Tashmina Artists

Viola

Rachel Roberts is one of Europe's leading violists and performs internationally as soloist and chamber musician.

As soloist she has collaborated with conductors Christoph von Dohnanyi, Andras Schiff and Richard Hickox, performing concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Koln Kammerorchester, Kammerphilharmonie Graubunden in Switzerland and the Manchester Camerata Chamber Orchestra amongst others. She was the featured viola soloist in the BBC TV documentary 'The Passions of Vaughan Williams' with Richard Hickox and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and has performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante alongside violinists Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas and Benjamin Schmid in Germany, Switzerland and London.

Clarinet

Timothy Orpen is the Principal Clarinet of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He is also a founder member and Principal Clarinet of Aurora Orchestra. Prior to joining the Royal Opera Orchestra, Timothy spent 3 years as Principal Clarinet of the Royal Northern Sinfonia. A previous overall winner of the Royal Over-Seas League, he has been described as a ‘blazing talent’ by The Times and as ‘one of the best young British musicians today’ by The Telegraph.

Huw Wiggin, Ellie McMurray, José Bañuls, Shevaughan Beere

As one of the leading British saxophone quartets among the new generation of artists, the Ferio Saxophone Quartet has received deservedly enthusiastic reactions from audiences and critics alike.

Piano Steinway Artist Simon Callaghan’s recent tours have taken him to Asia, Europe and North America and to the UK’s major concert halls including Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, St David’s Hall Cardiff and Manchester’s Bridgewater and Stoller Halls. In 2018 he released his second CD for Hyperion’s lauded Romantic Piano Concerto series: concertos by Rheinberger and Scholz with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ben Gernon which garnered rave reviews and remained in the specialist classical charts for several weeks. His next disc, of solo works by Nicodé, will be released in 2019. Simon’s interest in rarely performed works has also led to invitations to perform concerti by Françaix and Tippett, and to give the first UK performance since 1946 of Medtner’s 3rd Concerto. He has also recorded for Somm and Danacord, his discography including works by Brahms, Coke, Delius, Sterndale Bennett and Parry.

Christoph Henschel, Catalin Desaga (violins), Monika Henschel (viola) and Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj (cello)

The Henschel Quartet has been contributing to the world of chamber music for over 20 years. In 1995 the quartet won multiple prizes at the international competitions of Evian, Banff, and Salzburg, and the following year won 1st prize and the gold medal at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. Invitations to play at the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Vatican in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI, to name just two, are testament to the ensemble’s prestige and international acclaim.

Winner of the 2014 Royal Overseas League Ensemble Competition, the Solem Quartet was formed in 2011 at the University of Manchester. The quartet takes its name from the university’s motto “arduus ad solem”, meaning “striving towards the sun”.
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Mezzo Soprano and Guitar

Karina and Rory present a wonderful programme of English and Spanish songs. See the clips from a recent concert on their videos page.

Konrad Elias-Trostmann (violin), Vladimir Waltham (cello) and Prach Boondiskulchok (piano)

First Prize and Audience Prize winner of the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition 2015, the Linos Piano Trio has achieved recognition as an extremely dynamic and creative young chamber ensemble.

Mezzo Soprano

Karina Lucas trained primarily at the Royal Northern College of Music and continued her studies at the National Opera Studio. As a Park Lane Group Young Artist Karina made her debut at the Purcell Room in January 2007 with duo partner Simon Lane, since when she has given recitals at festivals and venues such as Leeds Lieder Festival, Ripon Cathedral, St. John’s Smith Square and Oxford Lieder. Karina recently sang her first Das Lied Von Der Erde with the Mahler Players.

Simon Callaghan and Hiroaki Takenouchi

As students of the late Yonty Solomon at the Royal College of Music, Simon Callaghan and Hiroaki Takenouchi met in 2003 and since then have had a thriving duo partnership, giving concerts throughout the UK, Europe and Japan.

Violin and Piano Canadian violinist Katie Stillman and English pianist Simon Lane began their musical partnership whilst studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and celebrated their 10th Anniversary year as a duo in 2015.

Francesco Sica (violin), Claude Frochaux (cello) and Irina Botan (piano)

The Monte Piano Trio has performed in major concert halls such as Berliner Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Covent Garden in London, Daning Theater in Shanghai and the Romanian Atheneum. Their television and radio broadcasts have included BBC, WDR, CBS, DLF, SWR, TVR and Radio Clasica.

Daniel Rowland (violin) and the superb Serbian/French cellist Maja Bogdanovic form this exceptional duo.

