Anda Anastasescu was born in Bucharest, Romania. She was made a Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit by its President, who acknowledged her passion for music and commitment to serve it through her performances, as well as by the ingenious international projects she designed for her musicians, The London Schubert Players. The European Union of Women selected her in the Arts in Great Britain section of the 2003 Women of Achievement Awards, ‘in recognition of an outstanding contribution to pan-European understanding and progress that provides an inspiration to others’.

Anda has performed on five continents and in 1989 formed the London Schubert Players Chamber Orchestra as the orchestra-in-residence of the French Institute in London. With them, she pioneered British music overseas and introduced works by foreign composers to Britain. Her first international commitment was taking her young professional orchestra to Romania after the 1989 Revolution, to play and bring friendship and gifts to the disadvantaged children in several large orphan centres. She has also taken the orchestra to an international school in the Hymalayas and to remote villages in Spain and North Africa, in the pursuit of education and of creating musical and personal bridges between young musicians worldwide.

She has been a consistent performer of the works of Constantin Silvestri, the legendary conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; established in the UK the Silvestri scholarships; the Romanian Musical Adventure record label; and initiated the European Union project Invitation to Composers.

Chinese violinist, conductor and pedagogue, Hu Kun was the first mainland Chinese violinist to establish an international career as a soloist following his winning fifth prize at the 1980 Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki, aged 17. He became Lord Yehudi Menuhin's protégé, won several international competitions and major recording contracts, and performed with the world's leading orchestras.

Having taken up conducting under the guidance of Sir Colin Davis, he recently formed his own London orchestra, Hu Kun and Friends, and is currently enjoying tours as a conductor as well as teaching the violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. As an international leading Chinese musician he has been featured in films and documentaries and serves regularly in the juries of international violin competitions.

The distinguished pianist and teacher Alberto Portugheis was born in La Plata, Argentina, to parents of Russian and Romanian descent. After winning first prize at the Geneva Concours de Virtuosité, Portugheis embarked upon an international career, visiting almost 50 countries. He has performed with the London Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras, The Philharmonia and the English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Paris and Israel Sinfoniettas, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina and Filarmonica of Buenos Aires among others. He frequently broadcasts on radio and television and gives regular Masterclasses.

Alberto has a particularly wide repertoire, with music ranging from baroque – including his own transcriptions – to contemporary. Many works have been specially written for him. Alberto is Vice-chairman of the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe and Vice-president of the European Piano Teachers' Association.

David Juritz was born in Cape Town, South Africa. After graduating from the Royal College of Music in London he joined the English Chamber Orchestra and in 1991 was appointed leader of UK’s longest established chamber orchestra, The London Mozart Players. David works frequently as soloist and director with the LMP as well as a guest-director with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Zurich Chamber Orchestra. He is a regular guest leader with the Royal Philharmonic and London Philharmonic orchestras and also leads session orchestras on major films. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in all the major concert halls in the UK as well as performing in North and South America, the Far East, Europe, South Africa and Australia. In 2007 he formed his own group, The London Tango Quintet.

In addition to performing, David Juritz writes about issues related to music, contributing articles to The Strad, Double Bassist and Nature and is Artistic Director of the Burton Bradstock Festival. In June 2007, David busked his way round the world playing Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. During this journey he launched Musequality, a charity which finances start-up music projects in deprived areas.

He plays a violin made in Piacenza in 1748 by J B Guadagnini.

Yuri Zhislin was recently described by the Strad magazine as "a musician with a lyrical talent and a truly Romantic temperament”. Born in Moscow, he has performed with numerous orchestras throughout Europe, the USA, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Recent appearances in London have included recitals at the Wigmore Hall and King's Place. In high demand as a chamber musician, Yuri regularly appears both on the violin and the viola at festivals around the world. His chamber music partners have included Maria Joao Pires, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Michael Collins, Natalie Clein, Chloe Hanslip and Ashley Wass. Yuri is the founder and artistic director of the Russian Virtuosi of Europe and a professor of violin at the Royal College of Music in London. His first CD recital CD for Somm has been received with great critical acclaim.

Natalia Lomeiko launched her solo career aged seven with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic and a few years later she was invited to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School. After completing her studies in London at the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Musi, she won several prestigious international competitions, including the Premio Paganini in Italy and Michael Hill in New Zealand. Natalia has been accompanied by major orchestras around the world including the St.Petersburg Radio-Symphony, Tokyo Royal Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Symphony, Royal Philharmonic in London and many other orchestras. She has performed chamber music alongside such renowned musicians as Gidon Kremer, Tabea Zimmermann, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Schlomo Mintz, Boris Pergamenschikov, Isabelle Faust and Yuri Bashmet.

