With an extraordinary career spanning over five decades, Martin Roscoe ( martinroscoe.co.uk ) is unarguably one of the UK’s best loved pianists. Renowned for his versatility at the keyboard, Martin is equally at home in concerto, recital and chamber performances. His enduring popularity and the respect in which he is universally held are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship and his easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike. Martin is Artistic Director of Ribble Valley International Piano Week and the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society, and has recently stepped down as Co-Artistic Director of the Beverley Chamber Music Festival.

With a repertoire of over 100 concertos performed or recorded, Martin continues to work regularly with many of the UK’s leading orchestras, having especially close links with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Northern Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, where he has given over ninety performances. Other orchestral highlights have included BBC Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Martin also performs widely across Europe, Canada, Australia and the Far East, sharing the concert platform with eminent conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Gianandrea Noseda, and Christoph von Dohnányi.

A prolific recitalist and chamber musician, Martin tours the UK extensively every season, including regular appearances at Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and Bridgewater Hall. He has long-standing associations with Peter Donohoe, Kathryn Stott, and the Maggini Quartet, and worked closely with Tasmin Little and the Endellion String Quartet during their long and illustrious careers. Recent collaborations include with Jennifer Pike, Tai Murray, Fenella Humphreys, Liza Ferschtman and the Brodsky and Carducci Quartets. One of his most important ensembles, the Cropper Welsh Roscoe Trio (2005-2016), performed many times across the UK, most notably at Wigmore Hall. More recently, Martin formed the Roscoe Piano Trio with Fenella Humphreys and Jessica Burroughs for a celebratory concert in honour of Peter Cropper. The Trio has since gone on to perform across the UK, most notably at Bridgewater Hall.

Having made over 600 broadcasts, including seven BBC Prom appearances, Martin is one of the most regularly played pianists on BBC Radio 3. Martin has also made many commercial recordings for labels such as Hyperion, Chandos and Naxos. He has recorded the complete piano music of Dohnányi ,Nielsen and Szymanowski, as well as four discs in the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series. For the Deux-Elles label, Martin has recorded the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, for which he received unanimous critical acclaim.

Programme:

Brahms 3 Intermezzi Op.117

Schubert 3 Impromptus D.935 Nos. 2,3 & 4

Interval

Debussy Preludes Book 1 Nos 10,11,12

Beethoven Sonata in A flat Op.110

Born in Glasgow, Ryan Corbett is a classical accordionist who has been described as “one of Scotland’s most exciting young musicians” (The Scotsman). He is currently undertaking his postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Ryan began playing accordion aged eleven and was self-taught until he started learning with Djordje Gajic at the age of fourteen.

Ryan was awarded first prize at the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, and the Bromsgrove International Musician’s competition. He is the first accordionist to be selected as a BBC New Generation Artist and a Tillet Trust Debut Scheme artist, and Munster Trust artist. Ryan has also won prizes at international accordion competitions in Italy, Germany, and China.

Ryan regularly creates new arrangements for the accordion and performs with a range of ensembles and instrumentalists, including his teacher Djordje Gajic. His arrangement of Rameau for three accordions was performed for King Charles III during his official visit to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach / Ferruccio Busoni / R. Corbett: Partita for Solo Violin No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Chaconne

Jean-Philippe Rameau / R. Corbett: Pièces de clavecin

Johann Sebastian Bach / R. Corbett: English Suite No. 3, BWV 808

Interval

Domenico Scarlatti / R. Corbett: Sonata in F, K. 107

Isaac Albeniz / Friedrich Lips: Cordoba; Asturias

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / R. Corbett: Romance in F minor, Op. 5

Alexander Nagaev: Sonata No. 1, Op. 13

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control this concert has had to be cancelled.

