoted their debut CD. In July 2011 they were invited to perform a number of concerts as part of Les Heures Musicales d’Aujols, a chamber music festival in the south of France, the highlight being a performance of Schubert’s C major Cello quintet with the great cellist Raphael Wallfisch.
The Fejes Quartet currently has residencies at both the Glasgow Art Club and The Mackintosh Church in Glasgow. Not only confined to the concert hall and music club environment the Fejes quartet is well known for its versatility. They have recently been involved in a number of successful projects, working together with Enterprise Music Scotland, providing workshops on quartet playing in schools and a collaborative project with the percussion duo Owen and Olly. They have even been known to perform alongside a DJ in Glasgow’s West End.
Fiorini Piano Trio
fiorini is a London based all-Australian piano trio. They formed in 1996 with Victor Sangiorgio joining them in 2002. With a keen interest in diversity of repertoire, incorporating new and ‘undiscovered’ repertoire into their programmes, fiorini gave the premiere of Stevenson’s Movie Demons in both the UK and Australia and the London premier of Australian composer, Andrew Schultz’s Tonic Continent.
They also premiered and recorded John Carmichael’s piano quartet Sea Changes and in 1999 were honoured to be invited to perform at the Australian High Commission in London to celebrate the 70th birthday of renowned Australian composer, Peter Sculthorpe. They undertook their debut tour of Australia in 2005, with performances at the Barossa Music Festival, Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University in Canberra and a live broadcast for the ABC Classic Live series.
Their London debut, in 2005, was for the London Chamber Music Series and they have appeared regularly ever since, with 2009 seeing their debut at the prestigious new Kings Place concert hall. April 2010 saw the trio’s debut for the Harare International Festival in Zimbabwe and they first appeared at Les Heures Musicales d’Aujols in 2008, the first year of the festival.
Italian by birth, Australian by adoption, Victor Sangiorgio (Piano) grew up in Perth. He won most Australian prizes and performed as soloist with all of the major orchestras in Australia before he left on a Stuyvesant scholarship for studies in Siena, Rome and the United States finally settling in London. He broadcasts frequently for the major UK radio stations and his diverse discography includes the complete solo piano works of Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff and Mendelssohn concertos. He has recently completed the 2nd volume of Cimarosa sonatas for Naxos and holds the post of piano lecturer at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Fiorini Piano Trio
Born in Adelaide, Belinda McFarlane (Violin) arrived in London as Leader of the Australian Youth Orchestra for the BBC Proms in 1988 - she liked it so much she stayed! In 1991 she joined the LSO as well as a committed member of the LSO’s Discovery (education) team, including work as Violin Animateur for ‘Take A Bow’, a project involving 100 violinists of all ages and abilities with performances in London and Paris. Belinda regularly returns to Australia to tutor for the Australian Youth Orchestra. She plays a Giuseppe Fiorini violin, after which the trio is named.
Born in Sydney, Matthew arrived in London in 1981 on a scholarship, becoming an Exhibition Student at the Royal College of Music from 1984-1988, winning both the Dorothy and Percy Coates Award for piano trio, and the Stern Award for cello. In 1992 Matthew was appointed to the position of sub-principal Cello for the BBC Concert Orchestra. Matthew is also a highly committed teacher, qualified in the Suzuki method of which he is a passionate advocate. He plays on a 1792 Benjamin Banks instrument.
Rustem Hayroudinoff
Described by London’s Classic FM Magazine as a “sensationally gifted” musician of “stunning artistry”, Rustem Hayroudinoff is an equally charismatic communicator. Like Leonard Bernstein before him, he demystifies the world of classical music by engaging his audience in a light and humorous, yet informative rhetoric about the works he performs. As a result, his listeners have a deeper understanding of the music and often comment on the huge difference his oration has made to their listening experience. This direct approach and informal style is also perfect for attracting younger audiences.
