2024-25 Season
Click on the photo to see details of the concert, programme and artists
See below for details of each concert, programmes and artists
Victoria String Quartet
Photo credit: Tim Williams
7.15pm Sunday 6th October 2024
Stokesley Methodist Church
Benedict Holland Violin
David Greed Violin
Kimi Kamino Viola
Petr Prause Cello
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Programme
Beethoven String Quartet Op.18 no.4
Elgar Fragments (arr. Iain Farrington)
Schubert Quartettsatz
Verdi String Quartet
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In demand since its formation in 2017, the Victoria String Quartet has gone on to perform for chamber music societies and festivals throughout the UK and has been hailed as an ensemble ‘brim full with pedigree and wide experience’ (Buxton International Festival), performing at venues including Kendal (Lake District Summer Music), Pinner and Buxton Festivals, London, Manchester (Bridgewater, RNCM and Stoller halls), north Norfolk, north and west Wales and the Scottish Borders.
In addition to gathering return invitations to chamber music societies and festivals, the Victorias are curating an ongoing programme of creative projects: a collection of short chamber works about (and by) Sir John Manduell (Divine Arts), a recording of the Weber, Cooke and Brahms clarinet quintets, and a CD of string chamber music by Richard Pantcheff (to be released 2024 Prima Facie), with BBC Radio 3 presenter Tom McKinney. A recent autumn residency at Marchmont House in the Scottish Borders saw the Quartet performing and recording a collection of string chamber works by Scottish composer Helen Leach. Enthusiasts for lost and undiscovered works, in 2022 the Quartet gave the first public performances of Elgar’s Six Fragments for String Quartet and are looking forward to recording them in 2024. Since its inception, the Quartet has also enjoyed sharing the concert platform with eminent colleagues such as the quartet, Quatuor Danel, Peter Hewitt and Irina Andrievsky (piano), Leo Popplewell (cello), Richard Simpson (oboe) and John Bradbury (clarinet).
Benedict Holland (violin) studied both violin and piano at the Royal Academy of Music, later moving to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) to study in Yossi Zivoni’s violin class. As a chamber musician, he was a founder member of the Matisse Piano Quartet and the Music Group of Manchester. He is currently a member of virtuoso chamber ensemble I Musicanti, and together with friends David Greed, Heather Wallington and Jen Langridge, of the Victoria Quartet, as well as pursuing a busy recital programme with both piano and organ.
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As an experienced orchestral leader, he has guest-led many of the UK’s major orchestras, including the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Orchestra of Opera North and BBC Philharmonic and until 2023, he was the violinist and occasional violist with the contemporary ensemble Psappha.
Ben has always put teaching at the heart of his work, at the RNCM where he was awarded a professorship in 2016. He also teaches a class of talented young violinists at the Junior RNCM and gives consultative classes in orchestral and contemporary techniques at Trinity Laban Conservatoire where he is a visiting artist.
David Greed (violin) was leader of the Orchestra of Opera North from1978 until 2023 – at that time the youngest leader in the country. His solo and concerto repertoire are extensive and he has appeared with most of the region's orchestras as concerto soloist.
He has also been engaged as guest leader with orchestras throughout the country – including the Philharmonia, Royal Opera, Halle, Royal Liverpool, CBSO, BBC Scottish and BBC Philharmonic orchestras.He has been violin tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of GB, Chetham’s School and European Union Youth Orchestra.He has recorded VW’s ‘The Lark Ascending’ on the Naxos label with the Orchestra of Opera North and also the Elgar Concerto with Hertfordshire Youth Orchestra.
He is Music Director of the Sinfonia of Leeds and the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.He is a string advisor for Yorkshire Young Musicians.
Kimi Makino (viola) studied at Soai University of Music in Osaka with Machie Oguri, at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva with Nobuko Imai, and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Garth Knox. During the course of her career she has won numerous prizes, including the 2nd Tokyo International Viola Competition and the Kyoto Aoyama Music Award.
