Violin Viola and Director

Graduated from Leeds University and was the Lebel Scholar leading all the Orchestras at Trinity College of Music.  He has progressed to become one of England’s most versatile and successful violinists. He regularly performed with Guildford, The Royal Philharmonic and currently London Concert Orchestra whilst forming Bernardi Music Group.  He was greatly inspired by teachers John Ludlow, the late Hugh Bean CBE and Lord Yehudi Menuhin, and is a passionate advocate for English music. The support Andrew received from such inspirational musicians has led to a life time commitment to perform at the highest level and with a vision to galvanise and elevate communities through music.  In 2014 Andrew lead the acquisition of the 1696 Stradivarius bought by ‘the English violinist who leads a British Music Festival.’    We are delighted to celebrate that success in all our Concerts and particularly with the Stradivarius Piano Trio. 

Andrew has extended the String repertoire through a series of commissions some of which have included Grammy nominated composer James Whitbourn ( Stilled Voices published by Chester ), Great Hills by Cecilia McDowall ( published by OUP ), Malcolm Singer ‘The Margraves Dream.'  Andrew has performed with artists as varied as Nigel Kennedy, Natalie Cole and the late Lord Menuhin, as well as being asked to play on several sound tracks including the sequel to ‘Talented Mr Ripley'. Andrew has made cameo appearances in films such as ‘Nanny McPhee’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice'. Andrew has broadcast for the BBC with Katrin Finch and Lawrence Cummings.

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please see www.bmglive.com

Piano and ABRSM examiner

…a piano recital of pure joy….wonderfully expressive….today’s recitalist was conqueror.’ 

Lynn News

British pianist Maria Marchant gave her Wigmore Hall and Southbank debuts in 2010 to critical acclaim after being selected as a young artist on the Concordia Foundation, Park Lane Group and Tillett Trust schemes.  Since then, she has been much in demand as recitalist and has performed in numerous festivals such as the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, Cheltenham International Music Festival, ‘John Ireland in Chelsea’ Festival, King’s Lynn Festival, the Proms Plus Series and the Stratford-upon-Avon Festival.  She has also given recitals for many music societies including the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe, Bishop Auckland Music Society, City Music Society, Darlington Piano Society and the Harris Music Club.

Maria is a passionate advocate of British music and chose to make her Wigmore debut performing a programme entitled ‘The English Fantasy’.  She regularly features works by Bridge, Britten, John Ireland and Ronald Stevenson in recital programmes and many of her upcoming concerts are being sponsored by the John Ireland Trust.  As a concerto soloist, Maria also has wide experience and has performed concerti in venues such as the Duke’s Hall, RAM, St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, St. James’s Piccadilly and St John’s Smith Square.  Maria’s concerto repertoire includes concerti by Bach, Beethoven, Gershwin, Grieg, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Ravel and she has recorded on several occasions for Radio 3. 

Maria has performed in many venues such as the Amaryllis Fleming  Concert Hall (RCM), Arundel and Auckland Castles, Blackheath Concert Halls, Blüthner Piano Centre, Britten Theatre (RCM), Cadogan Hall, Cheltenham Town Hall, Draper’s Hall, Duke’s Hall (RAM), Fairfield Halls (Croydon), Kensington Palace, Konzerthaus (Berlin), National Gallery, Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), the Ritz, Royal Opera House, Somerset House, Steinway Hall, St. David’s Hall (Cardiff), St. James’s Piccadilly, St. John’s Smith Square, St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Wigmore Hall.  Chamber music performance highlights include a Radio 3 recording with the BBC Symphony Chorus and O Duo in addition to a performance with acclaimed baritone Roderick Williams.  

Maria was awarded First Prize and Gold Medal in the International Hindemith Competition in 2008 whilst studying for her MMus in Advanced Piano Performance at the Royal College of Music as one of four recipients of the BBC Performing Arts Fund Education Bursary.  She was also awarded the RCM Hilda Anderson Deane Scholarship and was selected as one of RCM’s ‘Rising Stars’.  Maria’s awards at Trinity Laban Conservatoire where she gained a First Class Honours BMus include the Silver Medal for Piano Performance, Eric Falk Trust (Concerto Playing), John Halford (Contemporary Music), John Ireland, Alfred Kitchin (Chopin) and the John Longmire (Beethoven).  Maria has studied with many professors including Alexander Ardakov, Philip Colman, Philip Fowke, Niel Immelman and Yonty Solomon and has performed in many masterclasses taken by renowned pianists such as William Aide, Leif Ove Andsnes, Noriko Ogawa, Kathryn Stott and Melvyn Tan.  

please see   www.mariamarchant.com

Cello

started playing the cello aged six and as a teenager attended Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. He then went to study with Joan Dickson at the Royal College of Music where he was awarded a number of chamber music prizes. He continued studying after College at UCLA the Banff Center and finally the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf with Johannes Goritzki.  

Since 2004 he has been a freelance player touring with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra working for the conductors Daniele Gatti and Charles Dutoit in Europe the United States and Asia. Jonathan has also worked as a principal player in the RTE National Symphony Orchestra and the Wexford Opera Festival. He formed the Piano Trio Triptych with Pianist Ruth Herbert and recorded for the British Film Institute. He has been playing for the Shipley Festival since 2001 and has performed with the Stadivari Trio for the last three seasons.