Rustem Hayroudinoff has performed to great critical acclaim in Japan, the USA, Canada, his native Russia and Europe. In the UK he has appeared at major concert venues including the Barbican, Cadogan Hall, Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Leeds Town Hall. More recently he performed Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Marin Alsop, Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Chopin’s Concerto No. 2 with the London Philharmonic, as well as appearing with the Soloists of the London Philharmonic in their Chamber Contrasts series in London and Munich and giving recitals at the American Shakespeare Center and St John’s Smith Square.
The engagements in 2015-16 include Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 1 with the Bochum Symphony Orchestra in Germany, Tchaikovsky’s Concert Fantasia at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and in Tokyo with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy as well as recitals around Europe and North America.
Rustem Hayroudinoff
Rustem Hayroudinoff has recorded for NAMI Records (Japan), Decca and Chandos. His recordings of Shostakovich’s Theatre Music and the Dvorák Piano Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic were greeted with universal acclaim, garnering praise such as ‘dazzling and ... electrically compelling’ (Gramophone) and ‘utterly magical’ (Classic FM), and were selected among the CDs of the Year by both BBC Music and Gramophone magazines. According to Gramophone and Classic FM magazines respectively, in the latter recording “his phrasing… is limpidly beautiful, even warmer than that of Richter” and “even Richter’s celebrated EMI recording must cede to this outstanding newcomer.”
His CD of the complete Rachmaninoff Preludes was selected by Classic FM magazine as part of it’s ‘Essential Rachmaninoff Collection’ alongside the recordings of Arthur Rubinstein and André Previn, and the recording of the complete Études-Tableaux by Rachmaninoff was hailed as a ‘benchmark recording’ and selected as Instrumental Choice of the Month by BBC Music magazine, as well as being nominated for the Best Instrumental CD of the Year award. It was also selected as the finest existing version of these pieces by BBC Radio 3’s ‘Building a Library’. Among the orchestras Rustem Hayroudinoff has performed with are the Tokyo Symphony, Osaka Century, Czech Philharmonic, Czech National Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony orchestras.
Hayroudinoff’s performances have been broadcast on most major classical radio stations around the world. He has also appeared in the documentary ‘The Unknown Shostakovich’ alongside Vladimir Ashkenazy, Valery Gergiev and Maxim Shostakovich.
Rustem Hayroudinoff studied with Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory and with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is now a Professor of Piano. For more information, please visit www.Hayroudinoff.com
Gary Kettel
Gary Kettel became co-principal percussionist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra with Pierre Boulez at the age of 20 and since then has become one of Britain’s most sought after percussionists.
Working with every major London Orchestra as Principal Percussionist including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia and Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
For many years he was the percussionist with the Nash Ensemble and Peter Maxwell Davies’ ‘Fires of London’. Well known for his stylistic versatility, he has a huge experience in all musical fields from Latin American and Ethnic through straight Classical to Pop and Contemporary. John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein and Paul McCartney are just a few of the great composers he has worked with on films including the Star Wars series, James Bond series, Harry Potter series and Pirates of the Caribbean to name but a few.
He gives master-classes and coaching sessions to the percussionists at the Royal Northern College of Music, Trinity College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Symphony Orchestra’s Sheel Competition and is a regular Examiner for the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Grant McFarlane Dowse
Grant McFarlane Dowse started playing guitar in 1999. In 2007 he gained a place to study at Trinity College of Music with guitarist Graham Devine.
Whilst at college he played in many concerts throughout London in both solo guitar and chamber music recitals and performed in master classes with guitarists such as John Mills, Jose Antonio Escobar, Sven Lundestadt and the great Cuban composer and guitarist Leo Brouwer.
Julie Murray
Julie Murray is a well-known flute teacher and free-lance performer in the North west of England. Julie is a graduate of RNCM and has acquired a wide reputation as a teacher of distinction incorporating the Dalcrose and Kodly techniques.
She has performed with some of the UKs biggest orchestras including Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camarata, Manchester Motzart players, Northern Ballet and Opera North. She is a regular performer with the Carlton Ensemble and in recent years has performed in various festivals including Buxton festivals and Yoxford festivals.
Julie is currently planning a project of lunchtime recitals in Churches around the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France.