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In addition to solo performances with the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, she has appeared at various festivals including Viola Spaces, Verbier Festival Academy, Luzerne Festival, Takefu International Music Festival, Groba Music Festival and Les Estivals de Megève.
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The former Assistant Principal of the BBC Philharmonic orchestra, Kimi now divides her time between principal guest work for ensembles in the UK and Europe alongside a busy chamber music career.​
Petr Prause (cello) replaces Jennifer Langridge who is indisposed. Petr is professor of cello and chamber music at the RNCM.
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Petr was born in Ostrava, Czech Republic and started to play the cello at the age of six with Miroslav Dolezil and Ivan Merka. He progressed to the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he was taught by Miroslav Petras and members of the Smetana Quartet, graduating with a Master’s degree.
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He also studied at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland, and with Raphael Wallfisch at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he was awarded the Concert Recital Diploma (Premier Prix). He taught cello at the Prague Conservatory of Music and was Principal Cellist of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, while performing as a soloist throughout the world.
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From 1997 until 2019, Petr Prause was a member of the Talich Quartet. He also joins other outstanding musicians in all kinds of chamber music formations and gives masterclasses at a wide range of international institutions.
Website: https://www.victoriastringquartet.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaQuartet
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoria_string_quartet/
X / (Twitter): https://x.com/Victoria4tet
7.15pm Sun 6th Oct 2024
Benjamin Frith & Heidi Rolfe (piano four hands)
The Society's AGM will take place after this concert.
3pm Sunday 10th November 2024
Stokesley Methodist Church
Benjamin Frith Piano
Heidi Rolfe Piano
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Programme
Schubert Fantasie in F minor D.940
Satie ’Morceaux en form de poire’
Martin Ellerby ‘Suite for Wilf and Joe’ (light in style - all depicting his two cats!)
Rimsky-Korsakov ‘Scheherazade’ Op.35
(Composer’s own arrangement for piano - four hands)
This concert is sponsored by
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Benjamin Frith is a British classical pianist. He studied under Fanny Waterman and won several awards early in his career, including the gold medal at the 1989 Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition in Israel. He has appeared with many of the world's finest orchestras including the Berlin Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Polish National Radio, and the BBC Philharmonic. He has worked with many leading conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Antoni Wit, Vasary, Skrowaczewski, Bamert, Atzman and Barry Wordsworth.
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His repertoire ranges from Bach to Tippett and includes over 50 concertos. He has recorded all the John Field piano concertos (during 2002, numbers 5 & 6 reached the top of the classical charts) and since then has recorded all of Field's nocturnes for solo piano. His disc of Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze was chosen as the top recommendation on the Radio 3 “Building a Library” programme. Five of his discs are represented in the Gramophone – Best CD Guide and in response to his recording of the Beethoven Diabelli Variations, Gramophone critic Richard Osborne wrote, “he possesses a formidable talent both musically and technically. Indeed, I would go as far as to suggest that there has not been a finer Diabelli on record by a young pianist since the classic recording by the twenty eight year old Stephen Kovacevich in 1968”.
A recent recording of a selection of Scarlatti Sonatas was described in the BBC Music Magazine as follows: “Benjamin Frith is an inspired choice for the fifth disc of the Naxos cycle; a compelling advocate of the piano, he transports the music to the new medium, capitalising on the piano’s ability to pick out a strand, shape dynamics and bathe textures in subtle pedalling, without ever misrepresenting Scarlatti – a disc to convert the most die-hard authenticist”.
He is a member of the Gould Piano Trio and is a tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Heidi Rolfe is a British pianist whose varied repertoire includes works by female composers and much contemporary music; an interest in combining music and drama has led to award winning performances, broadcast by the BBC.
