NEW SEASON - OCTOBER 2006 TO MARCH 2007

Hartlepool Music Society 2006-7 Season International Concert Series All Concerts in the Town Hall Theatre starting at 7.30 p.m. All concerts are open to the public. You can make coniderable saving on door admission prices by joining the Society and buying Subscription Tickets. Further information from the Hon. Membership Secretary (01429) 291720. Monday 16th October 2006 Piano Recital by Colin Stone Programme: Beethoven: “Les Adieux Sonata” in E flat Op 81(a) Shostakovich: Preludes and Fugues from Op.87, Nos 6, 7, 16, 15. Chopin: Ballade No.1 in G minor Nocturne in D flat Op 27 no.2 Nocturne in C minor Op.48 no.1 Mazurkas Op.59 Ballade No.4 in F minor Colin Stone first came to prominence in 1986 when he won the Royal Over-Seas League Piano Competition in London, his performance of Liszt's 'Dante Sonata' at the Queen Elizabeth Hall being a notable triumph. In the same year, encouragement at the Busoni competition in Italy and a highly acclaimed Wigmore Hall debut, launched his career as a soloist. At the final of the prestigious Young Concert Artists Trust audition a year earlier, the famous conductor Sir Charles Groves praised the young pianist for his 'rare musical qualities and tipped him to succeed at the very highest level'. Many concerto engagements followed. In 1989 he made his debut on BBC Radio 3 and, following the success of his live 'Concert Hall' broadcast in 1990 and the subsequent Prokofiev series, he is regularly invited to record for Radio 3. A highlight of 1992 was a tour of Canada which included a recording of a live recital at Concordia University for CBS in Montreal. Later that year he began a series of recordings with the then recently formed London Mozart Trio. Their recordings of Trios by Schubert and Dvorak were enthusiastically received by Gramophone magazine and their recording of Schubert's Trio in B flat D.898 was the 'overall first choice' on the BBC Radios 3's 'Building a Library'; 'The best since Casals, Cortot and Thibaud'. Colin Stone's first solo CD, of transcriptions by Prokofiev of his own theatre music, was released in 1994 and has been followed by a CD of the two piano sonatas by Shostakovich. The review for Classic CD magazine considered the Shostakovitch CD 'an outstanding release' and commented on the 'overwhelming mastery' of the performances: Gramophone magazine have included it in their Good CD Guide. In partnership with the distinguished sound engineer and producer, Tryggvi Tryggvason, Colin has released three CDs of solo piano music on the Merlin Classics label with major works by Schubert, Chopin and Schumann, as well as music by contemporary composers - Andre Tchaikovsky, Malcolm Williamson and Robert Keeley. Colin gave the world premiere of Keeley's piano concerto 'Entourages' in a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in March 2001. He has recently embarked on a cycle of the thirty-two piano sonatas of Beethoven and is also preparing the complete piano works of Dmitri Shostakovich to mark the composer's centenary in 2006. Colin combines his performing activities with his role as a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Reviews: “The final attraction of the day was a superlative performance of the (Schubert) Piano Sonata in C minor (D958) by Colin Stone. His reading had just the right halance of rugged strength and lyricism, with well-judged tempi and dynamics. This was a performance where technique and passion were at the service of the music and the composer's intentions.” London Schubert Day - Morley College, May 1995 Later in 1992 he began a series of recordings for Pickwick's IMP Masters label with the then recently formed London Mozart Trio. Their recordings of Trios by Schubert and Dvorak were enthusiastically received by Gramophone magazine and their recording of Schubert's Trio in B flat D.898 was the “overall first choice” from twenty recordings on BBC Radio 3's Building a Library; “the best since Casals, Cortot and Thibaud”. “The playing for the most part is quite outstanding, with Colin Stone effecting a marvellous understanding for all the composer's multi-faceted personality...the overwhelming mastery of the playing is never in doubt.” Classic CD review of Shostakovich CD. “And one of the great pleasures as Editor is discovering obscure recordings by obscure artists on obscure labels that seize you with their brilliance. Such was the case with this album by British pianist Colin Stone…The CD shines like a brilliant diamond in an expansive field of distinguished Prokofiev recordings. That is high praise given this hallowed ground has