Her recent projects include a recording with her husband Yuri Zhislin for Naxos. In 2010 Natalia was appointed Professor of Violin at the Royal College of Music in London.

Belgian David Cohen is one of the most successful young cellists in Europe. He made his solo debut with Belgium’s National Orchestra at the age of nine.
His International career as a soloist soon flourished with the Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony and the Philharmonia orchestras, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, L’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and many others around the world.

David won more than 25 prizes in International Cello Competitions. He has worked as a soloist with some of the most distinguished conductors such as Lord Menuhin, Rostropovitch, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Walter Weller and Dohnanyi. He was appointed Principal Cello of the Philharmonia Orchestra in March 2001 (the youngest Principal cello ever) and was nominated ECHO ‘Rising Star’ for the 2002-2003 season by the Royal Philharmonic Society of Belgium and the Concertgebouw. He is regularly invited to lead the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Japanese-born violinist Ken Aiso has performed widely in Europe, USA and Japan, in such concert halls as Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth in London, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Suntory in Tokyo. In 2003 he had the honour of performing as soloist in the presence of the Emperor and Empress of Japan. He founded the acclaimed AISO Quartet and his teaching activities include performance classes at the Royal Academy of Music in London and masterclasses at the Montecito Summer Music Festival in Santa Barbara. Ken’s commitment to music education combined with his special rapport with young people makes him much in demand for music workshops in schools.

Matthew Jones is widely acknowledged as one of the leading violists, violinists and pedagogues of his generation. He performed in London’s Wigmore Hall and South Bank, New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. He is a member of Ensemble MidtVest - an innovative ten-piece chamber ensemble based in Denmark whose work includes classical and contemporary performance and recordings, improvisation and collaborations with other art forms.

He is professor at Trinity College of Music in London, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and at the Charterhouse International Music Festival. He has recorded for Naxos, commissioned numerous works and given many World and European Premieres as well as championing neglected viola works through recitals and recordings. Matthew is also a composer, mathematics graduate and teacher of the Alexander Technique and Kundalini Yoga.

Winner of the 2010 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition in the Isle of Man, UK, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt has performed recitals and chamber music throughout the United States and in Europe. She has been privileged to work with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Andres Cardenes, Peter Wiley, Michael Tree, Joseph Silverstein, David Jolley and Paul Katz and is a member of The Old City String Quartet – gold medallist and Grand Prize winner of the 2010 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. She has also enjoyed working under the batons of Seiji Ozawa, Christoph Eschenbach, Alan Gilbert and Otto-Werner Mueller and is currently a student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Dominika Rosiek was born in Poland and started her violin studies at the age of four. Later, she studied at the Purcell School and the Royal Academy of Music in London where she won the J. Beare Bow Prize for an outstanding player. She won the Guivier, the Alfred Brendel and the Wilton Cole prizes as well as various awards from Martin Musical Scholarship Fund, the Worshipful Company of Musicians, the Hattori Foundation and the Musician Benevolent Foundation. She participated in master classes with musicians such as Vladmimir Spivakov, Petru Munteanu, Dorothy DeLay, Ruggiero Ricci and Viktor Tryetiakov. She performed in the Wigmore Hall, London’s Southbank Centre, St. John’s, Smith Square and in festivals such as Prussia Cove, Verbier, Aspen, Spitalfields, Menuhin, Kurtag and Paganini.

Dominika has led the European Youth Orchestra, the London Chamber Players and the London City Sinfonia and she performs regularly with the Russian Virtuosi of Europe and with her Arlequin Piano Trio.

Alicja Smietana graduated from Krakow Academy, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Kronberg Academy where she studied with Christian Tetzlaff. After winning numerous awards and prizes in competitions she made her debut in London performing a Mozart concerto with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician with Simon Rattle, Nigel Kennedy, Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, Martha Argerich, Boris Pergamenshikov and Thomas Zehetmair.

Born in Romania into a musical family, Anca Campanie graduated from the National University of Music in Bucharest and continued her studies in Salzburg and at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland on an Erasmus Scholarship. She had the opportunity to participate in Masterclasses with Eugene Sarbu and Liviu Prunaru, received first prizes in National Olympiades in Romania and in international competitions.

