Chaconne Brass Become a fan of Chaconne on its Facebook page
Simon de Souza horn, James Doherty tuba, Sarah Field trumpet, Mark Kesel trumpet, Emily White trombone
Chaconne was formed in 1984 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2009. During this time, it has established a reputation as one of Britain’s most versatile brass quintets with repertoire ranging from Praetorius to Steve Reich, from Gershwin to Miles Davis and a range of pieces inspired by collaborations with musicians from across the musical spectrum, as well as a list of more than 50 pieces written especially for the ensemble. A combination of entertainment, creativity and musical excellence has allowed Chaconne Brass to develop a unique style that appeals to audiences of all ages and tastes. Chaconne's educational projects such as Oh Good, Chips for Tea!, Cool Samba School and Amana - The Spirit of Africa have won the group an enviable reputation both nationwide and overseas. Recent highlights have included the release of Chaconne's 25th-Anniversary CD Dancing in the Dark on the Deux-Elles label (including no fewer than five world première recordings), a 25th Anniversary concert in London's Cadogan Hall  and a return to the Philharmonie in Berlin.



Dante Quartet  Become a fan of the Dante Quartet on its Facebook Page
Winner, Chamber Music section, 2007 RPS Awards
Diapason d'Or, 2008
Winner, Chamber Music section, 2009 BBC Music Magazine Awards

Chamber Choice, BBC Music Magazine, July 2011
Krysia Osostowicz & Giles Francis violins, Rachel Roberts viola, Bernard Gregor-Smith cello
The Dante Quartet is known for its imaginative programming and the emotional intensity of its performances. The group was founded in 1995 and chose the name of Dante to reflect the idea of a great and challenging journey. The Quartet plays at major concert halls, music societies and festivals throughout the UK, including the Aldeburgh, Bath, Cheltenham, Spitalfields, Hay, Brighton, Presteigne and City of London Festivals as well as at London’s Kings Place and Wigmore Hall. The Quartet broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and has also performed in France, Holland, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, and Finland. During 2010, the Quartet was featured at Chateau Mcely in the Czech Republic and played several concerts at the Peter de Grote Festival in Groningen in the Netherlands. The Dante Quartet is embarking on a series of recordings for Hyperion. This started with the quartets of Fauré and Franck, which was released to great critical acclaim in August 2008 and subsequently awarded the Diapason d’Or and the CHOC du Monde de la Musique in France and the BBC Music Magazine Award for chamber music in April 2009. Recent CD releases include the quartets of Sibelius and Smetana (Chamber Choice in BBC Music Magazine’s July 2011 issue) and works by Ivor Gurney (Signum). One of the Quartet's important initiatives is the Divine Comedy Project, whereby composers are commissioned to write works inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. This has already led to the premieres of works by Roxanna Panufnik, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and the unique father-mother-daughter team of Dmitri Smirnov and Elena and Alissa Firsova. The Dante Quartet is 'Quartet-in-Residence' at King's College, Cambridge. In 2012-13, the Dante Quartet will include all of the mature string quartet works of Benjamin Britten in honour the composer’s centenary, as well as quartets by Coleridge-Taylor (d 1912), Jean Françaix (b 1912) and Verdi (b 1813).




Divertimenti
Paul Barritt & Rachel Isserlis violins, Jonathan Barritt viola, Sebastian Comberti & Josephine Horder cellos
Divertimenti has become widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting and innovative British chamber groups of its generation. Established in London in 1978, the core group is a string quintet with two cellos, also expanding to sextets and octets. Early interest was attracted by a recording of chamber music by Colin Matthews, and of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet on the Meridian label. Two further recordings on the Hyperion label - Howells and Dyson Quartets, and Mendelssohn and Bargiel Octets - received unanimous praise from the critics, the latter being singled out for recommendation by BBC Radio 3’s Record Review and by International Record Review. Divertimenti has a long tradition of breaking new ground with adventurous repertoire, and championing the work of lesser known composers. A serious dedication to twentieth century compositions, together with a particular focus on the rich seam of works by British composers, has enabled the creation of attractive and challenging concerts. Recent additions to Divertimenti's repertoire have beenwas the Beethoven ‘Kreutzer’ Quintet, a transcription for string quintet with two cellos of the famous violin sonata, the Quintet by Joseph Miroslav Weber and the Brahms String Quintet in F minor; a reconstruction of the original instrumentation of his Piano Quintet Op 34. Touring throughout the British Isles, the Ensemble has appeared for music societies and major festivals such as Aldeburgh, Bath, King’s Lynn and Lichfield. Divertimenti has also given concerts in National Trust and other stately homes as well as throughout Europe. Divertimenti will embark on a major tour of Scotland in March 2012.