been plowed over and over by titans of the keyboard like Richter, Gilels, Sofronitsky, Neuhaus, and Argerich. Admittedly not an unknown artist in the UK, Colin Stone is unknown on this side of the pond. And Americans are poorer because of it.” Editor of Prokofiev.org “In short, this disc cannot be recommended highly enough. One is left wondering how magnificent the complete ballets would sound if played by an Orchestra under Stone's baton.” Sugi Sorensen ___________________________________________________________________________ Wednesday 8th November 2006 Martinu String Quartet and Angus Meryon (clarinet) Lubomír Havlák, violin, Petr Matěják, violin Jan Jíša, viola, Jitka Vlašánková, cello Programme: Mozart - Clarinet Quintet Shostakovich - String Quartet no 7 Beethoven - String Quartet in E minor Op 59 no 2. The Martinu Quartet first came together in 1976 at the Conservatoire in Prague as students of Viktor Moucka a member of the Vlach Quartet. During their studies at the Academy of Music, the members of the Quartet continued to study under Antonin Kohout of the Smetana Quartet. At the same time they took part in master classes with leading ensembles such as the Tel Aviv, Amadeus, Guarneri, Juillard and Alban Berg Quartets. The Quartet took part in eight international competitions winning prizes at each. Their most important successes were: Portsmouth (Great Britain); The ARO Radio, Munich; Evian (France); The Prague Spring. Originally called The Havlik Quartet after its leader, it changed its name in honour of the composer, Bohuslav Martinu in 1985. The Martinu Quartet has given concerts in most European countries; it tours regularly the USA, Canada, Japan, England, Spain etc. It has appeared at many international festivals and venues: They are frequent guests of the Prague Spring Festival. The Martinu Quartet broadcasts regularly on Czech radio and television and has made a number of recordings for Radio France, the German ARD, Austrian ORF, The BBC and others. The Quartet's repertoire includes works from the mainstream of the string quartet Literature. Naturally, it specializes in the works of Czech composers such as Smetana, Dvorak and Janacek, with particular interest in the works of its namesake, Bohuslav Martinu (they have recorded Martinu's String Quartets Nos. 1-7, Serenade II, Duo No. l for violin and cello and Madrigals for violin and viola on CD for NAXOS). Reviews: “A long established Czech quartet of the old school with the kind of rich, heady sonority that provides profound satisfaction on its own term…in Haydn's Op.74, No.3 there were chords of such breathtaking resonance, so perfectly in tune” The Globe and Mail, Toronto “The Martinu Quartet interpretation is one of the best” Le Monde de la Musique “Splashes of brilliance and high spirited exuberance, without sacrificing the richness of sound worthy of the best Czech quartets of recent decades.” Diapason, Paris “…The homogeneity is unbelievable .... In performance, as if wrapped in velvet, of Schubert's Quartet No 13… it was possible to hear four virtuoso players who respected each other with rare empathy. If you have the possibility, dear reader, to hear the Martinu Quartet, drop everything and for God's sake, go to their concert!” Luxemburger Wart “The Martinu Quartet gave a storming performance of Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 in E minor.” Hudebnf rozhledy “The Martinu String Quartet displayed not only their technical mastery but also their ability to draw on the broad spectrum of expression in Martinu’s Quartet No. 5 captivating the audience with their forceful interpretation. which gathered momentum culminating in the Finale.” Lidove noviny “Superb recital…mellow tone, warm temperament, and virtuoso technique...well balanced sonorities blossomed so effortlessly that the music seemed to be playing itself...a rare pleasure from beginning to end…one of the highlights of the season..” The Plain Dealer, Cleveland “Handsome young musicians who play together magically…the performance was “perfection”“ The Greenville News Angus Meryon …was born in 1975 and studied the clarinet from the age of seven with Colin Bradbury, then Principal of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. At sixteen he became a member of the National Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Wind Orchestra, where he was co-leader for two years. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music with Richard Hosford, performing with the Contemporary Opera Studio of the English National Opera and winning the Roger Fallows Prize for chamber music. After leaving the RCM, Angus has continued to forge a successful freelance career, including two invitations to perform at the Brereton International Music Symposium in Cheshire, hosted by Walter Boeykens and Charles Neidich. In 1999 Angus was accepted onto the prestigious “Making Music” Concert Promoters Network Scheme for 2001/2, and has continued to develop a busy solo and recital career with his duo partner Richard Saxel. As a Jellinek Award winner Angus’ concerto performances include the Weber, Copland and Mozart concertos in London, Cheltenham, Croydon and Guildford. He made his solo London debut at the Purcell Room in November 2002 as part of the South Bank “Fresh” Series, featuring a world premiere by the young British composer Anthony Bailey. Angus is strongly committed to music education, and is currently Head of Woodwind at Cranleigh School in Surrey. He is also a consultant for ArtsInsight, which offers workshops, masterclasses and musical training to educational establishments across the UK and abroad. Recent projects have included a visit to South Africa as the featured classical artist on board the QE2, solo recitals at the International Auditorium in the Canary Islands, a series of recitals and education workshops in the Channel Islands, and tours to China and India with the Amadeus Orchestra, featuring concerto performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale with the Naach Theatre Company in Mumbai under the auspices of the British Council. ______________________________________________________________________________ Saturday 23rd December 2006 Song Recital by Elizabeth Watts (soprano) Programme Song recital (programme to follow) Elizabeth Watts Born in 1979, Elizabeth Watts was a chorister at Norwich Cathedral and studied archaeology at Sheffield University, graduating with first class honours. In 2002 she won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Lillian Watson on the Advanced Opera studies course at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School. She graduated in 2005 with distinction and the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rose Bowl, awarded annually for outstanding achievement. During her time at the RCM Elizabeth was generously supported by the Countess of Munster and Madeline Finden Trusts, Wingate and Miriam Licette Scholarships, and Ian Fleming and Sybil Tutton awards. Elizabeth immediately went on to join English National Opera as a Company Artist in the ENO Young Singers’ Programme where she made her debut as Papagena (Die Zauberflote) in September 2005 and covered the role of Atalanta in Xerxes. Future roles this season are Music and Hope (Orfeo) and a role in King Arthur, the latter a new production in collaboration with the Mark Morris Dance Company. Elizabeth will reprise her role in Orfeo with the Boston Handel and Haydn Society and perform King Arthur in Berkeley, California in September this year. Selected for representation by YCAT in 2004, Elizabeth has also won the RCM Lies Askonas Prize, the Maggie Teyte Prize and the Royal Over-Seas League vocal section prize. Her operatic work includes the roles of Flora in the Music Theatre Wales / ROH co-production of Tippett’s The Knot Garden, the title role in a British Youth Opera production of Handel’s Semele and the role of Arthébuze in a semi-staged performance of Charpentier’s Actéon conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm at the Aldeburgh Festival. Roles at the RCM include Flora (Turn of the Screw), Poppea (Agrippina), Elmira (Sosarme), Fulvia (Ezio) and Constance (Carmelites). An alumna of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, Elizabeth has appeared at the Purcell Room, Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Aldeburgh Festival. She has been a regular guest on Radio 3’s In Tune including a recent live performance of songs by Schubert, Caplet and Barber. She sang the role of Flora in a concert performance of Turn of the Screw at the Cheltenham International Festival and has recently appeared with the RLPO and CBSO. Future plans include a return visit to Wigmore Hall with Roger Vignoles (16 October) and concerts in Sheffield, Kings Lynn, Highgate, Lewes, Newbury and the Gower peninsula. Press Reviews ‘Exquisitely sung with crystal clear diction’ Opera Magazine - Music Theatre Wales ‘...and there was the vocally stunning young soprano, Elizabeth Watts, in the thankless role of Flora…If Ms Watts isn't on the brink of an illustrious career I'll be surprised.’ Opera Now ’Outstanding among the cast was Elizabeth Watts, who sang Flora with a lovely clean shine’. The Telegraph ‘Watts pliant, direct soprano has a shimmer and spin that recalls the (very) young Victoria de los Angeles’. The Independent - London Handel Festival ‘Watts….was the singer of the vening, her voice possessing a sweetness of tone combined with a power and evenness throughout the registers. Theses, as well as her superlative dramatic skills, were made most evident in the extraordinary Act Three lament for the supposedly-slain Ezio’. www.classicalsource.com - London Handel Festival ‘Elizabeth Watts as Fulvia delivers some astonishingly intense and beautifully modulated singing’. The Guardian - London Handel Festival ________________________________________________________________________ Wednesday 14th February 2007 Trio Jean Paul Eckhart Heiligers, Piano, Ulf Schneider, violin Martin Lohr, Cello Programme: Haydn: Trio in E minor Hob XV:12 Peteris Vasks: Episodia e Cantu Perpetuo (Hommage a Olivier Messiaen) Schubert: Trio in B Flat Major Op 99. “Whatever the young Trio Jean Paul tackles, its interpretations are infused with an intelligent joy of playing and exuberant curiosity; dramatically gripping, yet always with delicate clarity; soloistically brilliant, but with a feeling for the poetic dialogue.” That which the Berlin Tagesspiegel wrote about a concert by Trio Jean Paul in Berlin's Philharmonie could also serve as the artistic credo of an ensemble that, since its founding in 1991, has developed into one of today's most distinguished chamber music formations. By naming their ensemble after the author Jean Paul, the three musicians not only refer to their special affinity for the works of Robert Schumann, but also to the fundamental artistic idea of making the music's speech-like, rhetorical elements the point of departure of their interpretations. This approach not only leads to a fundamental re-evaluation of the works of the Classical period that are based on the principles of the Baroque tonal language, but can also be followed via the Romantic idea of “poetic music” to the music of today. Besides an intensive collaboration with Hatto Beyerle (Alban Berg Quartet), other eminent musicians, including Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Sir Roger Norrington, were important influences in the ensemble's artistic development. After First Prizes at the international competitions in Osaka (1993) and Melbourne (1995), and at the German Music Competition (the First Prize at the latter being awarded to a piano trio for the first time in ten years), an extensive concert career has developed for the Trio Jean Paul which has led the ensemble on a regular basis to major musical centres such as London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels, as well as on tours to Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South America. The Trio is also a welcome guest at international festivals (Schleswig-Holstein, Kissinger Summer, Luzern Festival, Ludwigsburger Festspiele, Braunschweig Classix, Schubertiade Feldkirch, Edinburgh, Schwetzinger Festspiele, Rheingau Festival, Kuhmo, etc.), and gives master classes at home and abroad. Trio Jean Paul's growing discography includes piano trios by Schumann and Rihm on the Ars Musici label; a Hoffmann trio, also on Ars Musici; Beethoven, Haydn and Shostakovich trios on Primavera Records; and a CD of their live ABC Classic FM performance of Beethoven, Smalley, and Schumann when they won the 1995 Melbourne competition. The Trio's latest CD's of Beethoven piano trios and the bestlisted (Der Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik) Schoenberg's Verklaerte Nacht and Brahms Op. 8 can be found on the Ars Musici label. Press Reviews “Trio Jean Paul combined an extraordinary degree of mutual understanding and suavity with an exceptionally developed responsiveness to dramatic and colouristic potential...the audience was rocked by stormily emotional but always cultured playing.” The Strad “The Trio Jean Paul introduced themselves at the modern Lukaskirche with Haydn's F minor trio Hob. XV/26, composed in the mid 1790s, around the same time that Beethoven was emancipating the violin and cello in his revolutionary Op.1 trios, the first with completely independent parts for the three instruments. The extraordinary richness of the music of Haydn's piano trios remained unappreciated until the latter part of the last century; because the strings mainly double the piano - they were virtually unplayed professionally during my youth. The Jean Pauls staked their claim to attention immediately, with the heightened expressiveness which is their trademark style, a wide dynamic range, and no respectful reticence from the accompanying string