Stephanie Stanway is a Samling Artist from Glasgow and is a recent graduate from the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Wilma MacDougall. Before studying at the RCS, Stephanie graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a Bmus (Hons) and PGDip (distinction). Stephanie is the recipient of the Ye Cronies Opera award The Dame Eva Turner Vocal Prize.

https://auditionoracle.com/singer/stephanie_stanway/

Armenian pianist Marianna Abrahamyan is an internationally recognised award-winning pianist and collaborative artist. She has appeared in recital at the Festival Musica Da Casa Menotti in Italy, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, Purcell Room in Southbank Centre and at St Martin in-the-Fields in London.

www.mariannaabrahamyan.com

Programme

Mozart: Vado ma Dove

Argento: Three of the “Six Elizabethan Songs”

Brahms: Von ewige Liebe

Du bist die Ruh

Gretchen am Spinnrade

---Interval---

Britten: Four Burns songs

Afton water

Wee willie

The winter

My Hoggie

Richard Strauss

Zueignung

Nichts

Die Nacht

Die Verswiegenen

Allerseelen

Amici was formed in 2022 by a group of professional musician friends from Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Scottish Borders and Newcastle, and they gave their debut concert as a sextet at Stockbridge Church, Edinburgh.

Gina McCormack and Iona Brown (violins)

Jane Atkins and Kathryn Jourdan (violas)

Niamh Molloy and Clea Friend (cellos)

Programme

Strauss Sextet from Capriccio

Mozart Quintet in C, K515

-------interval--------

Brahms Sextet in B flat, Op 18

PASSION AND PASSACAGLIA

An exhilarating evening of music by some of the most entertaining and flamboyant composers of the 17th century, exploring the way the violin and lute family were emerging at this time as highly virtuosic and colourful solo instruments. Some composers will be familiar but others may be not so, and we look forward to introducing these lesser-known but highly regarded mavericks of the day!

Julia discovered her love of Early Music during her studies at the Royal College of Music when one day she heard the Baroque orchestra being directed by the inspiring Cat Mackintosh. 30 years later Julia is recognised as one of the leading Baroque violinists of her generation, touring the world extensively and making numerous recordings with the period instrument orchestras of the UK including the London Classical Players, the Hanover Band, the English Concert, with whom she was a member for 6 years, and as leader and soloist with the Gabrieli Consort and Players and since 2022 the Academy of Ancient Music and Florilegium.

In 1997 Julia co-founded the ensemble Red Priest with recorder player Piers Adams and enjoyed 19 years of huge success touring Europe, the Far East and America, and also making 6 highly acclaimed CDs. After a break from Red Priest while her daughter was growing up, Julia is now back with the group again, and from the 2023/24 season will be performing in Wallingford, Lewes, Rottingdean, Aberdeen, Ripon, and Karlsruhr, Germany. This Autumn also sees the launch of Red Priest Strings, an exciting new chamber ensemble comprising the UK’s leading Baroque string specialists and directed by Julia and Piers, opening with performances in churches and cathedrals throughout the South of England.

2023 also sees the beginning of a flamboyant new collaboration between Julia and acclaimed lutenist Paula Chateauneuf, exploring the fabulously bizarre and maverick composers of the 17th century!

Paula Chateauneuf’s playing has been described as “one of the most exciting things on the pre-classical concert circuit”. A Fulbright Scholar to London, she soon established herself there as one of early music’s leading soloists and ensemble players and became the linchpin of numerous groups including the Gabrieli Consort, New London Consort and Sinfonye. She has also performed with the Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, Handel and Haydn Society, Avison Ensemble, The Instruments of Time and Truth, De Nederlandse Bachvereniging, and Jordi Savall’s Le Concert des Nations.

Paula’s repertoire spans medieval music to the baroque, with particular expertise in early improvisation and the music of early 17th-century Italy. Her knowledge and skill in the art of basso continuo has made her one of the most sought-after accompanists in early music, resulting in fruitful collaborations with many leading singers including Catherine Bott, James Bowman, Michael Chance, and Mark Tucker. Her wealth of experience in early opera has led to involvement as both repetiteur and continuo player with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the Liceu Barcelona.

PROGRAMME

Dario Castello - Sonata prima

Marco Uccelini - Sonata seconda a violino solo detta la Luciminia contenta

Biagio Marini - Sonata quarta 'per sonar con due corde'

Alessandro Piccinini and Giovanni Kapsberger (attr.) - Toccata IV and Ciaccona for solo theorbo.

Heinrich Biber - Sonata no 5 in E minor

INTERVAL

Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi - Sonata op 3 no 2 'La Cesta'

[Passacaglia] (anon.) for solo theorbo

Archangelo Corelli - Sonata op 5 no 6

Trio Doyenne is an internationally formed piano trio. Monika Masanauskaite (piano, Lithuania), Michelle Dierx (violin, Belgium) and Shannon Merciel (cello, US) started their journey at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. They were highly commended at the Governor's Recital Prize for Chamber Music at RCS and represented RCS at the Intercollegiate piano trio competition.

