This was our programme of Concerts
2012-2013
Dominant String Quartet
Saturday 3rd November 2012
7.45pm
Adams' Grammar School Library
PROGRAMME
Founded over 15 years ago in Moscow, the Dominant Quartet, have earned a reputation for 'razor-sharp ensemble playing'. They tour extensively and have released several recording, mostly of Russian music, but their most recent is of contemporary Croatian music.
James Platt Bass-Baritone
Simon Marlowe Piano
Saturday, 1st December 2012
7.45pm
Cosy Hall
PROGRAMME
James Platt is currently a scholar on the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Opera Course and studies vocal technique with Janice Chapman. He has performed as a soloist at the Bridgewater Hall, Barbican Concert Hall and Theatre, Christ Church Spitalfields, the London Handel Festival, and cathedrals and concert venues across Europe. He was previously a student of voice, piano, organ, composition, and conducting, at Chetham's School of Music and obtained a scholarship to read his undergraduate degree at the Royal Academy of Music.
James holds the Royal Academy of Music teaching Licentiate and has a great interest in the rehabilitation and development of the human voice. He is currently undertaking research into the acoustical consequences of anatomical changes within the vocal apparatus. This aids his work as a soloist, choir trainer, conductor and singing teacher. Alongside his current mentors at the Guildhall he has also studied with international vocal pedagogues including Anne-Marie Speed, Mathew Reeve and Paul Farrington.
James has also sung with many of London's major professional choral groups including the Gabrieli Consort and Players, Oxford Camerata, and the Philharmonia Voices and is currently the musical director of Chelmsford City Opera and St Martin of Tours, Ruislip.
James is generously supported by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Musicians Benevolent Foundations Sybil Tutton Opera Award Scheme, the Countess of Munster Trust and the Bulldog Trust. James is also a Richard Van Allen Scholar.
Simon Marlowe The pianist Simon Marlow enjoys a busy career with frequent concert appearances in Britain and many other European countries. He has also given recitals in Hong Kong, Iceland, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the United States. He has appeared with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, broadcasted and made several recordings. Simon has worked for many years with the Medici Quartet violist, Ivo-Jan van der Werff with whom he has toured and recorded. Simon has also established a recital and recording partnership with the violinist Shulah Oliver, with a particular emphasis on the many marvellous works by English composers for violin and piano. Last year Simon took part in a Dutch project to perform and record music composed by Nietzsche which also included works by other composers who were inspired by his philosophy. In addition to his musical interests, Simon worked for ten years with the Lucis Trust, an educational charity.
Hannah Roberts cello
Simon Parkin piano
Saturday 26th January 2013
7.45pm
PROGRAMME
The Roberts-Parkin Duo is well established with an extensive repertoire. This husband and wife duo have performed on BBC radio and at major venues such as London's Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival and Queen Elizabeth Halls.
Hannah Roberts is one of the outstanding 'cellists of her generation. She has won many awards including prizewinning finalist in the BBC TV Young Musician of the Year and Silver Medal for a performance of the Elgar Concerto with the LSO at the Barbican during the Shell/LSO Competition. Hannah has given numerous concerto performances with leading orchestras as well as frequent broadcasts for BBC radio. She led the world premiere of a new work for six 'celli by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies at the last RNCM Manchester International Cello Festival.
Simon Parkin studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and then jointly at Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music where he is currently Head of Musicianship. As a composer, he has had many broadcasts and performances in the UK, Europe and the USA winning an international prize with a 'cello concerto written for Hannah Roberts. His concert experience started while still at school and is now extensive with regular appearances at both IMS Prussia Cove and the London Master Classes.
51 Strings
David Powell cello
Katherine Thomas harp
Saturday 9th March 2013
7.45pm
Adams' Grammar School Library
PROGRAMME
David Powell is sub-principal cellist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and for three decades has worked with many of the world's leading conductors and soloists. He has taught at the University of Nottingham for the past eight years, a city in which he grew up, and he includes Jacqueline du Pre, David Strange and Bernard Greenhouse ( ex-Beaux Arts Trio) as his teachers.
As a chamber musician David has performed at many festivals and Midland venues with the Montpellier String Trio, his cello and harp duo "51 Strings", and Trio Severn and he appears regularly in CBSO's Centre Stage series of chamber music concerts. He has served as Chair of the CBSO Benevolent Fund, is a trustee of the Cotswold Suzuki Violin Group and has coached the CBSO Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra and the National Schools Symphony Orchestra.
Harpist Katherine Thomas is in great demand as an orchestral player and soloist throughout the United Kingdom. Now living in Abergavenny, South Wales, she is Associate Principal Harp with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera (WNO) and having worked with the company for a number of years, she has accompanied many great singers including - Bryn Terfel, Lesley Garret, Jose Carreras and Rolando Villazon. With her roots lying firmly in Wales, she has won many competitions including the Blue Riband at the National Eisteddford, and the first prize at the world Harp Festival (Cardiff, 1992). With the aid of the Scholarships from the Welsh Arts Council she studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London and from 1995-1999 she attended the Aspen Music Festival, USA - studying harp with Nancy Allen as well as performing with many eminent musicians and broadcasting on national television. Having returned to her native country, Katherine has performed throughout the UK and abroad working with orchestras such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), the London Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and theGothenburg Opera Company.