Leo Nicholson
Leo Nicholson studied at the Purcell School, the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, and with Douglas Finch and the late Yonty Solomon at Trinity Laban.
At Trinity, Leo won the John Longmire Beethoven Competition, the Alfred Kitchen Chopin Competition, and represented Trinity in the BPSE Intercollegiate Beethoven Competition. He graduated with First Class Honours and won three prizes: the Silver Medal awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians; the TCM Silver Medal for most outstanding contribution to the Keyboard Faculty and performance activities throughout his course, and the Nancy Thomas Prize for academic achievement. Leo maintains his childhood links with Sheffield – he performed the Grieg Piano Concerto with the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra in 2009, and Bartok’s 2nd Concerto with the University of Sheffield Symphony Orchestra in May 2010.
Leo is also a much sought-after accompanist, and has returned to Trinity as a faculty member, primarily accompanying singers and wind players. Five years ago he formed a flute and piano duo with Rosanna Ter-Berg, and their critically acclaimed Purcell Room début (under the auspices of the Park Lane Group) in January 2012 led to performances at the Wigmore Hall and the Bridgewater Hall. More recently Leo started working with saxophonist Anthony Brown, who he met through the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and they have since played together all over the country.
Leo has a fondness for Musical Theatre, and has worked on everything from small fringe shows (Belle Canto’s Opera Hour, and the Crowd (wept) and Hamlet! The Musical) to large commercial productions (Jekyll & Hyde UK Tour).
He lives in south London with his partner, cellist Samara Ginsberg, and Teddy the cat.
Anna Noakes
Anna Noakes has given recitals at all the major London concert halls, making many festival appearances, including City of London, Brighton, Salisbury, Leicester and Dartington.
She has recorded numerous CDs featuring music by Martin Yates, Cecilia McDowall, Jean-Claude Damase, Andre Jolivet & Astur Piazolla, receiving Gramophone Magazine’s coveted ‘Critics Choice’ a number of times.
As well as broadcasting for BBC Radio3 and Classic FM she works as Guest Principal Flute with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House among others and is Professor of Flute at Trinity College of Music.
Philippe Quint
Award-winning American violinist Philippe Quint is a multifaceted artist whose wide range of interests has led to several Grammy nominations for his albums, performances with major orchestras throughout the world at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York, a leading role in a major independent film called Downtown Express, and explorations of tango with his band The Quint Quintet.
Highlights of his 2013/14 season include debut performances with the London Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Kansas Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and the San Antonio Symphony as well as return engagements with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and performances and a new recording of the Glazunov and Khachaturian Violin Concertos with the Bochumer Symphoniker and Steven Sloane.
Quint’s live performances and interviews have been broadcast on television by CBS, CNN, ABC, BBC World News, NBC, Reuters, Bloomberg TV, as well as by radio stations nationwide including NPR, WNYC and WQXR. His recordings have received multiple “Editor’s Choice” selections in Gramophone, The Strad, Strings, and the Daily Telegraph. His remarkable degree of lyricism, poetry and impeccable virtuosity has gripped the eyes and ears of audiences in Asia, Australia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the U.S. with what The Times (London) describes as his “bravura technique, and unflagging energy.”
Philippe Quint is the first classical musician to star in the lead role of a major independent picture. Downtown Express, from Michael Hausman (producer of Gangs of New York, Brokeback Mountain and Amadeus) and multi-Emmy winning director David Grubin, is currently premiering through out the world at various national and international film festivals including Woodstock, New York, Houston, Mons (Belgium), Cuba, Vermont, and Florida.
Philippe Quint’s formidable discography includes a large variety of rediscovered treasures along with popular works from standard repertoire. In November 2013, he released Opera Breve with pianist Lily Maisky, a unique collection of opera transcriptions for violin and piano featuring both popular and rare songs, on Avanticlassic.
Philippe Quint
His recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Sofia Philharmonic led by conductor Martin Panteleev, paired with Anton Arensky’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 35 (for violin, viola, and two cellos) written in memory of Tchaikovsky, will be released in spring 2014. In May 2014, Quint records the Khachaturian and Glazunov Violin Concertos with the Bochumer Sinfoniker.