players. The resonant hall was a little probematic for the Haydn - the fluent pianist might better have chosen for that venue a slightly less legato articulation - but Wolfgang Rihm's Fremde Scene II and Schumann's Op. 80 trio in F major were perfectly judged, occasionally (and quite properly) 'over the top', with the whole audience in the palm of their hands, hanging on every phrase and musical gesture.” Lucerne Festival Review “… This was an outstanding recital; do try to catch them on tour and explore their CDs. The Trio Jean Paul's 1999 Schumann/Rihm recording (Ars Musici AM 1241-2) is unique and a clear priority; an essential purchase for anyone interest in either composer or both - as here juxtaposed, each illuminating the other.” Seen & Heard “Reading scores, yet seemingly playing by music radar, as if their six hands were part of one organic whole, the German Trio Jean Paul brought an inspiring sense of ensemble coherence to three piano trios.” Edinburgh Festival review QUEEN'S HALL “In the final analysis, that is where Trio Jean Paul's strength lies: if you closed your eyes you were unaware of individual musicians, involved simply in the music itself. And so in 2005, as at its first performance in 1827, it was - to use Schubert's own proud words – ‘performed with much applause’”. Jan Fairley ________________________________________________________________________________ Tuesday 6th March 2007 Piano Recital by Mark Bebbington Programme: Gurney: “Sehnsucht”,The Sea and Prelude No 4 in D Flat Major Leighton: Sonatina No 2 Ferguson: Sonata in F Minor Catelnuovo-Tedesco: Neapolitan Rhapsody “Piedigrotta” Liszt/Wagner: Isolde's Liebestod Liszt/Verdi: Paraphrase de Concert. The critical acclaim which has greeted Mark Bebbington's recent performances and recordings has singled him out as a young British pianist of rare refinement and maturity. His distinctive artistry has led to his inclusion in numerous international concert and festival series and recitals and concertos at major venues including London’s Barbican and Royal Festival Halls and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. Recognised as a champion of British music, Mark’s CD of works by Ivor Gurney and Howard Ferguson was released last year, and was greeted by The Evening Standard as “interpreted … with exemplary style and sensitivity” and given four stars. His current British Piano Sonata series at St. John's, Smith Square, is dedicated exclusively to twentieth-century British music and mines a seam of pianistic riches, including neglected sonatas by Bridge, Hurlstone, Benjamin Dale and York Bowen. No less a passionate advocate of the Viennese classics, Mark is also establishing a reputation as a refined and elegant exponent of French music and has given critically acclaimed Kirckman Concert Society South Bank recitals with special emphasis on French nineteenth- and twentieth-century pianistic traditions. His Erik Satie concert, featuring the U.K. première of “Sports et divertissements”, toured festivals during 2002 before sold-out performances at 'le chat blanc' cabaret club in Paris. His commitment to unjustly neglected composers was reflected in a major European recital tour during 2001, featuring premières of major works by Sir Malcolm Arnold and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. For SOMM he has recorded the piano works of Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and he will record works by Arnold and Lambert at Symphony Hall Birmingham in August 2005. He has appeared with the London Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras at major concert halls, working with leading conductors, including Sir Georg Solti, Marco Zambelli, William Boughton, Norman del Mar and Grant Llewellyn and has appeared both as concerto soloist and recitalist on BBC Television and Radio and also on Radio France. Born in Coventry, Mark studied at the Royal College of Music with Phyllis Sellick and Kendall Taylor and later in Italy with Aldo Ciccolini. Press Reviews “One of this recital's two most astonishing revelations...It would be hard to imagine better performances than Bebbington's of these...Krystian Zimerman would have patted him on the back...” The Independent “Artistic Quality 10/10” From review of CD of Castelnuovo-Tedesco piano works “I can't speak too highly about Bebbington's strong, big-boned playing and unerring ear for how these pieces should go. He takes the composer's orchestral sonorities in comfortable stride, while at the same time enlivening the most delicate runs and softest chords with alluring nuance and color…I hope Bebbington's authoritative