She has been supported by the Ratiu Foundation UK and holds a Foundation Scholarship at the Royal College of Music where she is pursuing a Master's Degree under Professor Yuri Zhislin. Anca has performed with major Philharmonic orchestras in Romania and abroad, such as Camerata Lysy and Orchestra Sinfonia Siciliana.

A Third Prize Winner of the Watson Forbes International Viola Competition and a Second Prize Winner of the Delius Competition, Romanian violist Mihai Cocea graduated from the George Enescu Music School in Bucharest and is now studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has participated in masterclasses with Yuri Bashmet, Lawrence Power, Ladislau Csendes, Yuval Gotlibovich, Bruno Giuranna and Tatjana Masurenko among others, and in intercultural exchange schemes in Beijing, China and Sermoneta, Italy, where he had the opportunity of playing alongside musicians such as Bruno Giuranna Mariana Sirbu, Rocco Filipini and Franco Petrarchi. Mihai has played with many international youth orchestras and broadcast for BBC Radio 3 and for the Romanian National Radio and TV.

Born in Bulgaria, Mariya attended the Dobrin Petkov Special Music School in Plovdiv. After graduating from the State Music Academy in Sofia she won a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where she was awarded the prestigious Artist Fellowship. Mariya is a prize-winner in national and international competitions and she performed in festivals such as the Open Chamber Music Festival in Prussia Cove and the Lincoln International Chamber Music Festival in the UK, the Prades Festival in France, the Obersdorf International Music Festival in Germany, the Paxos Chamber Music Festival in Greece and the Pharos Chamber Music Festival in Cyprus. She toured internationally and appeared in prestigious venues such as London’s Barbican, Wigmore and Cadogan Halls and St. John’s, Smith Square.

Bulgarian cellist Nikolay Ginov obtained the Peter le Huray Award in 2005 and the Leverhulme Award in 2007, which enabled him to study baroque and classical cello and viola da gamba at the Historical Performance Department of the Royal Academy of Music in London. He graduated in 2008 with Distinction and a Dip RAM for an outstanding final recital and was also awarded the John McAslan Prize. Nikolay took part in the 2009 Ann and Peter Law scheme of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has been performing regularly with it, including concerts in the Proms and educational projects. He also performed in the Darkness and Light series at Kings Place with Laurence Cummings.

Israeli-born Sagi Hartov came to the UK in 2000 to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has won several major awards from the Royal Academy of Music, Ferdinand Beck Fund, American-Israel Foundation, Muriel Taylor National Competition for Cello and many others. He was a finalist in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition in Paris and performed in prestigious venues and festivals in the UK, Israel, Belgium, Germany and Australia. He is a member of the London Mozart Trio and founder and chair of the Israeli International Music Competition and the Bloch Music Competition. In Israel, he performed at the opening of The Tent of Peace in Jerusalem in the presence of HRH the Prince of Wales.

Sebastian Millett enjoys a fine reputation as a concert cellist. His talent was recognized at the Royal College of Music where he won one of the most prestigious competitions, the Anthony Saltmarsh Prize. Consequently he gained a scholarship enabling him to continue his studies with the internationally renowned cellist, Eileen Croxford.

His busy schedule includes solo broadcasts, recitals and concertos across the UK and Europe. A memorable occasion was a performance of chamber works with Mitislav Rostropovich in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and also a recital for the British Embassy in Berlin. In addition to his solo career, Sebastian is a frequent guest artist with chamber groups such as the Bingham String Quartet and, when time permits, enjoys playing and touring with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

British cellist Matthew Huber plays both, Baroque and Modern cello. Having
studied with Steven Doane, Anner Bylsma, Robert Max, Miklós Perényi, Valter Despalj and Historical Performance Practices of the 17th and 18th centuries at Eastman School of Music in New York, Matthew is a versatile soloist and chamber musician. He gives concerts in Europe and the USA, and masterclasses in Seoul, South Korea. He participates every year in the well-known International Chamber Music Series in Prussia Cove, UK, and is training to become a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method, in which movement is analysed and related to a specific function most efficiently. Matthew plays on a rare cello by Francesco Ruggieri, Cremona, 1685.