As a soloist she is in great demand. She has performed Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto with WNO/Carlo Rizzi at St David's Hall, Cardiff, as well as performing the work throughout the Midlands with the Orchestra of the Swan (with whom she is also Principal Harp). Katherine frequently collaborates with other artists in various ensembles. She performs regularly with CBSO cellist David Powell with whom she formed '51 Strings' and Katherine also plays in the Wonnastow Trio - alongside violinists Laurence Kempton and Gillian Bradley.
Although classically trained, Katherine enjoys performing a wide variety of music and the harp has taken Katherine around the world entertaining audiences. Touring extensively through all four countries of the United Kingdom she has played to audiences ranging from an intimate audience of 10 to an arena of 10,000! Internationally, she has toured countries including France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Estonia and Norway as well as further afield to the USA, Japan and Hong-Kong. The different genres of music that Katherine plays are represented in her recording catalogue. Alongside the classical recordings of Sir Simon Rattle, Carlo Rizzi and Bryn Terfel, Katherine can be heard playing folk music with clarinettist Lesley Craven (Impressions) as well as playing on the acoustic sets of the Welsh band Manic Street Preachers (Journal for Plague Lovers). Katherine has also released her first cd - SOLO.
Now an active teacher back home in Wales, Katherine draws on her own experiences whilst teaching. She teaches a variety of ages - from 6 to 80 as well as teaching on a variety of harps - including the pedal, celtic and triple harps. The aim of Katherine's lessons is to make music enjoyable whilst maintaining a high technical standard. As well as teaching modules at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Katherine teaches the harp at the Junior & Access Department of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff. From September 2012, Katherine will also be teaching the harp at Christ College, Brecon. Through her experience as a teacher, Katherine has also published several books for the harp (solos, ensembles and technical books) with publishing company ALAW.
Christopher Baxter Piano
Tom Poulson Trumpet
Saturday 27th April 2013
7.45pm
Cosy Hall
PROGRAMME
Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Scholar Tom Poulsongraduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2010 with a PGDip (Distinction) and BMus Honours (1st Class). He has already clocked up some notable performances, including Haydn's Trumpet concerto with the RSNO, Jolivet's Concertino for Trumpet, Piano and Strings with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra whilst studying at the RCS. Tom has also won the RCS's Concerto competition and Governor's recital prize in brass while also being a recommended artist for Making Music's Philip and Dorothy Green award and a runner up at the Bromsgrove International Young Musician’s Platform. He enjoys playing music spanning from baroque to contemporary, including the premiere of Oliver Searle's Sequenza XI which received a five-star review from the Herald Scotland: "Tom Poulson's performance was staggering".
Originally from Aberdeen, Christopher Baxter began his studies there with Robert Howieat the Aberdeen City Music School and continued them at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), completing his BMus (with 1stClass Honours) and MMus (Distinction).There he was tutored by Aaron Shorr, Graeme McNaught and Fali Pavri, as well as receiving regular coaching from the renowned pianist, Nigel Clayton. In addition to success in almost every competition, and regular concert appearances within the RSAMD, Christopher participated in masterclasses with Roy Howat, Murray McLachlan, Malcolm Martineau, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake and Martin Katz.
As well as frequent appearances as soloist, Christopher is in constant demand as an accompanist and chamber musician, and recent performances include recitals throughout the UK, performances at the Latour and Uzerche Festivals in France, the Alba Festival of Music in Italy, a tour of the Faroe Islands with trumpet player, Johan Hentze and a solo recital at the Erin Arts Centre on the Isle of Man. Forthcoming performances include recitals for the Edinburgh International Festival,a UK tour with the newly formed Brass Diversions, and recitals in South Korea and Singapore.
Christopher has many long standing chamber music partnerships - flautist Jo Ashcroft, violinist Alan John, violist Emma Stevenson, cellist Duncan Strachan, trumpeter Tom Poulson, soprano Natalie Montakhab, mezzo soprano Louise Collett and tenor Stephen Chambers.As a keen advocate of contemporary music, Christopher has been involved the premiere performances of more than 30 works.
Since 2004, Christopher has been a staff accompanist for the Flutewise organisation and, in 2006, he became a founder member of the trio Tenacious T'weed, with soprano Alexa Mason and clarinettist Gemma Carlin. As an official accompanist for the RSAMD's International Double Bass Competition in 2008, and the Watson Forbes International Viola Competition in St Andrews in 2009, and between 2009 and 2010 , Christopher held the position of Accompaniment Fellow at the RSAMD.He has recently taken up a post as piano teacher and accompanist at Kilgraston School in Perthshire, and is a pianist on the Live Music Now! scheme. From 2012, Christopher is the first Associate Accompanist of the National Youth Choir of Scotland, and the resident Concert Pianist at Loretto School in Musselburgh