They were awarded first place at the 24th Josep Mirabent i Migrans chamber music competition in Sitges, Spain and in August 2018 they toured to different venues around Europe.

They performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Concerts aux Chateâux series in Saint-Savin (France) and at the 6th International Course Eduardo Ocón for Youth Musical Training in Malaga (Spain). In 2022 they completed a well received tour around the UK which included performing at the Newbury Spring Festival.

Programme:

Beethoven - Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 70 No. 2

Stasys Vainiunas -Piano Trio (23’)

Interval

Schubert - Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 100

Born in London in 1994, violinist Mathilde Milwidsky has been praised by The Strad for her "perfect intonation and beautiful shaping and colouring, comprehensively nailing each new stylistic and emotional universe as she went" as well as by the Ostfriesen Zeitung – “Milwidsky showed in the interplay with the pianist Thomas Hoppe a unique, rarely heard musical experience... that was sensational.” She has performed as a soloist at venues in the UK such as the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, St John's Smith Square, Cadogan Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.

Works by Schubert and Szymanowski TBC

Described as “engaging and responsive to the emotional worlds of each piece in turn”, the Fitzroy Quartet was formed in 2015 whilst all four members were studying at the Royal Academy of Music, receiving tuition from the Endellion Quartet’s Garfield Jackson.

In the years since their formation they have won multiple prizes and awards. Most recently, they are Tunnel Trust Award Winners for the 2019/20 season as well as being chosen for the Cremona Quartet’s Le Dimore del Quartetto scheme. In addition to this, the quartet won the ‘Beethoven Prize’ at the Beethoven International Chamber Music competition in Lusławice, Poland for their outstanding performance of Beethoven’s Quartet Op.74 ‘Harp’. Other prizes include, 1st Prize in the Cavatina Intercollegiate Competition, 1st Prize in the Wolfe Wolfinsohn Competition, as well as the Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Prize and the St Peters Eaton Square award.

The Quartet regularly performs across the UK, Europe and the world at prestigious venues and festivals, including multiple performances at the Wigmore Hall. They were also recently invited to be the visiting International String Quartet at the University of the Free State’s Odeion School of Music in Bloemfontein, South Africa where they performed daily recitals. During this trip they also gave ensemble and individual masterclasses and performed alongside their resident string quartet. Other collaborations include Octet performances with the Brodsky, Doric, and Piatti Quartets.

The Quartet is also committed to the education of young chamber musicians, having given lessons and masterclasses at many of the UK’s most prestigious Schools and Universities. Alongside their love of the great masterpieces, the quartet is committed to performing the works of somewhat neglected composers across the ages. Recent examples include works by Luigi Boccherini (whose music they have performed for his direct descendant), Darius Milhaud, Karol Szymanowski, and Benedict Mason – whose String Quartet No.1 they gave the first performance of for 15 years.

The Quartet have been grateful for the support of Help Musicians UK and the De Lancey Foundation.

PROGRAMME

Haydn Op 76 no 3

Szymanowski String Quartet No 2

Mendelssohn Op 44 no 2

For more information https://www.facebook.com/fitzroyquartet/

PLEASE NOTE that this concert will be performed at Kelso Old Parish Church

Programme to include works by Piazzolla, Ravel and Chick Corea.

Nigel Clayton studied with Stephen Savage and Angus Morrison at the Royal College of Music, London. Whilst there, a particular interest in chamber music and accompanying developed and was further encouraged by international prizes from competitions in London, New York (Concert Artists Guild) and from the English Speaking Union. Since then his worldwide travel has included four major tours of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan with the Indian cellist Anup Kumar Biswas, tours of the Middle East and America with Wissam Boustany, of Scandinavia with Gerard LeFeuvre and throughout almost every European country. He appears regularly on BBC radio, at the Wigmore Hall and at the South Bank Centre. His most recent concerts have been in Taiwan and Japan.

Imma Setiadi is a London-based, Indonesian-born concert pianist. She believes that music is a gift which needs to be shared with many people. This enthusiasm has led her to her performance work as a soloist, chamber musician and in exploring cross-arts collaboration, as well as being involved in teaching and creating projects to bring classical music to wider audience.Since her coming to the UK, she has performed in several major concert venues and has been selected as young artists for the Park Lane Group, Manchester Mid-Day Concerts Society, Concordia Foundation, LPO Foyle Future Firsts and Junior Fellow in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama. She is also a Pro Corda/Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellow.