advocacy will inspire other pianists to investigate this unjustly neglected repertoire. Highly recommended.” Jed Distler _________________________________________________________________________ Monday 2nd April 2007 Viola and Piano Recital by Sarah-Jane Bradley and Jonathan Ayerst Programme: Schumann: Marchenbilder Glinka: Sonata Elgar: Chanson de Matin Chanson de Nuit Brahms: Sonata in E flat Martinu: Sonata. Since making her critically acclaimed debut with the Philharmonia in 1992 and at the Wigmore Hall in 1997, Sarah-Jane has been in increasing demand as a soloist and chamber musician. Formerly a member of the Sorrel Quartet and Leopold String Trio, she has frequently broadcast for BBC Radio 3 and recorded for, among others, Chandos and Hyperion. She is currently working with the Fidelio Piano Quartet. Following studies as a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Sarah-Jane won many prestigious awards from organisations including Young Concert Artists' Trust, Royal Over-Seas League (Bernard Shore Award), Trevor Snoad Award (Martin Trust), Leverhulme, Myra Hess, Munster, and Fleming Trusts. She was a prizewinner at the 1994 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and won first prize at two competitions in Spain at Capellades and Sant Joan de Vilatorrada in 1995. Recent recital venues have included the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester as well as a live broadcast for BBC Radio 3. Engagements in 2006 include a tour of the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the Armenian violinist Susanna Gregorian, a recital for the “Sounds New” Festival and recitals throughout the UK, Isle of Man, Southern Ireland and Germany. Since her concerto and recital debuts with the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1992 and at the Wigmore Hall in 1997, Sarah-Jane Bradley has been at the forefront of the new generation of viola players. As a soloist she has won numerous awards including the Bernard Shore Award (Royal Over Seas League), Trevor Snoad Award (Philharmonia) and Myra Hess Trust. She was a prizewinner at the 1994 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and won first prize in 1995 at two competitions in Spain at Capellades and Sant Joan de Vilatorrada. Subsequently she appeared at the Wigmore Hall as part of the lnternational Hindemith Festival after which she was featured in The Strad “Stars for the Future” and Gramophone magazine: She has performed all the major concertos for viola and while constantly expanding the recital repertoire with new works and commissions, has also championed lesser known transcriptions of sonatas by Delius, Dohnanyi, Handel, Franck and Rachmaninoff. Sarah-Jane has won awards from the Alban Berg and Hinrichsen Foundations for her performance of contemporary repertoire. She has premiered a number of new works for solo viola including the viola concerto “Winter Remembered”, especially written for her by David Matthews; she gave the London premiere with the City of London Sinfonia in a concert broadcast live on Radio 3 in November 2003. In 2006 she is due to give the premiere of a triple concerto for violin, viola and 'cello by James Francis Brown for the Presteigne Festival with the violinist Anthony Marwood and the cellist Gemma Rosefield. In May she is due to record a CD of “Five British Viola Concertos” for the Dutton label. Her London recitals of 2002 given at the Wigmore Hall, Conway Hall and for BBC Radio 3 “ln Tune” won critical praise. Sarah-Jane is on the executive committee of the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition and was invited to give two recitals as part of the 2003 Competition. Since founding the Leopold String Trio in 1991 she has received critical acclaim for her work in chamber music, broadcasting for BBC Radio 3 and in 1998 recording the complete string trios of Beethoven for the Hyperion label. As a member of the Sorrel Quartet Sarah-Jane toured Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. The Quartet has released highly praised recordings of chamber music by Elgar and John Pickard and have completed their series of Shostakovich quartets for Chandos to much critical acclaim. Elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 1998, she gives regular viola masterclasses and chamber music coaching throughout the UK including Cardiff University, Dartington, Pro Corda, Aberystwyth Musicfest, Repton and Shrewsbury Schools. Sarah-Jane plays on a viola by G.A Chanot of Manchester made in 1896. Press Reviews “Since it’s formation in 1991, the Leopold String Trio has had the viola player Sarah-Jane