Quint’s first album for Avanticlassic, a recording of the Mendelssohn and Bruch Violin Concertos and Beethoven’s Romances with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería led by Carlos Miguel Prieto, was released in 2012. Gramophone described Quint’s performance as “pure sound and refined expression. An account well worth hearing.” His recordings of William Schuman’s Violin Concerto (2007) and Korngold’s Violin Concerto (2009) were both nominated for Grammy Awards. Other critically acclaimed albums include the world premiere recording of John Corigliano's Red Violin Caprices, Ned Rorem’s Concerto, Miklos Rozsa’s Complete Works for Violin and Piano with William Wolfram, Bernstein’s Serenade, and a unique compilation of works by Paganini arranged by Fritz Kreisler, which BBC Music Magazine called “truly phenomenal.” In addition, Quint is the featured violinist on the soundtracks of David Grubin's documentaries The Buddha, RFK, and The Jewish Americans.
Constantly in demand worldwide, Quint’s most recent appearances include performances with the orchestras of Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, New Jersey, Minnesota, Bournemouth, Houston, Weimar Staatskapelle, Royal Liverpool, China National, Orpheus, Berlin Komische Oper, Leipzig’s MDR at the Gewandhaus, Nordwestdeutsche and Bochumer Symphonikers, Cape Town Philharmonic, and Plácido Domingo’s Youth Orchestra of the Americas. He has performed under the batons of Marin Alsop, Carl St. Clair, Daniel Hege, Andrew Litton, Kurt Masur, Jorge Mester, Marco Parisotto, Martin Panteleev, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Klauspeter Seibel, Christopher Seaman, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Steven Sloane, Michael Stern, Bramwell Tovey, Gregory Vajda, and Martin Yates.
Philippe Quint
Philippe Quint has given solo recitals and chamber music performances at the Mostly Mozart, Caramoor, Ravinia, Aspen, Lincoln Center, and Chautauqua festivals, Lukas Foss's Hamptons Music Festival, Kravis Center, UC Davis Presents, Rome Chamber Festival, Moritzburg, El Paso, La Jolla SummerFest and at the National Gallery in Washington. In 2009, Quint formed The Quint Quintet, an ensemble dedicated to exploring the music of Astor Piazzolla and Argentine Tango.
Philippe Quint studied at Moscow's Special Music School for the Gifted with the famed Russian violinist Andrei Korsakov, and made his orchestral debut at the age of nine, performing Wieniawski's Concerto No. 2. After emigrating to the United States, he earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Juilliard. His distinguished pedagogues included Dorothy Delay, Cho-Liang Lin, Masao Kawasaki, and Felix Galimir. He also studied and participated in masterclasses with Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, and Arnold Steinhardt.
The Chicago Tribune proclaimed, “Here is a fiddle virtuoso whose many awards are fully justified by the brilliance of his playing.” Among his many honors, Quint was the winner of the Juilliard Competition and Career Grant Recipient of Salon de Virtuosi, Bagby and Clarisse Kampel Foundations. Philippe Quint plays the magnificent 1708 "Ruby" Antonio Stradivari violin on loan to him through the generous efforts of The Stradivari Society®. He is managed by Arts Management Group and records for Avanticlassic.
Victor Sangiorgio
“Poetic Perfection” was how Victor Sangiorgio’s London debut was hailed by The Times. Similar critical and public acclaim has continued to greet both his public performances and recordings. Magazines such as Gramophone have used words like ‘irresistible’ and ‘superbly colourful’ to describe his growing discography.
Born in Italy, he moved to Perth, Western Australia at the age of four and began his musical training there. He gave his first public performance at the age of five and by 19 had been a soloist with all the major Australian orchestras as well as recording and broadcasting extensively for both Australian National Radio and Television. He was also soloist with the Australian Youth Orchestra and with the West Australian Symphony on their tours of Communist China, Hong Kong and Singapore. After winning Australia’s most prestigious awards, he lived and worked abroad in Siena, Rome and the USA before moving to the UK.