PROGRAMME

Schubert Marche Caractéristique in C, D. 886

Schubert Fantasia in F minor, D. 940

Saint-Saëns (arr. Hiscocks) Danse Macabre Op. 40

Saint-Saëns (arr. Garban) The Swan

Chabrier (arr. Messager) Espana

--Interval--

Faure Dolly Suite Op. 56

i. Berceuse

ii. Mi-a-ou

iii. Le jardin de Dolly

iv. Kitty Valse

v. Tendresse

vi. Le pas espagnol

Rachmaninov/Anderson Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14

Rachmaninov Italian Polka

Rachmaninov Slava, Op. 11 No. 6

Debussy Dialogue du vent et de la mer, from La Mer

In what promises to be a richly satisfying finale to our 2020 season, the Mac-Talla Trio will be playing a violin sonata by Mozart, a cello sonata by Brahms and a piano trio by Dvorak. Recently winners of the EFT prize at the CAVATINA Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition on May 13th 2019.

Programme

Mozart Violin Sonata in G, K301

Brahms Cello Sonata in F major

Interval

Dvorak Piano Trio in F minor

Stephanie Stanway is a Samling Artist from Glasgow and is a recent graduate from the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Wilma MacDougall. Stephanie is the current winner of the Ye Cronies Opera award and is a recipient of the Dame Eva Turner Vocal Prize.  She is accompanied for this concert by Armenian pianist Marianna Abrahamyan, who makes a welcome return to Mellerstain after her successful debut here last year.

Programme

TBC, but may include Strauss and Schubert, French composer Roussell, and American composer Dominick Argento.

Katherine Bryer is now in her third year of the undergraduate program at the Royal Academy of Music where she studies with Christopher Cowie and Jill Crowther. Since joining the Academy in September 2013 she has worked in Academy projects with conductors Edward Gardner, Robin Ticciati, Sir Mark Elder and Jane Glover.

British pianist Irena Radić is currently studying with Dina Parakhina for her Master of Performance degree as a Cotes-Burgan scholar at the Royal College of Music, London. She is also generously supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Hilda Martindale Educational Trust

Programme

Eugène Bozza - Fantaisie Pastorale, Op. 37

Telemann - Fantasie No. 9, TWV 40:10 (solo oboe)

Robert Schumann - Romance, Op. 28, No. 2 (solo piano)

Clara Schumann - Nocturne, Op. 6, No. 2 (solo piano)

Robert Schumann - Drei Romanzen, Op. 94

Interval

Gabriel Grovlez - Sarabande et Allegro

Robert Schumann - Abendlied, Op. 85, No. 12

Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 23 (solo piano) 

Gerald Finzi - Interlude, Op. 21

Francis Poulenc - Sonata for Oboe and Piano

The Society is grateful to the Countess of Munster Musical Trust for sponsoring Katherine’s appearance.  

This is our Midsummer Recital and we invite all concert goers this evening to canapés and Prosecco at 7pm in the magnificent Oval Room at Mellerstain before the performance.

“there was a sense of fervent, even untamed creativity (....) but Sandrin evoked – without mannerism or gestural excess – a wide range of characters, situations and interactions”

Classical Source on the Wigmore Hall Recital

Programme

Debussy - Images (Book II)

Enescu - Piano Sonata in f# minor op. 24 no. 1 

Interval  

Ravel - Sonatine

Ravel - Miroirs

CANCELLED

Unfortunately, because of the Coronavirus COVID-19 situation and in light of government recommendations we have had to cancel this concert.

Programme

Schubert – Quartetsatz

Webern – 6 Bagatelles

Zemlinsky – Quartet no. 1 

Interval

Schubert – “Death and the Maiden” Quartet 

CANCELLED

Unfortunately, because of the Coronavirus COVID-19 situation and in light of government recommendations we have had to cancel this concert.

Programme

Schubert - Impromptu in F minor, D 935 no 1 

Fauré - Thème et Variations, op 74 

Schumann - Faschingsschwank aus Wien, op 26

 Interval

 Poulenc - Trois Novelettes 

Schubert - Sonata in A, D 959