Albany Piano Trio
Pippa Harrison Piano
Gemma Sharples Violin
Verity Evanson Cello
PROGRAMME
Music Notes
Debussy Trio in G major
An early work, composed when Debussy was 17, this delightful piece suggests little of the more mature composer but contains some beautiful moments.
Biographies
The Albany Piano Trio is a dynamic young ensemble whose repertoire focuses on works by female composers - both current and historic - alongside the traditional canon of pieces that make the more established body of piano trio repertoire. Founded in 2010, the trio has risen from a nascent group to an established ensemble, having performed at a large number of high profile venues and gathered insights, via masterclasses and international music courses, from some of the preeminent exponents in their respective fields. They work particularly with Susan Tomes, Simon Rowland-Jones, Lowri Blake and Peter Cropper.
The trio are current recipients of the Richard Carne Junior Fellowship at the Royal College of Music, and have recently been selected by Making Music for inclusion in its concert Promoters’ Network 2013/14 Guide. Other concert experience includes performances around the UK as part of Live Music Now, which the trio have been connected with since 2012. Future engagements include recitals for Darlington Music Society; Guildford Electric Theatre; Keele University; Winchester Cathedral and a return visit to Belle Serre, Toulouse.
The Albany trio also enjoy outreach work and are an Associate Ensemble of Chamber Music 2000. They have enjoyed two Live Music Now tours of Special Needs schools over the past year and were selected for a 3 month residency at a Care Home in Kew.
Past concerts include performances in the Brighton Fringe festival at the Chapel Royal, the Harrison Sisters’ Players Series, the Harrogate International Festival and at London venues including St. James’s Piccadilly, the National Gallery, Proms at St. Judes’, Fairfield Halls, the Marryat Autumn Chamber Concerts and St Martin in the Fields.
The trio regularly attend music masterclasses and summer-schools, receiving scholarships to Dartington International Summer School; Pro Corda and the International Musicians Seminar: Prussia Cove. They recently enjoyed a two week Winter Residency at the Banff Centre, Canada
Pippa Harrison - Piano
.... has appeared as soloist and chamber musician throughout the UK, Ireland, Holland, Bulgaria and Norway. An active chamber musician, Pippa is a member of the Albany Piano Trio. In 2012 the Trio were offered a place on the Live Music Now scheme and in the same year joined the ChamberStudio masterclasses at King's Place where they regularly study with Simon Rowland Jones, Peter Cropper and Susan Tomes. This year, the Albanys’ were awarded the Richard Carne Junior Fellowship at the Royal College of Music and have been listed as selected artists by Making Music for inclusion in its 2013/14 Promoters' Guide. The trio regularly perform around the UK and are actively involved in educational work through Live Music Now and as an associate ensemble to Chamber 2000.
In 2009 Pippa won First Prize in the Worthing Concerto Competition and in the same year was Second in the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition. Her Festival appearances include solo recitals at the Tromso Festival, Marlow Recital Series and the Liszt Society Festival. Pippa has also appeared live on BBC Radio Ulster and Bulgarian National Television.
Past concerts include performances in the Brighton Fringe Festival at the Chapel Royal; the Harrison Sisters' Players Series; the Harrogate International Festival; the Banff Centre, Canada and at London venues including St. James's Piccadilly, St Olave’s Church, the National Gallery, Fairfield Halls and St Martin in the Fields. Future engagements with the Albany Trio include recitals at the Darlington Music Society; Keele University; a Women in Music Festival at the Royal College of Music; continuing Live Music Now and Chamber 2000 work and a return visit as trio in residence at Belle Serre, Toulouse.
Pippa is a founder member of the Sydenham Recital Series, which was created to promote young musicians and to provide high quality classical music concerts for the local community. The SRS offers creative programming and repertoire, with established masterpieces being performed alongside lesser-known and contemporary works.
Pippa studied at Chetham's School of Music with Murray McLachlan and Norma Fischer. In 2004 she continued her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Joan Havill. She has appeared in masterclasses with Noriko Ogawa, Ronan O'Hora, Jan Kabluski, Lowri Blake, Yehonatan Berick, Jana Frenklova and Rita Wagner.
Gemma Sharples - Violin
.... is a versatile young violinist, whose career involves a mixture of chamber music, teaching, session work, west-end shows and orchestral playing. She is a member of the Albany Piano Trio who are current Junior Fellows in chamber music at the Royal College of Music and who perform concerts around the country as ‘Selected Artists’ of the Making Music Concert Promoters Group. The trio also work with Yehudi Menuhin’s ‘Live Music Now’ scheme to bring live music to audiences who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to hear it, giving workshops and concerts in care homes and special needs schools. She has also performed as a guest violinist with the Gildas Quartet and the Berkeley Ensemble.
Gemma has performed with orchestras including the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta and English National Opera and was a member of the European Youth Orchestra in 2011. She completed her Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was supported by the Howard Davis scholarship, having previously studied music as an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford. Aside from her classical work she was recently part of the band for the UK Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and also performs with and arranges string parts for the band Bastille.
Gemma teaches violin and chamber music at the junior department of the Royal Academy of Music, where she herself studied for many years
Verity Evanson - Cello
....studied music as an undergraduate at St John's College, Oxford before gaining a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London for a masters course in performance.
In addition to her work with the Albany Piano Trio, Verity is a founding member of the Holywell String Quartet, with whom she has performed with the Wihan and Allegri String Quartets. The quartet won the Joan Conway Scholarship for chamber music performance at Oxford University. Aside from chamber performance, Verity participates in projects with the London Philharmonia Orchestra outreach team has also taught chamber music groups at Pro Corda (having herself been a member from the age of 11).
Verity has appeared on television (BBC 1/History Channel/More 4), recorded soundtracks for Channel 4 and featured in pop music videos. She also featured as a soloist in the Bollywood Film ‘MOD’ (released Sept/11). Verity has enjoyed performing with bands at Ronnie Scotts and the Roundhouse, Camden. She writes and performs string parts with Gemma for the band Bastille, whose debut album has been Number One in the UK Album Chart twice during the past year.