ensemblebash the ensemble's MySpace page is here Become one of ensemblebash's Facebook fans
Christopher Brannick, Joby Burgess, Stephen Hiscock, Genevieve Wilkins percussion
Formed in 1992, the British percussion quartet ensemblebash has forged a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative and groundbreaking chamber ensembles, both in the sphere of concert performance and its pioneering education work. Using the music of West Africa as both core repertoire and a guiding spiritual influence, ensemblebash mixes contemporary classical, jazz and music theatre into unforgettable performances. Since its inception, ensemblebash has been dedicated to commissioning new repertoire and has developed special relationships with many leading composers. ensemblebash has toured the UK and Europe extensively, including regular appearances at the BBC Proms and in recent years has undertaken four major tours of Italy. Famed for its extensive collaborations, ensemblebash regularly appears in concert with artists including Joanna MacGregor, Chick Corea, Django Bates, Nana Vasconcelos, Evelyn Glennie, the Hilliard Ensemble, the National Dance Company of Ghana and The Pan-African Orchestra. Among its several recordings are Fiddlesticks with violinist Madeleine Mitchell, Neural Circuits (the music of Nitin Sawhney) and the Grammy-nominated Orchestralli with drumming legend Stewart Copeland. ensemblebash will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2012 with a year-long series of concert throughout the UK, including a trio of concerts at London’s Kings Place. Recent highlights include appearances at the Bath and Wimbledon International Music Festivals.




Tim Kliphuis Tim's MySpace page is here Become one of Tim's Facebook fans
Dutchman Tim Kliphuis ranks among the world's finest jazz violinists. He has often been named ‘the successor of Stéphane Grappelli’, taking his legacy into the 21st century with his unique infusion of diverse musical genres. Tim’s spirit and style are reminiscent of the late, great jazz fiddler: virtuoso playing with a great love for melody. Classically trained at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, Tim's first international recognition came when he joined Belgian gypsy guitarist Fapy Lafertin in 1999. Since then, he has performed with major jazzmen such as guitarists Les Paul and Martin Taylor and gypsy virtuoso Angelo Debarre and has made a name for himself with an eclectic mix of gypsy jazz, classical, world music and folk. Tim has made the the UK his second home through regular appearances at major festivals and venues such as Ronnie Scott’s in London, the Birmingham and Newark Jazz Festivals, The Quecumbar in Battersea, Jooglebery in Brighton, Café Cossachock in Glasgow and the Edinburgh Jazz Festival. Tim is now exploring the myriad of classical arrangements he has perfected over the years, including Bach’s Erbarme dich;  Grieg’s Solveig’s Song; Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba; Liszt’s Liebestraum No 3; Pachelbel’s Canon; Schubert’s Ave Maria; Smetana’s Moldau and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker but imbued with with shades of Django Reinhardt, Astor Piazzola and Tom Jobim. For promoters looking for something ‘a bit different’,Kliphuis is ideal! Tim also offers workshops and masterclasses in jazz violin and has recently seen the publication of his new book Grappelli - Gypsy Jazz Violin.




Pluck Join Pluck on their Facebook page
Pluck is not so much a classical trio as a classical mistake! Impossibly, they compete, argue, scheme, ridicule, dance, fight and seduce their way through Bach to Beatles. They play Brahms, Ravel and Vivaldi but in a way that would have the composers laughing in their graves!  The comedy string trio astounds audiences wherever they perform. Since Pluck's inception at the end of 2002, the group has compiled an amazing list of achievements which have won them awards and accolades the world over. as well as three hilarious stage shows, Musical Arson, The Specialists and The Titanic Show, which have played to sold-out crowds on three continents, they are also consumate corporate  entertainers, expert street performers and have a cabaret show that is a guaranteed hit at weddings and parties. Never before has a string trio been as versatile, as entertaining or as gloriously funny.

In partnershp with Makin Projects.




Primavera Ensemble
Paul Manley artistic director
As one of Britain’s finest ensembles, the flexible mixed ensemble Primavera has created an enviable reputation with an accolade of reviews at international festivals across Britain and Europe, alongside many appearances on London's South Bank and at Wigmore Hall. Formed in 1986 by its Artistic Director, violinist Paul Manley, the name of the group is based on the Italian word for spring, reflecting the joie de vivre that these musicians bring to its performances. Alongside engagements, Primavera has created its own concerts series at some of the finest country houses in the UK, which led to two TV series entitled Music in Mansions for Meridian Television. Aside from its concert and recording work, education and community work has become an important focus of Primavera’s commitment to tomorrow’s audiences. With groundbreaking projects in prisons and special needs schools, linking the power of emotions within music to emotional intelligence. Primavera has commissioned new work from composers as diverse as Gavin Bryars, Phillip Glass, Malcolm Lipkin and Paul Patterson. Recent tours abroad have include concerts at the Almera Festival in the Netherlands, Vasto, Parma, Emilia Romagna and Sadurano Festivals in Italy.




