Biography

Richard Jenkinson commenced playing the ‘cello at the age of five, receiving a scholarship to study with Florence Hooton and William Pleeth and, while in his sixth form, began to study conducting at Repton School. He went on gain a Distinction at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama after studying both the ‘cello and conducting, gaining the Guildhall’s Gold Medal after performing at the Barbican. Among the many awards, he won the top prize at the Italian Vittorio Gui Chamber Music Competition and gained the support of the Countess of Munster recital scheme. In 2019, he was awarded a PhD by the University of Birmingham with his dissertation on the music of Zoltán Kodály. 

Benjamin Frith received piano lessons from no lesser than Fanny Waterson at the age of 10, and, aged 14, winning the Dudley National Piano competition under her tutelage. This led to him being invited by Peter Pears to perform at the Aldeburgh Festival. Following a degree in music at the University of Leeds, he continued to study with Waterman, going on to win a number of awards, among these, in 1989 in Israel, the Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubenstein Piano Competition. He has since led a busy and successful career as a soloist appearing with many of the world’s leading orchestras. 

The Countess of Munster recital scheme led to the formation of the Jenkinson Frith Duo and from 1993, the pair have performed a great deal of the piano and ‘cello repertoire at such as the Wigmore Hall and South Bank Centre. Released in 2020, the music of Charles Villiers Stamford was one of a number of records for the Somm label and that of Ivor Gurney, Cyril Scott and Ian Venable for the Emm label. Both musicians champion contemporary music, premiering works by Ellerby, Venables, Orr, Camilleri, Da Vinci and Jones. 

​