For many years Heidi has enjoyed exploring the wonderful piano duo repertoire with her husband Benjamin Frith in recitals throughout the UK. Complete performances of Holst’s Planets Suite in its little know four hand version, Schubertiads and partnerships such as Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn have formed many of their programmes. Double Piano Concerto dates have included the Poulenc with the English Pro Musica. They have also collaborated with the C.B.S.O players in many symphonic chamber arrangements. This season saw Heidi giving a complete Piano Duo Day at the Wigmore Hall where she performed four hand and two piano repertoire with Benjamin Frith.
Heidi enjoys a busy career as a music educator. In addition to teaching at Sheffield University, Heidi is a Main Panel Examiner for ABRSM, is a published composer of many educational works and counts amongst her pupils competition prize-winners who have gone on to enjoy a musical career.
About Ben: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Frith
About Heidi: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/music/people/heidi-rolfe
Youtube video of Ben and Heidi playing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtvjWb9ADN4
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3pm Sun 10th Nov 2024
Nicholas Daniel & Huw Watkins
3pm Sunday 8th December 2024
Stokesley Methodist Church
Nicholas Daniel Oboe
Huw Watkins Piano
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Programme
J. S. Bach Sonata in G minor BWV 1020
R Schumann Fantasiestücke Op.73
Huw Watkins Welsh Folksongs
Thea Musgrave Whirlwind
Hannah Kendall 'Yes, flash bright lightning in my southern sky!'
Zoë Martlew 'Nick, my pearls you cry'
C Schumann Romanzen Op.22
Helen Grime Three Miniatures
Poulenc Sonata
Nicholas:
Huw:
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Nicholas Daniel OBE has long been acknowledged as one of the world’s great oboists and is one of Britain’s best-known musicians. He has significantly enlarged the repertoire for his instrument with the commissioning of hundreds of new works. He has also developed a varied and exciting conducting career alongside his playing, and both these aspects of his work are equally important to him.Nicholas dedicates his life to music in many varied ways. He records and broadcasts widely, he recently signed an exclusive contract with Chandos Records, and he boasts a huge following internationally on social media and on Streaming Apps such as Spotify and Apple Music. He is proud to support and patronise many important initiatives, charities and trusts, and has directed several music festivals and concert series, most notably in Germany and at Dartington, and has been Music Director of the Leicester International Music Festival and lunchtime series for many years. He is highly sought after as a teacher, having been Professor at the Trossingen Musikhochschule in Germany for more than 20 years.
Having sung as in the choir of Salisbury Cathedral as a boy, Nicholas was put directly into the spotlight at the age of 18 when he won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. After a short period of study at London’s Royal Academy of Music, with Janet Craxton and Celia Nicklin and then privately with clarinettist Anthony Pay and with Hans Keller, he quickly established his career with early debuts at the BBC Proms and on disc.
He has been a concerto soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, performing a huge range of repertoire from Bach to Xenakis and beyond, premiering works written for him by hundreds of composers including Eleanor Alberga, Harrison Birtwistle, Henri Dutilleux, James MacMillan, Thea Musgrave, Outi Tarkiainen, John Tavener and Michael Tippett, as well as encouraging many younger composers to write for the oboe. His recording of concertos by Vaughan Williams and MacMillan was awarded the BBC Music Magazine Premiere Award in 2016, and the Vaughan Williams chosen as the best recording of the work in Gramophone in June 2023. He recently premiered and recorded a new Cor Anglais concerto, Milky Ways, by Outi Tarkianien.
As chamber musician Nicholas is a founder member of the award-winning Britten Sinfonia, the Haffner Wind Ensemble, Orsino, and the Britten Oboe Quartet, whose debut disc was released to great acclaim on the Harmonia Mundi label. He also works regularly with the pianists Huw Watkins and Julius Drake, and with many leading string quartets including the Carducci, Doric and Vogler. He is principal oboist of Camerata Pacifica, California’s leading chamber music ensemble, and is a popular guest at music festivals all over the world.