Piano

Described by the Times as “outstanding” Belinda Jones is a pianist based in London.  She has performed at some of the world’s most important venues including the Wigmore Hall,  the Moscow Festival, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, St John’s Smiths Square and Southbank Centre and has worked and performed with artists including Marin Alsop, Alfred Brendel, Jarvis Cocker, Guy Johnston and BBC Concert Orchestra. Past Competition successes include the 2011 Megan Foster prize at the Maggie Teyte competition, prizes at the Porto International Piano, Lies Askonas, Major Van der Pump and RCM Schumann competitions and alongside these she is both a Samling and Making Music Recommended Artist.  She works regularly as a pianist for ENO and Southbank Centre and has appeared on Radio 3’s In Tune and Record Review programmes, and made recordings with the Foundry music label. She is currently a member of teaching and piano staff at the Royal College of Music, Junior Trinity and South Hampstead High School. 

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please see www.belinda-jones.com

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Vocal coach and conductor

Zoë won the Norma Greig French Song Prize at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has sung as a soloist throughout Britain and Europe, including the première of Galuppi's Confitebur Tibi, Domine with countertenor James Bowman, Fauré’s Requiem with Christopher Maltman, and Handel’s Messiah in Germany as part of Expo 2000. Opera roles include the Britten Festival, Snape, Opéra Studio de Genève, and the Grimeborn and Tête à Tête festivals.

Zoë has recently created an opera for babies, runs a lunchtime concert series, and works as Singing Teacher and Choral Director at Trinity Laban Junior Department. She teaches Alexander Technique, and leads choirs and gives vocal workshops with the Armonico Consort. Zoë has led and conducted massed school vocal projects, including newly-commissioned Diamond Greenwich for the Queen to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, and Heroes in Symphony Hall with members of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Violin

 Andy was born in Aberdeen. He started learning the violin when he was five years old and by the age of sixteen was appointed leader of the National String Orchestra of Scotland. He then gained a place at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied violin with David Martin and later with Frederick Grinke. 

Andy won numerous prizes & scholarships at the RAM. While still a student he was appointed leader of the Morley College Symphony Orchestra, also regularly leading the Ealing Symphony Orchestra, the Hatfield Philharmonic and the Forest Philharmonic.  He was formerly sub leader of the BBC Radio Orchestra and leader of London City Ballet.  At the RAM Andy formed and led the Locrian String Quartet under the guidance of Sidney Griller. The Quartet won many prizes and scholarships, was appointed 'Quartet in Residence' at the University of Hertfordshire, broadcast on BBC radio and TV and gave numerous first performances of works by composers such as Nyman, Crosse and Panufnik.  He is a founder member of Bernardi Music Group and has shared leading over one hundred and fifty performances with Andrew Bernardi.

Viola

Nic is Head of Strings at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London and leads one of the most vibrant string departments in Europe. As well as his managerial responsibilities he also conducts many of the conservatoires ensembles and has collaborated with many international soloists both in the concert hall and the recording studio.

Nic is also the violist and founder member of the Smith Quartet. Regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of contemporary music, over 300 works have been written for them by many of the world’s leading composers. The group’s touring has taken them from North and South America to South East Asia and Scandinavia. They regularly appear in Europe’s leading festivals including the Venice Biennale and the Cheltenham and Huddersfield Festivals in the UK.

The Smiths often broadcast for the BBC and in 2005 appeared in the acclaimed BBC film Holocaust - A Music Memorial Film from Auschwitz performing Steve Reich’s Different Trains. The film went on to win a BAFTA and an EMMY.

The Quartet records for Signum Classics and have released amongst many, albums of Steve  Reich and Philip Glass the latter being describe by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the ten most important CDs of contemporary music”. Also released are live recordings featuring the entire repertoire for strings and piano by Morton Feldman with the celebrated pianist John Tilbury and Michael Nyman’s 4th and 5th String Quartets will be released in the Autumn of 2016 on MN records.

The film buffs amongst you may also recognise Nic as one of the ghosts in Anthony Minghella's film Truly, Madly, Deeply.

Viola

 is a graduate of Trinity College of Music, where she studied for both a MMus and BMus in Viola Performance under the guidance of Head of Strings, Nic Pendlebury.   She has been a member of staff on the String Time programme at Junior Trinity since the programme began, teaching the Viola and Violin.   Victoria particularly enjoys teaching younger students, and has taught individual and group classes at a variety of schools in the U.K. and also on music courses in France.

Whilst a student, Victoria was on the Council for ESTA, the European String Teachers Association, and represented the U.K. at the International Conference in 2009 in Vienna.  Victoria is also one of the founding members of staff for the Shipley String Academy in West Sussex. As a performer, Victoria has played Woolrich's 'Ulysses Awakes' with St. Paul's Sinfonia, live on Radio 3 with the Coull Quartet, and supported Wyclef Jean, amongst others.  

Cello and Double Bass

has played his cello from Brighton to Bangalore. He completed his Masters in Orchestral Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied with Pierre Doumenge. Prior to this he gained his Bmus Hons at Trinity College of Music under the tutelage of Naomi Butterworth.

Aside from his orchestral work, which includes working with the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Foyle Future Firsts Scheme, Dan has performed as soloist in Saint Saens A minor cello concerto in both St Johns Smith Square and abroad in Germany and Switzerland.

He has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, recorded for X Factor finalists Little Mix and performed on ITV television as a member of the orchestra for the Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant concerts at Windsor Castle. 

He also enjoys playing in musical theatre and has deputised in the West-End productions of Les Miserables, Shrek and Carousel. He has also held the cello chair in numerous productions at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

As a keen conductor and educator, Dan currently conducts the Brighton and Hove Junior Youth Orchestra, Intermediate Strings at Junior Trinity and the String Orchestra on Junior Trinity's String Time programme.

Amongst his other extra-curricular activities are cricket, playing the didgeridoo and brewing his own beer!