Michael Cretu was born in Bucharest. After graduating from the Bucharest Music Academy he completed postgraduate studies with Duncan McTier at the Royal Northern College in Manchester. Michael performed in many European countries and South America as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. He broadcast on BBC Radio with his Double Bass/Violin Duo and performs regularly with his very successful Jazz Trio in Manchester.

As a composer, he was commissioned to write a solo work for the Josef Prunner International Double Bass Competition in Romania. Among his major works are: Eight Steps to Eternity; Homeland; Dance and Improvisation for Solo Double Bass; and The Wolf, the Bear and the Shepherd. He has also transcribed Paganini’s Violin Capriccios for the Double Bass.

Ivan Zavgorodniy was born in Odessa, Ukraine, where he studied at the special Music School and later at the Music Academy. He became a member of the National Philharmonic Orchestra as well as of its Double Bass Quartet and in 2008 he became a student of Rinat Ibragimov at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Ivan was awarded First Prize in the Evgen Koka International Competition in Kishinev, Moldova; two First Prizes and a Second Prize in the Art of the XXI Century international competitions in Kiev; and a Diploma in the Koussevitzky International Double Bass Competition in Saint-Petersburg.

Ricardo was born in São Paulo, Brazil. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London where he won every major viola prize, including the Cecil Aronowitz and the Bernard Shore in Memory of Lionel Tertis. He attended masterclasses with Yuri Bashmet, the Amadeus String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Igor Oistrakh and Raphael Hillyer, and became a member of the Academy of St Martin–in-the-Fields chamber orchestra.

Ricardo has been Principal Viola of the Opera House Orchestra in São Paulo and of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He played solo viola in the Super World Orchestra in Japan and with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Mozart Players and São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, Kurt Sanderling, Lorin Mazel, Christoph Von Dohnanyi, Pierre Boulez, Riccardo Muti, Charles Dutoit and James Levine.

Darragh Morgan was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has led world class international ensembles such as the Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Musik Fabrik and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

As a concerto soloist, highlights include invitations from the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra and the KZN Philharmonic in Durban, South Africa. He recorded for Mode Records, Matchless Recordings, Black Box, Nimbus and many other labels. A keen pedagogue, Darragh is regularly invited to work with string and composition students at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme. He is a member of The Smith Quartet and The Fidelio Trio. With these groups he has performed at many prestigious international festivals including Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Huddersfield, BBC Proms and the Luzern Festival.

Following nine years at the Junior Guildhall School in London Jessica went on to study with Jean Harvey at the Royal Academy of Music and then to read Music and Drama at the University of Birmingham. She completed with distinction the advanced post-graduate string programme at the Scuola di Alto Perfezionamento Musicale in Saluzzo, Italy, as well as studying with members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at Claudio Abbado’s Accadamia Gustav Mahler. Jessica has performed extensively in the UK and abroad both as a soloist and orchestral player, and has participated in masterclasses and festivals in Switzerland, Edinburgh, Norway and France.

She is a founder member of the London Pergolesi Sinfonietta and a member of the Engliano Piano Trio as well as regular player with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and City of London Sinfonia.

Eleanor began to learn the violin at the age of two. She studied with the late Howard Davies at Newnham College, Cambridge, and at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she won the John Mundy prize for her graduation recital. She has also received coaching from Mauricio Fuks, Siegmund Nissel, Norbert Brainin and Thomas Brandis and participated in the Academy’s String Scheme with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Eleanor enjoys a career combining performing and teaching. She played concertos with the London Concertante and chamber music in the Crush Room Recitals at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She teaches violin at King’s College School in Wimbledon. Eleanor is also involved with the Philharmonia education scheme, often used as the violinist to play solo works during the ‘Symphony Days’ workshop scheme.

Romanian violinist Calin Andrei won the 2nd prize at the George Georgescu International Competition in Romania. He started to play the violin aged six under his father’s guidance and in 2007 gained a place at the Bucharest Music Academy. He is currently continuing his studies at the Royal College of Music in London. Calin participated in masterclasses given by violinists such as Itzhak Rashkovsky and Jan Repko, has performed in Romania, France and the UK, and broadcast on Romanian National Radio.

Son of the Festival’s featured composer Anatol Vieru, Andrei studied piano at the Bucharest Conservatoire and also pursued his interests in mathematics, art, philosophy, psychology and literature. Since 1988 he has lived in Paris where he is acknowledged as one of the most inspiring interpreters of Bach’s music. He recorded to critical acclaim the composer’s Goldberg Variations for Harmonia Mundi, and his next disc will be the Well-Tempered Klavier. He is also a well-known essayist and has written on Glenn Gould, John Cage and André Gide.