Stenclmusic
Neyire Ashworth actor/clarinets
Stenclmusic is a new piece of instrumental music theatre, music by Rachel Stott, staging and direction by Philip Parr and clarinets acted and played by Neyire Ashworth. Stenclmusic is inspired by the tales of the Jewish community of London's East End. The core of the piece is made up of stories, histories and interviews from ex-residents of Spitalfields and Whitechapel, bound together by the Yiddish poetry of Avrom Stencl. Stenclmusic weaves its way through the streets of Whitechapel, past and present. The clarinet transforms into characters, speaking and singing their stories to the audience. The Yiddish and English languages intertwine with the music of Stencl's poetry on tape, recited in Yiddish by the legendary Majer Bogdanski , while old  and contemporary images of Brick Lane and other Whitechapel hotspots project you back  into the spirit of the Yiddish community in its heyday.

James Strauss
One of the very few last students of Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Strauss is one of those rare musicians who melds technical prowess with a wondrous musical and communicative gift. A flautist with an equal flair for the dramatic, intimate and eloquent, his range of repertoire perfectly reflects the varied facets of his solo, chamber and concerto performances. James Strauss has a special interest in new music and unconventional repertoire, which has led to Strauss championing the reconstruction of the Konzertstück for flute by Tchaikovsky and many composers dedicating works to him. This musically and technically superb musician performs as a concert soloist all over the world with his virtuoso flute.




Mike Westbrook and Kate Westbrook Join Mike and Kate's Facebook page. Also view the Westbrooks' MySpace page
Kate Westbrook/Mike Westbrook Duo

The Westbrook Trio
New Westbrook Orchestra The Cortège; On Duke's Birthday; Fine 'n Yellow; The Serpent Hit
Mike Westbrook Glad Day the choral version; Off Abbey Road
                                The Village Band Waxeywork Show; English Soup

Mike Westbrook is arguably the leading composer and bandleader in British jazz today. Active since the 1960s, his ambitious projects with the finest names from the UK jazz scene have broken new ground for more than forty years, beginning with Celebration in 1967. His 1985 album On Duke’s Birthday has won particularly wide acclaim. Westbrook joined forces with his wife, singer/librettist Kate Westbrook in the mid-1970s and they had their first major success in 1978 when their pioneering jazz cabaret Mama Chicago won the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Festival. After Mama Chicago, came Bright as Fire; an acclaimed album of settings of the poetry of William Blake. This was followed The Cortège, an epic song cycle based on European poetry which featured some of the most talented jazz musicians in Europe, establishing the Westbrooks as a potent force in the music world and setting the tone for their subsequent musical odyssey. This was a journey that has produced groundbreaking music theatre, collaborations with contemporary choreographers, theatre and opera companies, art galleries and classical ensembles from string quartet to brass band. Between them they have recorded more than 60 CDs. Mike and Kate’s innovative concert works, such as London Bridge is Broken Down, for voice, jazz group and chamber orchestra, and Big Band Rossini which was featured in the BBC Proms in 1992, have seen them on tour throughout Europe and beyond, It is clear that the Westbrooks recognise no musical boundaries, instead delighting in using their work regularly to cross the borders between jazz, classical and popular music. This approach runs through all their current activities. The intimate recitals by the Kate Westbrook/Mike Westbrook Duo combine original songs with jazz ballads and Broadway classics. The New Westbrook Orchestra, formed for Chanson Irresponsable, a BBC Radio 3 commission, mixes jazz and classical vocalists and instrumentalists. Glad Day presents Mike Westbrook’s celebrated settings of William Blake in a new choral version. Off Abbey Road is a radical re-working of the Beatles’ landmark album, while two recent pieces, Waxeywork Show and English Soup, written for the latest Westbrook ensemble The Village Band, link cutting-edge jazz to English Music Hall. Kate Westbrook’s voice is combined with a saxophone quartet in the latest composition to set her lyrics to Mike Westbrook’s music, The Serpent Hit, premiered at Kings Place in London on 2 April. 2011 during a special 75th birthday concert.




Zimro Trio
Neyire Ashworth clarinet, Paul Barritt violin/viola, Daniel Becker piano
The Zimro Trio is an exciting new force on the chamber music scene. Focusing on music for both violin and viola (Paul Barritt), clarinet (Neyire Ashworth) and piano (Daniel Becker), this electrifying new Trio boasts three of the UK's premier chamber musicians whose approach to performing combines fun and passion with a spirit of adventure. In 1917 a group of Russian Jewish musicians set out from St Petersburg on an intrepid journey lasting two long years. They were called Zimro. A group of six classical musicians (string quartet, clarinet and piano), Zimro was formed by one of the foremost clarinettists in Russia, Simeon Bellison. They toured Jewish communities throughout Eastern Europe and the Far East, visiting the far flung corners of Russia, Siberia, China, Japan, Indonesia and Alaska before finally arriving in America in 1919. In the 1990s Neyire Ashworth studied with Simeon Bellison's pupil, the highly respected New York clarinettist David Weber and has also played klezmer music having performed with the Besht Tellers, a Jewish storytelling theatre company, in London’s West End, the Far East, Australia and Israel. Through these experiences Neyire became fascinated by classical music that draws on traditional & folk music for inspiration and in 2008, motivated by the Zimro story of her teacher’s teacher Bellison and his adventures through Russia and the Far East, Neyire, Paul and Daniel founded the Zimro Trio.

 

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