Since residing in London, he has broadcast frequently for the BBC World Service, Radio 3, Radio 4 and Classic FM. He has performed throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, America, Asia, New Zealand and America. In America he has broadcast live in Chicago and Los Angeles for the WFMT Radio network and has appeared on American television. He has collaborated with such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Sir Charles Groves, Andrew Litton, Jane Glover, En Shou, Stanislaw Skrowacewzski, Andre Previn, Jorge Mester and Carl Davis. As a frequent visitor to Australia he broadcasts regularly for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as well as giving numerous recital and concerto performances with Australian orchestras.
His repertoire is extremely varied and he has a continuing interest in chamber music. This has seen collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, his Piano Trio the Fiorini, violinists Ruggiero Ricci and Hu Kun, horn player Eric Ruske, the actor Andrew Sachs and principals from the London Symphony. He has given masterclasses in many cities throughout the world and has also been artist in residence at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music and Visiting Lecturer in Piano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Colchester Institute and the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Victor Sangiorgio
Recent activities have included much acclaimed concerts with, among others, the Sydney and Western Australian Symphonies, the Ulster Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; a television recording with the Melbourne Symphony (screened in America); live concert broadcasts for BBC Radio 3; more broadcasting for Radio 4; recitals in London, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and New York, and return visits to various International Festivals both in the UK and abroad. In addition, he has been touring extensively in performances of Melodrama with Andrew Sachs appearing in many venues including the Lichfield, Perth and Exeter Festivals.
Victor Sangiorgio’s recordings have met with extensive critical acclaim and include such diverse repertoire as Stravinsky’s complete solo piano music; concerti by Rachmaninov and Mendelssohn with the Western Australian Symphony and Vladimir Verbitsky; Liszt Transcriptions with En Chou and the Queensland Symphony, and music by the Australian composer John Carmichael. Recently he has released discs of Stravinsky and Cimarosa for the Naxos label and world premiere concerti recordings with Martin Yates and the RNSO with repertoire ranging from Godard to Bate and Reizenstein. Forthcoming engagements include solo recitals in the UK, Africa, Europe and Australia, radio broadcasts, and performances with the Fiorini Trio as well as further recording for Dutton and the BBC.
Shuna Scott Sendall
Scottish soprano Shuna Scott Sendall graduated from the Alexander Gibson Opera School at RSAMD. Prizes include the inaugural BBC Radio 2 Kiri Te Kanawa Prize, the Great Elm Vocal Awards and the 2004 Scottish Wagner Society's Bayreuth Scholarship. She is also a Samling scholar and a Crear Scholar.
Her many and varied concert appearances have included; Mozart C-Minor Mass and Requiem, Verdi Requiem, Beethoven 9, Bach St John Passion, Berlioz Nuits D'ete, Barber Knoxville Summer of 1915, Schumann Das Paradies und die Peri, Handel Messiah, Rutter Magnificat, Wagner Wesendonck Lieder and performances throughout Britain with her chamber groups 'écoute' and 'éisd'.
Operatic roles include Elettra/ Idomeneo, Concepcion/ L'Heure Espagnole, La Ciesca/ Gianni Schicchi (all at RSAMD); Medea/ The Minotaur, The Aunt/ Madama Butterfly (Scottish Opera); Mother/Witch/ Hansel and Gretel (Dorset Productions); cover Vitellia/Clemenza di Tito, cover Mrs Fox/Fantastic Mr Fox (ETO); cover Santuzza/ Cavalleria Rusticana (Dorset Opera); cover Elsa/ Lohengrin (The Mastersingers); Magdalena/ Die Meistersinger (Edinburgh Players); Cock, Jay and Innkeeper’s Wife/ Cunning Little Vixen (BYO).
Shuna has also appeared on BBC Radio 2 Friday Night is Music Night, at Proms in the Park and at The Big Red Nose Show at the Royal Albert Hall as well as engagements with Opera on a Shoestring, WNO, RSNO and Mid Wales Opera.