Web: http://nicholasdaniel.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.daniel.1610
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ndanielmusic/
X / (Twitter): https://x.com/ndanielmusic
Huw Watkins MBE is a renowned composer and pianist, currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music.
Watkins’ orchestral works include commissions by BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra. As Composer in Association with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (2015-2019), Watkins has written a Cello Concerto (2016) for his brother, the cellist Paul Watkins, premiered at the BBC Proms under Thomas Søndergård, and Spring (2017), premiered under Ryan Wigglesworth.
Chamber music is central to Watkins’ output, complementing his parallel career as a pianist. His violin Partita was written for Alina Ibragimova and the viola Fantasy was written for Lawrence Power.
Long-time supporters The Nash Ensemble commissioned a Horn Trio, and his String Quartet for the Carducci Quartet was a commission from the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society. Watkins was awarded the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s 2016 Stoeger Prize, and in 2018 they commissioned his Piano Quintet with Wigmore Hall. Other works for Watkins include Four Fables (2018) for clarinet and piano trio which premiered at Three Choirs Festival, and subsequently toured throughout the UK.
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As one of the UK’s finest pianists Watkins has premiered works by Oliver Knussen, Mark-Anthony Turnage, John Woolrich and Michael Zev Gordon and has performed concertos with numerous leading orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta.
About Huw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huw_Watkins
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huw.watkins.50
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huw.watkins/
X / (Twitter): https://x.com/WatkinsHuw
3pm Sun 8th Dec 2024
Maxim Calver & Kumi Matsuo
3pm Sunday 12th January 2025
Stokesley Methodist Church
Maxim Calver Cello
Kumi Matsuo Piano
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Programme
Beethoven Cello Sonata No.4 Op.102 no.1
Barber Cello Sonata Op.6
Debussy Cello Sonata (1915)
Brahms Sonata for Cello and Piano No.2
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Praised for the “elegance of his technique, overall sound and natural poeticism” (Strad Magazine), Maxim Calver first gained public recognition as a BBC Young Musician 2018 Grand Finalist and Strings Category winner where he made his concerto debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Since the competition he has been in high demand as a soloist across the UK and Europe and in October 2021, he made his European Concerto Debut in the Grosse Saal of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, where he performed Schumann’s Cello Concerto.
Maxim has appeared as a soloist in many of Europe’s leading venues including Tonhalle Zurich, Cadogan Hall, St. Johns Smith Square and Kulturcasino Bern. He has also appeared as concerto soloist with the Bath, Stockport, Ipswich, Maidstone and Young Musician Symphony Orchestras, the Orpheus Sinfonia and Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra. As a recitalist he has appeared at Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, Kings Lynn Festival, Menuhin Hall, Norwich Chapel Concert Series, 1901 Arts Club and St. James’ Guernsey amongst others.
Throughout the 23/24 season Maxim performs a wide variety of solo and chamber concerts. Upcoming highlights include a solo recital at Cambridge Summer Music Festival, performances at Kronberg Academy’s bi-annual ‘Chamber Music Connects the World’ Festival, and Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht at Wigmore Hall amongst others. Maxim will also make a debut recital at this years Oranjewoud Festival in the Netherlands after winning the ‘Oranjewoud Award’ at the 2024 Schiermonnikoog Festival.
Kumi Matsuo was born in Tokyo, Japan. Winner of the 5th Louisiana International Piano Competition in 2013, she has also won Second Prize at the 75th Music Competition of Japan in 2006, Third Prize at the 22nd Ferrol International Piano Competition in 2008 and First Prize at the 6th Isidor Bajic International Piano Competition in 2012. Kumi graduated from the Toho Gakuen High School of Music and the Toho Gakuen University of Music in Tokyo.