Bradley as its musical conscience. Now she is going solo and in her husband Jonathan Ayerst she has a powerful piano partner…Bradley’s performances of the (York Bowen) C minor sonata have been revelatory...A viola player worth listening out for.” Gramophone “Exceptional...Bradley is an adventurous artist...every whisper of the bow was loaded with insight and intelligence” The Strad “Sarah-Jane Bradley was an ardent,committed soloist” The Strad “Exceptional achievement…superb recital” The Strad (Wigmore Hall 2002) “A ravishing viola solo” Musical Opinion (Wigmore Hall 2003) “Exceptional…Bradley is an adventurous artist…Every whisper of the bow was loaded with insight and intelligence” The Strad (Wigmore Hall 1997) “A fine viola and piano duo” The Daily Telegraph (Critic's Choice) “Sarah-Jane Bradley brought a gloriously expressive tone to its lamenting but expansive lines” Musical Opinion “Playing the viola as well as Sarah-Jane Bradley does is no joke…she was the moving spirit behind the Leopold String Trio from its foundation in 1991; but this season sees her going solo. Her marriage to Jonathan Ayerst has provided her with a virtuoso piano partner…Bradley’s performances of the (York Bowen) sonata have evoked comparisons with Lionel Tertis for depth and quality of tone” The Strad, “Stars for the Future” “When she dug into the C string for the second subject of the first movement I immediately thought ‘Tertis!'” The Strad (St. John's Smith Square) “Ravishing renderings of the two final movements of York Bowen’s C minor sonata” The Strad (Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition) “A performance that shows thousands of colours in the spectacular 5/8 Rondo Finale” CD Compact Jonathan Ayherst Following studies as a scholar at Wells Cathedral School and the Royal Academy of Music with Nellie Akopian, Alexander Kelly and Hamish Milne, Jonathan won several awards from the Countess of Munster Trust, Hattori Foundation, the English-speaking Union, and the prestigious Carnwath Scholarship awarded by The Worshipful Company of Musicians. He was a prizewinner at the 1985 Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany and won the Chrysalis Foundation Scholarship at the 1989 Van Cliburn Competition. He also won the National Federation of Music Societies Accompanist Award in 1995. In late 2000 Jonathan was appointed principal pianist of Remix Ensemble (Portugal’s contemporary music group). Based in Oporto and originally established as a European cultural project, this ensemble performs regularly in cities and festivals throughout Europe covering all repertoire from 1880s to the present day. Recent performances have included Benjamin Britten’s ‘Turn of the Screw’, and a newly-commissioned piece for Remix and the Gulbenkian Symphony Orchestra staged in the cloisters of the Monastery of St. Jeronimos, Lisbon. His debut in Lisbon as a concerto soloist took place in November this year with the Orchestra Symphonica, playing Hindemith’s Kammermusik No.2. Following the Wigmore Hall debut of the Bradley/Ayerst Viola and Piano Duo (and a live performance on BBC Radio 3) in 2002, he has appeared in the acclaimed 'Soloists of Remix' chamber-music series... recently performing Ligetti's Horn Trio and Martinu's 'La Revue de Cuisine'. Organist : For nearly two years Jonathan has performed regularly works by Bach and Widor for organ. After an enthusiastic reception to a duo recital with Sarah-Jane Bradley of repertoire for organ and viola, they have committed themselves to expanding and performing the repertoire for this eloquent and distinctive medium. Composer : Jonathan has written several works for solo piano and chamber ensemble including a ballet for two pianos and percussion. Following commissions for the organist Robert Crowley and a piece for flute, viola and piano for the 2000 Music Haven Series, performed at the South Bank, he received a large-scale request from Harrow Choral Society to compose an oratorio on the biblical saga of Moses and the ‘Exodus’. Completed and performed in 2002 ‘Exodus’ is a fifty-minute work scored for orchestra (inc. 4 percussionists), choir, children’s choir and male soloist. Since then Jonathan has written Victimae Paschali for organ and trombone (one of a series of paraphrases on Gregorian chant) published by Warwick Music, preludes and fugues for solo organ and a trio for trumpet, horn and trombone. His most recent premiere has been the Suite No.2 for viola and piano, performed at the Tertis International Viola Competition. Many works are performed in concert series in Oporto, Portugal. __________________________________________