Raphael Wallfisch
Raphael Wallfisch is one of the most celebrated cellists performing on the international stage. He was born in London into a family of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and his father the pianist Peter Wallfisch.
At an early age, Raphael was greatly inspired by hearing Zara Nelsova play, and, guided by a succession of fine teachers including Amaryllis Fleming, Amadeo Baldovino and Derek Simpson, it became apparent that the cello was to be his life's work. While studying with the great Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in California, he was chosen to perform chamber music with Jascha Heifetz in the informal recitals that Piatigorsky held at his home.
At the age of twenty-four he won the Gaspar Cassadó International Cello Competition in Florence. Since then he has enjoyed a world-wide career playing with such orchestras as the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Berlin Symphony, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic and many others.
He is regularly invited to play at major festivals such as the BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, Spoleto, Prades, Oslo and Schleswig Holstein.
Teaching is one of Raphael's passions. He is in demand as a teacher all over the world holding the position of professor of cello in Switzerland at the Zürich Winterthur Konservatorium and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Lorraine McAslan
Lorraine McAslan is one of Britain’s foremost violinists. Born in Glasgow, she trained in London as a pupil of David Martin at the Royal Academy before moving to New York at the age of seventeen, on the recommendation of Isaac Stern, to study with Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School. Since then she has shared the concert platform with many of Britain’s greatest orchestras including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber and English Chamber Orchestra, with conductors such as Andrew Davis, Raymond Leppard, Jerzy Maksymuik, Libor Pešek, the late Sir Alexander Gibson and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
Her European debut with the Bern Symphony Orchestra under Eliahu Inbal was broadcast live on Swiss Radio. She has since performed extensively throughout Europe, America, Canada and Japan. A committed chamber musician, she has performed in recital with John Blakely, Nigel Clayton, John Lenehan, Michael Dussek and Piers Lane at festivals throughout the UK including Aldeburgh, Bath and Cheltenham.
Lorraine started her recording career in 1985 with an acclaimed disc of the Elgar and Walton violin and piano sonatas. Since then her numerous recordings include concerti by Mozart and Hoffmann, and sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Martinů, Janáček, Holst, Bridge and Britten. Her critically acclaimed recording of the Britten violin concerto, with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Steuart Bedford, was released in 1990 and re-released in 2007.
Her interest in neglected British composers has led her to record several discs for Dutton Epoch including works by Arthur Benjamin, Kenneth Leighton, Sir Granville Bantock, Dorothy Howell, Benjamin Dale, Rebecca Clarke, York Bowen and Richard Arnell, the latter a collaboration with Martin Yates and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Lorraine teaches at the Royal Academy of Music, of which she was elected an Honorary Associate in 2007.
Elizabeth Roberts
Elizabeth Roberts studied at Newcastle University and English National Opera’s young artist course. Extensive oratorio performances keep her busy throughout the UK and overseas, including Rome (works by Bach, Mozart, Brahms), Spoleto (Vaughan Williams) and Darmstadt (Vaughan Williams). In 2012 she performed Carmina Burana in Beijing with the Peking Sinfonietta.
Her BBC Radio 3 debut was in performance of Harrison Birtwistle’s The Second Mrs Kong at the Royal Festival Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Elizabeth also appears of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s recordings of Chausson’s Le roi Arthus under Leon Botstein, and Josef Marx’s Herbstchor under Jiri Belohlávek.
She made her Italian debut as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi in Spoleto and her Spanish debut was as Massenet’s Salome in Hérodiade in Valladolid. Other roles include Cio-Cio San Madama Butterfly, Tosca Tosca, Mimi and Musetta La bohème, Contessa Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi Cosi fan tutte, Adina L’elisir d’amore, Countess of Dunmow A Dinner Engagement, The Plantiff Trial by Jury and Mabel The Pirate of Penzance.