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Saxophone

Commonwealth Musician of the Year, First Prize and Gold Medal winner of the 2014 Royal Over-seas League Annual Music Competition, Huw Wiggin is one of the most popular saxophonists of his generation.

Kathryn Thomas (Flute), Owen Dennis (Oboe), Katherine Spencer (Clarinet), Richard Bayliss (Horn) and Helen Storey (Bassoon)

Former BBC New Generation Artists, the Galliard Ensemble is established as one of Britain's leading chamber groups, with repertoire ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Berio and Birtwistle. Currently in its 24th year, the ensemble has performed in many of the world’s leading venues and festivals, including the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Bridgewater Hall, Sage Gateshead and at the BBC Proms.

Piano Heralded by The Times as “just the sort of champion the newest of new music needs”, while being praised as “impeccable in his pianism and unfailing in his idiomatic grasp” by Gramophone, Takenouchi’s curiosity and a natural penchant for integrity makes his playing and vast repertoire unique amongst his generation of pianists. His love for the music of classical masters – particularly Haydn, Beethoven and Chopin – sits side by side with his passion for the music of Medtner, lesser-known British composers such as Sterndale Bennett and Parry, and the contemporary repertoire.

Clarinet

Renowned clarinettist Robert Plane has become particularly known for his performances and recordings of the magnificent English repertoire for clarinet. His benchmark recording of Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto (BBC Radio 3 Building a Library recommendation and part of the Naxos British Music Series which won a Gramophone Award in 1999) is still a regular feature of the playlists of both Radio 3 and Classic FM nearly twenty years after its initial release. He subsequently recorded discs of music by Bax (a further Gramophone Award shortlisting), John Ireland, Howells, Alwyn, Holbrooke, Robin Milford and Stanford, including Stanford’s Clarinet Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Future plans include premiere recordings of British concertos with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the premiere of a new work for clarinet and piano trio by Huw Watkins at the Three Choirs Festival and a performance of Boulez’s rarely heard epic masterpiece, ‘Dialogue de l’Ombre Double’ at Belfast Sonorities Festival.

Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis and Rory Russell

Recognised as one of the world's leading guitar quartets, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet is a dynamic and innovative ensemble known for its extraordinary ensemble in performance and expansive repertoire.

Violin Canadian violinist Katie Stillman’s career encompasses a wide variety of solo work, chamber music, orchestral performing and teaching. Recent highlights include solo performances with Manchester Camerata and London Concertante, leading a performance of George Crumb's quartet Black Angels with principal members of Manchester Camerata in the Royal Exchange Theatre, leading BCMG at Wigmore Hall live on BBC Radio, and being appointed External Examiner for Bristol University.

‘Unlike many conductors, [Robin] possesses innate and totally convincing authority together with an admirable sense of structure. It was a rare pleasure to make music with such an assured and very gifted musician’ John Lill, Pianist

Lucy Gould (Violin), Robert Plane (Clarinet), Alice Neary (Cello) and Benjamin Frith (Piano)

The Gould Piano Trio is represented by Nicholas Curry at Clarion/Seven Muses. Robert Plane is represented by Sally Richardson at Tashmina Artists. The combined ensemble can be booked through either agency.

Daniel Rowland (violin) and Alberto Mesirca (guitar)

Daniel Rowland and Alberto Mesirca met at the Kuhmo Festival some years ago and discovered a shared love of the transparent, lyrical and colourful repertoire for violin and guitar.

Harp

Some of Thomson’s notable successes include winning the Harp Finals at the world renowned Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales Competition in 2003 and performing as a Finalist in the London International Harp Competition in 2005. In April 2007 she was short-listed to audition for HRH The Prince of Wales for the position of Royal Harpist at Clarence House and performed for HRH Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at The Royal Variety Performance in the same year.

Saxophone and Harp

Having been invited to give a concert of music for saxophone and harp, which was then extremely well received, Huw and Oliver decided to form a regular duo. They will also be collaborating with pianist and organist Timothy End in future seasons.

Violin and Piano

The Rowland Kudritskaya partnership brings together two of the most exciting, adventurous and colourful artists performing today. They have released two CD's to great acclaim.

Violin Dutch/English violinist Daniel Rowland’s playing has been acclaimed as “wonderful, ravishing in its finesse” by The Guardian, “totally and truly charismatic” by Beeld, while The Herald praised his “astonishing sound and uniquely single minded intensity” Daniel has established himself on the international scene as a highly versatile, charismatic and adventurous performer.

Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović

The Montenegrin Guitar Duo is frequently invited to eminent international venues around the world, such as Saint Petersburg Philharmonia Hall in Russia, Manuel de Falla Hall in Madrid and Concertgebouw Amsterdam.