Born in Kiev, Sasha Grynyuk studied at the National Music Academy of Ukraine, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and received artistic guidance from Alfred Brendel and Murray Perahia. Winner of several international competitions, prizes and awards he was chosen as a Rising Star by the International Piano and the BBC Music magazines. His recent successes include Guildhall School’s most prestigious award, the Gold Medal, and the Wigmore Prize, and 1st prize at the Rio de Janeiro International Piano Competition. He performs regularly in prestigious concert halls in Europe, America and Asia, including Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall and Salle Cortot.

Born in London to Greek parents, Katerina has been performing in solo, orchestral and chamber music recitals in England, Greece, Austria, Germany and Australia. She has premièred works by Greek and English composers, appeared on Greek TV and broadcast on Australian radio. In 1997 she was awarded the prestigious Hellenic Foundation Arts Award in recognition of her work as a “Promising Young Greek Artist of exceptional merit”. In 2007 Katerina began a fruitful collaboration with Ukrainian soprano Tamara Migrina as part of the ‘East meets East in the West’ programmes. Early in 2010 they recorded their favourite works on CD.

She holds an Honours Degree in Music from King’s College London, a Piano Diploma from The Hochschule of Music and Drama in Graz, Austria, and a Masters Degree in Music Education from The Institute of Education in London.

Daniel was born in Romania and studied at the Music School in Piatra Neamt before embarking on masterclasses with Professor Iulian Trofin, with generous support from Musica in Amicizia Foundation. Daniel won numerous national competitions in Romania, as well as scholarships from Stewarts’ Melville College in Edinburgh, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Trinity College in London, and from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow where he studies at the moment. He performed with Romanian Philharmonic orchestras and gave concerts in SUA, Italy, Switzerland and Hungary.

Helen began playing the piano at the age of four and later attended the Birmingham Conservatoire, the University of Sussex and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She has won numerous piano competitions, performed in festivals in the UK and played on BBC Radio 3. Her recent engagements have included a week of solo recitals in St. Paul’s Cathedral and recitals in the Brighton Festival. Helen has a special interest in modern and twentieth-century American piano music.

Eralys Fernandez studied the piano in Cuba, where she was born, and in 2000 she graduated with honours from the Higher Institute of Arts in Havana. She continued her studies at the Royal College of Music in London where she was awarded a MMus. She has performed in the most prestigious concert halls and theatres in Cuba including concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra at Amadeo Roldan Theatre in Havana and has won prizes at several national chamber music competitions in Cuba, including First Prize in the National Union of Writers and Artists Competition.

Helen Pierce took her Masters Degree with Distinction at the Trinity College of Music in London and continued her studies with Hans Deinzer at the Scuola Internazionale di Perfezionamente Musicale in Italy, and with Andrew Marriner and Mark van de Wiel. She was short-listed for the Landor Records Competition in 2008 and selected as a Park Lane Group Young Artist in 2009, playing in the Clariphonics ensemble. Their performance in the Purcell Room was awarded 4 stars by The Guardian and the ensemble also performed in the Barbican Centre and at the Hampstead and Highgate Festival.

Helen performed and recorded solo and chamber music in the UK and Germany. She worked with the Wallace Ensemble, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Northern Sinfonia and English National Ballet, among others.

Huw Morgan was born in South Wales, UK. He won a scholarship to study at Chetham’s School of Music – where he won all the major prizes – and continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He was a Brass Winner and Concerto Finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006 and was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 2008 Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Solo Competition in Boston, and the Philip Jones Memorial Prize at the 2010 Royal Overseas League Annual Music Competition.

Huw is in frequent demand as a soloist and has appeared throughout Europe, Asia and North America, gave recitals in the Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and Bridgewater Hall, and broadcast on national radio and TV. He has commissioned and premièred works by Leif Segerstam, Eric Ewazen, Timothy Bowers, Hugh Brunt and Luke Burke. In 2009 he held the position of Acting Associate Principal Trumpet in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and highlights of the 2010 season include concerto appearances with the Helsinki Philharmonic and Northern Sinfonia as well as a return to the Wigmore Hall and his South Bank début at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

After a bachelor singing degree at the Bucharest National University of Music, Ruxandra Cioranu won a scholarship tu study at the Baroque Music Centre in Versailles, 2004-2007. Winner of the Tostmann Awards at the Austrian Baroque Academy and of a scholarship granted by the Nadia & Lili Boulanger Foundation, she has worked with Ton Koopman at Radio France, Jérôme Corréas and Olivier Schneebeli at the Versailles Royal Opera, Vaclav Lux in Prague and Dresden, Ketil Haugsand at the Ancient Music Festival in Bucharest, Ricardo Araujo in Paris and Lorenzo Tozzi in Rome.