Elizabeth is an accomplished recitalist and was one of seven singers chosen for a week of study with the renowned pianist Malcolm Martineau. In 2012 she premiered Keith Burstein’s Songs of Love and Solitude with Julian Gallant at Pushkin House, and gave a recital of Strauss, Debussy and Weill with Kevin Lim at the Royal Opera House.
She was honored to be the soprano soloist at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Marie Elliott
Marie was born in Devon. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and on the Royal Academy Opera Course where she graduated with Distinction and was awarded the DipRAM.
Opera roles include Bradamante (Alcina) and Olga (Eugene Onegin) for English Touring Opera, Genevieve (Pelléas et Mélisande) for Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, Disinganno (Il Trionfo) for The Classical Opera Company, Oronte (La Fida Ninfa) and Licida (L'Olimpiade) for La Serenissima in Venice, Israel & the Bath & Buxton. Covers include Irene (Handel’s Theodora) for Glyndebourne Touring Opera, and the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare for Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Whilst at Glyndebourne, Marie was awarded the annual Erich Vetheer Prize for promising young singers.
Marie’s many concert performances have seen her work with conductors Nicholas McGegan, Sir David Willcocks, David Hall, Christian Curnyn, Edward Gardner, Vladimir Jurowski and Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, performing at St John’s Smith Square, The Wigmore Hall, The Royal Festival Hall and numerous Cathedrals around the UK. Recently, Marie appeared as Alto soloist in the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in India for 60 years with the South West Festival Chorus.
Hugh Webb
Hugh Webb studied with Renata Scheffel-Stein, Sioned Williams and Susan Drake. He has worked extensively in the contemporary music field and Javier Alvarez, Robert Keely and Ian Dearden have all written solo works for him with funding from the Arts Council of England. Recent CD recordings include Bax’s Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Harp and String Quartet with the Academy of St Martin’s Chamber Ensemble (Chandos), a collection of French music for flute and harp, Villa Lobos’ Quartet (Clarinet Classics) and Bax’s Fantasy Sonata (Koch International). He gave the first performance of Cyril Scott’s Celtic Rhapsody as part of Sidonie Goossens’ 100th Birthday Celebrations at the Wigmore Hall.
Hugh Webb also plays jazz on the harp and has given recitals at the European Harp Symposium and the World Harp Congress. He is active in the commercial world of television, film and popular music. He has given many masterclasses and has lectured at London’s Royal Academy of Music, the Paris Conservatoire, The Sweelinck Conservatoire in Amsterdam and with Telynor Morgannwg in Wales.
Alexander James Edwards
Alexander James Edwards began singing as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, continuing his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music.
Alexander’s concert engagements have included Rossini's Stabat Mater with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Gounod St Cecilia Mass with the Huddersfield Choral Society and opera galas with The City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchesta, Classical Open Air Concerts at Leeds Castle and over 70 performances of Verdi’s Requiem.
Alexander made his debut at Covent Garden in 2003 and his recent operas performances have included Pong Turandot for The ROH, Rinnuccio Gianni Schicchi for Opera Holland Park, Ruggero La Rondine for Iford Arts, Tom Rakewell Rakes Progress for Gothenburg opera and Duke Rigoletto for Grange Park opera. At the Royal Albert Alexander has performed Rodolfo La Boheme, Pinkerton Madam Butterfly and Don Jose Carmen. He is currently singing Foresto Attila for Lübeck Theatre and will be singing Cavaradossi for English Touring Opera in 2017.
Jan Capinski
Originally from Poland, Jan studied at the Academy of Music in Krakow before moving on to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff. He is also an alumnus of British Youth Opera and ENO Opera Works. He has performed named roles for the likes of Scottish Opera, Garsington Opera, English Touring Opera and Wexford Festival Opera.
Outside the opera house he can be found recording his colleagues, blogging, kayaking on the Thames, playing board games, or back home hiking in the Polish mountains.
