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The Barbirolli Quartet
String Quartet
Please note that this photograph of the Barbirolli Quartet was taken when Victoria Simonsen was still the quartet's cellist. It will be changed as soon as a new publicity photograph with their new cellist, Ashok Klouda, is available.
The Barbirolli Quartet is known for its diverse, prolific repertoire and dynamic approach to performance, with The Times describing them as “forthright, full-blooded musicians, afraid of nothing” and The Strad commenting on their “superbly realised performance” with “precision of ensemble at formidable rates of energy”.
In 2008, The Barbirolli Quartet’s achievements included winning a Tunnell Trust Award, being chosen for the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme and, most prestigiously, their selection by the European Concert Halls Organisation (ECHO) for inclusion in the 'Rising Stars' series. Following their nomination by the UK members of ECHO, this tour of Europe’s leading concert halls in 2009-2010 will take them to cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne, Barcelona, Athens, Stockholm and Salzburg and will also include a recital at Birmingham Town Hall in the UK.
Engagements in 08/09 include Wigmore Hall, Cheltenham Music Festival, St David's Hall Cardiff, Harrogate International Festival, Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, Manchester Mid-Day in Bridgewater Hall, St James's Piccadilly and St John’s, Smith Square. Over the summer of 09 The Barbirolli Quartet return to Cheltenham, this time collaborating with the Australian String Quartet, and give a series of recitals at Lichfield, Buxton and Ryedale festivals. They also teach and perform at the Dartington International Summer School and appear in the ROSL Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In November 2009, the quartet travel to New Zealand where they join the panel of adjudicators for the Pettman/ROSL Arts International Scholarship, followed by a recital tour of the region. In 2010 they make a further return to the Wigmore Hall, following their recent selection by the Kirckman Concert Society.
The Barbirolli Quartet collaborate with eminent pianists in an ongoing cycle of Piano Quintets, covering the major works of Dvorak, Brahms, Schumann and Elgar and they have also been joined by David Campbell and Timothy Orpen for performances of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet. The quartet has a keen interest in performing new music and in January 2008 made their Purcell Room debut as Park Lane Group Artists to critical acclaim. They regularly work in conjunction with new composers and recent premieres include 'Folk Music' by Joe Cutler and ‘From listening to trees’ by Emily Hall.
Formed in 2003 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, the Barbirolli Quartet brings together a wealth of experience, its founding members each having performed widely in their native countries of Canada, Wales and Australia before coming to England to continue their studies. They are now based in London. The quartet has worked with Walter Levin and Louis Fima as part of the ProQuartet-CEMC professional training program and in 2008 was awarded Artists Fellowships at London’s Guildhall School of Music, studying primarily with The Belcea Quartet.
The Barbirolli Quartet are very grateful to the Philip Carne Trust for their generous support and also to the University of Salford, where they give regular performances in the Tuesday Midday Recitals at Peel Hall as the university's 'Quartet in Residence'.
Rakhi Singh (violin) is based in London and performs regularly with St. Martins-in-the-Fields, Ensemble Moderne and the Fine Arts Ensemble of Wales. Over the past year she has performed the Sibelius, Prokofiev and Kurt Weill concertos with orchestras in the UK and toured Italy with the Orchestra of the Toscanini Foundation performing the Beethoven concerto. Recent projects included a collaboration with Diversions (Wales' National Dance Company) performing movements from Bach's D minor partita. She is the Winner of the Bryn Terfel Scholarship and the Prince of Wales Award 2008.
Katie Stillman (violin) was chosen for the Tillett Trust’s Young Artists’ Platform in 2005 and in 2006 was awarded the Maisie Lewis Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians. She was prize-winner at the International Stepping Stones Competition the same year. Recent engagements include a lunchtime recital for the Manchester Mid-day series at Bridgewater Hall, her Purcell Room debut as part of the Park Lane Group "Young Artists" New Year Series 2007, a concerto performance with the London Mozart Players and recitals at St. John’s Smith Square, St. James's Piccadilly, St George’s Bristol and Wigmore Hall.
Ella Brinch (viola) has received numerous awards and scholarships both in Australia and England. She has performed with many orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Philharmonia. Ella has been in high demand as a chamber musician appearing in various ensembles with artists such as Sakari Oramo, Alina Pogostkina and Peter Donohoe.
Ashok Klouda (cello) was winner of the 2006 J. & A. Beare Solo Bach Competition and the 2007 Royal College of Music Cello Competition, and makes his solo Wigmore Hall debut in 09-10, having won the Worshipful Company of Musicians/Concordia Foundation Young Artists Fund competition. Ashok has studied under some of the world’s finest teachers including Colin Carr, Jérôme Pernoo and Louise Hopkins at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Hochschule der Künste Bern. Whilst a member of the Artea Quartet, Ashok performed in the Wigmore Hall, on BBC Radio 3, in the BBC Proms and at many concert venues throughout the country.