In 2007 she moved to London for her further study at the Royal College of Music where she gained an Artist Diploma and a Master of Music in Performance. Kumi studied piano with Jyoko Gondo, Mikhail Voskresensky, John Blakely and Ashley Wass and chamber music with Jan Repko. In 2008 Kumi won RCM concerto competition and gave her London debut playing Ravel's Piano Concerto for Left Hand in Cadogan Hall with RCM Sinfonietta conducted by Peter Stark. In 2009 she played Schnittke's Concerto Grosso No.1 with RCM Chamber Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski the Queen Elisabeth Hall and in 2012 she also performed Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto with RCM Symphony Orchestra under Martin André at the Royal College of Music.
Web: https://maximcalvercellist.com/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaximCalverCello
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximcalver_cellist/
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3pm Sun 12th Jan 2025
Herschel Players
3pm Sunday 9th February 2025
Stokesley Methodist Church
Graham O'Sullivan Flute and recorder
Kristen Deeken Violin
Susanna Pell Viola da Gamba
Mie Hayashi Harpsichord
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Programme
J.S.Bach Trio Sonata in G major
Telemann Fantasia No.8 in G minor (solo recorder)
Handel Sonata in G minor
Telemann Fantasia No.2 in G major (solo violin)
Telemann “Paris Quartet” No.1 in G major
Handel Trio Sonata in B minor Op.2 no.1
J.S. Bach Toccata in D major (solo harpsichord)
Telemann “Paris Quartet” No.12 in E minor
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The Herschel Players specialise in the performance of Baroque and Classical repertoire. Graham, Molly, Huw, Zan and Mie performed together for the first time as part of 'The Herschel Trio & Friends' Concert Series in 2020, although they have performed with each other with other ensembles, including many of the country's leading period instrument ensembles, for many years prior to this.
3pm Sun 9th Feb 2025
Fitzwilliam String Quartet
Photo credit: Glen T Photography
7.15pm Sunday 9th March 2025
Stokesley Methodist Church
Lucy Russell Violin
Andrew Roberts Violin
Alan George Viola
Ursula Smith Cello
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Programme
Shostakovich String Quartet No.4
Ian Stephens North Country
Beethoven String Quartet No.14 Op.131
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This concert is kindly sponsored by Lesley Kettlewell in memory of Craig Kettlewell
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The Fitzwilliam is now one of the longest established string quartets in the world: founded in 1968 by four Cambridge undergraduates, the group quickly achieved international recognition as a result of its members’ personal friendship with Dmitri Shostakovich and their subsequent championing of his string quartets following his death. He entrusted them with the Western premières of the last three, and before long they had become the first ever group to perform and record all fifteen. These discs, which gained many international awards, secured for them a worldwide concert schedule and a long term recording contract with Decca. Whilst the FSQ’s pre-eminence in the interpretation of these works has persisted, the authority gained has also been put at the service of diverse other composers, from the late 17th century to the present day. It remains one of the few prominent quartets to play on historical instrument set-ups, but has simultaneously brought about the addition of nearly 60 new works to the repertoire. Its involvement in 2013 with celebrating Britten's anniversary, and before that the chamber works of Delius and Grainger, are but two recent manifestations of the players’ enthusiasm for using anniversaries to promote less familiar music – following Vaughan Williams in 2008: thus it would appear that England is gradually taking its place alongside Russia and Vienna as a principal area of speciality, while in 2015 they looked further north, to honour the joint 150th birthdays of Glazunov, Sibelius and Carl Nielsen.
The last few years have witnessed an increase in the their presence on the British festival scene, with invitations from Petworth, Three Choirs, Leamington, Buxton, Ryedale, City of London, Fishguard, Swaledale, English Haydn, Beverley Early Music – during which time they have also been granted their very own chamber music festival in the prestigious “town of books” – Hay-on-Wye. Similarly, they have become more prominent once again in London, notably at King’s Place, Conway Hall, and St John’s Smith Square.
Web: https://www.fitzwilliamquartet.com/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitzQuartet
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitzquartet/
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X / (Twitter): https://x.com/FitzQtet
7.15pm Sun 9th Mar 2025