For more information, please visit www.capinski.com
Harry Ogg
International Opera Awards Young Artist Bursary holder and twice-winner of the Brenda Charters Conducting Scholarship, conductor Harry Ogg is highly acclaimed in both opera and concert repertoire. His most notable projects include The Turn of the Screw for Opera Holland Park and a recording of Britten’s World War Two Radio Plays with the Hallé Orchestra for NMC. In the 2016-2017 season, Harry will conduct performances of Don Giovanni for Opera Holland Park, opera scenes with postgraduate students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony with the Tonhalle Orchestra in a masterclass with David Zinman, and will work as a guest member of music staff for Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf.
Other recent opera performances include The Cunning Little Vixen with British Youth Opera, Pirates of Penzance and Princess Ida with Julian Light Operatic Society, and Hansel and Gretel and Don Giovanni with Sinfonia d’Amici, an ensemble he founded in 2009. Harry has conducted many British ensembles including the London Mozart Players, Haydn Chamber Orchestra and Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, and has toured over 25 programmes throughout the UK and France with Sinfonia d’Amici.
Harry has worked as assistant conductor to Lionel Friend (Merchant of Venice WNO), Sir Mark Elder (Parsifal: Act Three King’s Chapel Cambridge), Stuart Stratford (Il Trittico OHP), Steuart Bedford (Turn of the Screw OHP), Anthony Negus (Lulu Teatro Comunale di Balzano), and Martin Yates (Don Quixote Royal Ballet). He also worked as assistant conductor and repetiteur with the Wingate Fellowship for ETO's Olivier Award-winning tour of King Priam, Die Zauberflöte, and Paul Bunyan. In concert, Harry has assisted Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner OBE, Sir Richard Armstrong, Graeme Jenkins, Libor Pešek, Martin Yates, Toby Purser and Stephen Cleobury. Harry is an experienced repetiteur and vocal coach, working regularly with singers in London.
Martin Yates
‘... one of the most exciting and versatile British conductors of his generation ...’ The Times
Martin Yates has, over two decades, built a career with a broad range of repertoire and genre. Having studied piano with Ian Lake, composition with Richard Arnell and Sir John Tavener, and conducting with Bernard Keefe and subsequently André Previn, Yates made his conducting debut with the Israel National Opera where he conducted La Traviata, La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly.
Yates has worked as a guest conductor with the UK’s most respected orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has worked extensively in Scandinavia with orchestras such as the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, with whom he conducted the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s A Prayer Out of Stillness. Elsewhere he has conducted the Zurich Tonhalle, Jerusalem Symphony, Danish Radio Symphony, Royal Flanders Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony, Johannesburg Philharmonic and the Orchestra of Gran Canaria. Yates made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting the New York Pops Orchestra in a programme celebrating the music of Charles Strouse.
Ballet has become a staple of Yates’ musical life and he works extensively with the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, conducting Agon, Manon, Romeo and Juliet, Mayerling, Seven Deadly Sins, Swan Lake and L’invitation au Voyage, as well as tours of the US, Cuba, China, Hong Kong and Europe. He also works on a regular basis with the Finnish National Ballet, Norwegian Ballet and Royal Swedish Ballet.
Martin Yates
Yates is much sought after as an orchestrator. He orchestrated two major piano works by John Ireland, completed from sketches E J Moeran’s Second Symphony and Richard Arnell’s Seventh Symphony, and orchestrated the song cycle by Edward Elgar “A Pageant of Empire”, all of which have been recorded and received with great critical acclaim. His orchestrations of the Van Manen ballet Four Schuman Pieces and MacMillan ballet Manon are performed worldwide.
Yates has recorded symphonic repertoire with orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Royal Flanders Philharmonic. Current releases include a series of recordings of the music of Richard Arnell with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on the Dutton label, with whom he works on a very regular basis.
Yates is lauded as an accompanist of the first rate and enjoys collaborations with soloists of international repute such as José Carreras, Barbara Hendricks, Bryn Terfel, Montserrat Caballé, Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu and Yo-Yo Ma. He is honoured to have conducted several Nobel Peace Prize concerts in Oslo as well as Proms in the Park in London. His future engagements include performances with the George Enescu Philharmonic, The Royal Ballet, Finnish National Opera, The National Ballet of Japan, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