New Zealand soprano Tanya Cooling holds two Master of Music degrees with Distinction and was the first singer to be granted a Guildhall Artist Fellowship. She was a 2007 Young Songmaker and in 2008 made her début with the London Symphony Orchestra in concert at the Barbican Centre. As a recitalist she has performed at the Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Cadogan Hall and in several international festivals. She recorded arias for the BBC Film and Paramount Vantage production of The Duchess and has created several roles in contemporary operas for Grimeborn Festivals 2007, 2008 and 2010. As an International Ambassador for the Concordia Foundation, Tanya performed in 2011 at Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam as part of the Lord Mayor of London’s Tour.

Northern Irish born, Timothy studied in London at the Trinity College of Music and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. With a keen interest in contemporary music and 'Sound Art', he has performed improvisation works at the Tate Modern (No Soul for Sale Festival); a new opera Spilt Milk by Timothy Burke at Arch 468 Brixton; and the World Première of Nicholas Brown's As I Now have Memoyre at King's Place. He has worked with such artists as Malcolm Martineau, Helen Yorke, Yvonne Howard, Linda Hirst, Terry Smith and conductors Steuart Bedford, Robin Newton and Gregory Rose. A Concordia artist, Timothy is also a recipient of a Wang Foundation scholarship and of the Philip Langridge Bursary with the Co-Opera Company.

Fernand Iaciu – First Violin; Inès Greliak – Second Violin;
Anne Le Chevalier – Viola; Jean-Michel Moulin – Cello

Fernand Iaciu, leader of the Lille National Orchestra (ONL) formed the Lalo Quartet in 1985 at the Lille Conservatoire on the occasion of a cycle with the complete chamber music works of Robert Schumann. Since 1990 the Quartet has studied with members of the Amadeus, Julliard and Alban Berg quartets. They have performed in France, Italy and Britain, including in the prestigious Ile de France and Périgord festivals and with such established artists as Jean-Claude Pennetier, Sigmund Nissel and Martin Lovett.

They have recorded Webern’s two Clarinet Quintets with Claude Faucomprez for Solstice.

The Rivoli Quartet was formed in 1999 at Manchester University under the guidance of The Lindsays, and takes its name from the music department building, the converted Rivoli cinema. After studying with Dr Christopher Rowland at the Royal Northern College of Music where they were awarded prizes in chamber music competitions, they completed a Masters Degree in String Quartet Performance at the University of Sheffield.

The Rivoli Quartet has won the Prix Ravel at the Académie Internationale de Musique Maurice Ravel, was a finalist in the 2006 Royal Overseas League Competition in London and took part in the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove and the International ‘Masterclasses for String Quartets’ course at the Britten-Pears School.

In June 2009, the Rivolis held their own festival, ‘Schulfest’, celebrating the music of the Czech Jewish composer Erwin Schulhoff whose String Quartet No.1 is featured on their debut CD.

Wissam Boustany was born in Lebanon and has toured in Europe, the Americas, the Middle/Far East and Africa. He teaches flute at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and is founder of Towards Humanity, a charity which uses music to support humanitarian projects internationally. He has won the Silver Medal at the Madeira International Flute Competition, the Woodwind Prize at the Royal Overseas League Competition, the Silver Medal at the Shell/LSO Competition and the 2nd Prize in the Woodwind Section of the 1978 BBC Young Musician of the Year. In 1997 he was awarded a knighthood in Lebanon, in recognition of his humanitarian work.

Tom Hardy has played with many of the UK orchestras and ensembles, including the English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, City of London Sinfonia, Academy of St Martin’s in the Fields and the Ulster Orchestra. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies at Goldsmith's College. Chamber music has always been a central part of his musical activities and he is a founder member of the Globe Wind Quintet and the Reed Rage bassoon quartet.

Nina Ashton is doing her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music with support from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, the Musicians Benevolent Fund and an RCM John Lewis Partnership Award. She has played with the London Symphony Orchestra working with Rattle, Previn and Xavier-Roth and has also performed on BBC Radio 3 as guest principal of the BBC Concert Orchestra. She was principal of the National Youth Orchestra and was awarded the Bulgin Medal by the Worshipful Company of Musicians as a result of her contribution to the orchestra. In 2009, she was invited to join the International Mahler Orchestra as principal bassoon. She performed at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room and made a number of concerto appearances, including premiering a concerto by Kim Ashton.

Suzie Thorn studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London on an Elton John Scholarship. She won the Janet Craxton and Leila Bull Oboe prizes, and the prestigious RAM Club Prize. She represented the Academy as a soloist at concerts in Japan, Italy and throughout the UK. She also played on several BBC Radio 3 broadcasts and on graduating she was awarded the HRH Princess Alice’s Prize for exemplary studentship. In 2011 she won the Royal Over-Seas League Wind Solo Prize and has been principal oboe with the National Youth Orchestra of GB, the Britten-Pears Orchestra and the European Union Youth Orchestra. She has also played principal oboe with the CBSO.

John Reid is a graduate of Cambridge University and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. While still a student, he won the Gerald Moore Award and the Kathleen Ferrier and Maggie Teyte pianist prizes. Projects during 2010-11 have included recitals at the Maribor Festival (Slovenia); collaborations with composers Martin Suckling and Emily Hall for the Chelsea Schubert Festival and Opera North; chamber music with members of Northern Sinfonia at The Sage, Gateshead; Mozart, Janacek and Nico Muhly residencies with Aurora Orchestra at King's Place and for BBC Radio 3, and a recording of Kapustin and Farrenc trios with the Emanuel Ensemble (Champs Hill Records).

Following his studies at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Music, Danny Driver attracted attention in Britain by winning the Royal Over-Seas League Competition Keyboard Award, BBC Radio 2 Young Musician of the Year, and several other awards. Since then he has performed around the world and at major British venues including the South Bank Centre, Wigmore Hall, and Bridgewater Hall. During the 2010-2011 season Danny Driver performs Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in Hong Kong, gives recitals at Wigmore Hall, Texas International Piano Festival (USA), Husum Piano Festival (Germany), Australian National Festival of Chamber Music, and at the English Music Festival (UK). He records for the Hyperion label and his double-CD of English composer York Bowen’s Piano Sonatas was nominated for a Gramophone Award this year.

Born in South Korea, Ha Young Jung began her musical studies by learning piano and violin at the age of three and at 11 she started the double bass. Her list of international competition successes is considerable and includes the Grand-Prix at the 2006 International String Competition in Moscow, First Prize at the 2007 International Society of Bassists’ Competition in the US and Silver medal at the 2007 Serge Koussevitzky International Competition in St Petersburg. She has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Southbank Sinfonia and in prestigious venues such as the Tchaikovsky Great Hall in Moscow, the Wigmore Hall and the Cardogan Hall in London.

Simon Cox was born in Cardiff, Wales, and studied at King’s College and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He holds the positions of Associate Principal Trumpet with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Trumpet with the Aurora Orchestra. As a soloist he has performed with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the University of London Symphony Orchestra and King’s College London Orchestra. He has also performed as guest principal with the BBC Symphony and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras, and has worked with the London Symphony, London Philharmonia, Singapore Symphony and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestras. He also had the privilege of performing with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, the European Union Youth Orchestra and Verbier Festival Orchestra.

Aida Anghel Armitage was born in Bucharest. She left Romania at eighteen and continued her studies in Germany and Switzerland. Subsequently she was awarded a scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music in London as a postgraduate student of Emanuel Hurwitz and later she studied at the Royal College of Music with Felix Andrievsky. Aida played with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic and the CBSO under Simon Rattle. She has been a member of the London Schubert Players since 1995. She is passionate about chamber music and enjoys teaching the violin.

Jane Mitchell studied music at the University of Cambridge and then flute at the Royal Academy of Music where she graduated with the prestigious Post Graduate Diploma Prize. She is Principal Flute of Aurora Orchestra and plays in orchestras in England, France and Germany on both modern and period flutes. She works regularly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and L’Orchestre des Champs-Elysées and has played recently with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Sinfonietta, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the Gabrieli Consort and Northern Sinfonia. She has recorded as a soloist for Naxos, Collegium Records and Universal Records and recently gave the World Premiere of a new work for solo flute by Michel van der Aa.