Llŷr Williams
Mozart Piano Concerto No.27 in B flat major K595 28th - 31st October 2011
Photo by John Ferro Sims 2010
The Welsh pianist, Llŷr Williams, brings a profound musical intelligence to his work as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. He has performed with orchestras around the world, including the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Mozart Players, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, I Pomeriggi Musicali and the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg.
Throughout 2010 and 2011 Llŷr Williams performed a Beethoven sonata cycle around the UK, including an epic two-week period in August 2011 at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh during the Festival. Most recently he spent a week at the Verbier Festival where he gave a solo recital, accompanied Bryn Terfel in an evening of lieder and played a chamber music concert with Kirill Trussov, Ye-Eun Choi, Lawrence Power and Maximilian Hornung.
Last year saw the release of his latest CD featuring music by Mussorgsky, Debussy and Liszt. Llŷr Williams is the subject of two films produced for S4C: one won a Welsh BAFTA for Best Music Programme, the second featured his debut at Carnegie Hall.
Williams has a great love of lieder which leads him to take part in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition on a regular basis.
Born in 1976 in Pentrebychan, North Wales, Llŷr Williams read music at The Queen’s College, Oxford and went on to take up a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music where he won every available prize and award. From 2000-02 he was a ‘Shinn’ Fellow at the Academy, coaching singers and studying conducting. He was also an active member of the Live Music Now! scheme for several years and in 2004 received a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.
For more information visit www.llyrwilliams.com
Philip Higham
Solo Schumann Cello Concerto 13th - 17th July 2011 - Member of Sinfonia Cymru from 2007-2008
Photo courtesy of Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann (Dan Hannen)
Philip Higham is rapidly emerging as one of the most prominent young cellists from the UK as his recent competition success, winning 2nd Prize at the prestigious 2010 Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann Competition in Berlin, goes to confirm. In 2008 he won 1st Prize in the International Bach Competition in Leipzig and in 2009 1st Prize in the Lutoslawski Competition in Warsaw followed by recitals at Lake Maggiore, the Bachwoche and Leipzig BachFest.
Over the last year Philip has appeared as soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Cymru, given recitals at Bridgewater Hall, Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall and the Spitalfields Festival and performed Finzi’s Concerto at St. John’s Smith Square. He also toured Scotland as a Tunnell Trust winner.
This season Philip performs the complete Bach Cello Suites at the Lammermuir Festival, takes part in the IMS Prussia Cove tour and gives recitals at Wigmore, Royal Concert Hall Glasgow and Perth Concert Halls. His debut recording for Sonimage is due for release in 2011.
Born in Edinburgh, Philip studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Emma Ferrand and Ralph Kirshbaum. He is a YCAT Artist, selected for representation in 2009.
Philip Higham currently plays a fine Tecchler cello c.1730
For more information visit www.ycat.co.uk
Katie Bennington
Solo oboe Bach concerto in D minor for oboe and violin
October 8th, 9th and 10th - Member of Sinfonia Cymru since 2009
Katie attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she completed both her undergraduate and Masters degrees and later became an Artists Fellow. She studied oboe with Richard Simpson, Gordon Hunt and David Walter, cor anglais with Jane Marshall and percussion with Chris Brannick.
Numerous competition successes include a British Double Reed Society prize winner at the Barbirolli International Festival and Competition 2009, the Needlemaker’s Woodwind Prize Finalist in 2008 and first prize in the Slaughter and May Musician of the Year Award in December 2007.
As well as being a member of Sinfonia Cymru and Southbank Sinfonia, she is on trial for 2nd oboe with both the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia, and also freelances with other professional orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Orquestra do Norte in Portugal.
Her solo performances include concertos by M. Berkeley, R. Strauss, A. Marcello, P. Stanhope and J. S. Bach. Katie is a keen chamber musician and is a founding member of Circle of Fifths Wind Quintet, Polymnia Ensemble and Calandra Oboe Quartet which have given many recitals and workshops around the country.
Katie’s love of ballet (which she studied for fifteen years), art and drama have led her to become passionate about collaborating with other performing artists to create new and enhance existing works. For the past two years she has co-led an improvisation group at GSMD for musicians and actors alike to discover new means of expression.
Rhys Watkins
Solo violin Bach concerto in D minor for oboe and violin
8th, 9th and 10th October - Member of Sinfonia Cymru since 1999
Born in Cardiff in 1982, Welsh violinist Rhys Watkins already has an established career as soloist, recitalist and orchestral leader. Having studied the violin with Mateja Marinkovic, Rhys graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2004, with a First Class Honours Degree and continued his career as a freelance violinist, until being made a member of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2009.
In 2006, Rhys was a finalist and prize-winner (laureate) in several major competitions including the Jeunesses Musicales International Violin Competition (Belgrade) and the Paganini International Violin Competition (Moscow).
Rhys has also received prizes from the Ryan Davies Memorial Fund, the Philharmonia/Martin Music Scholarship Fund and most recently, the prestigious Prince of Wales Advanced Study Award from the Arts Council of Wales, which will enable him to continue his studies in London.
Until 2007, Rhys was a member of the award-winning Artea String Quartet. As well as a frequent live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Rhys performed with the Quartet in many festivals and major concert halls throughout the UK, including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Conway Hall, Fairfield Hall and St George’s, Bristol.
As an orchestral leader, Rhys works regularly with Sinfonia Cymru and is proud to have been a founder member and the current leader of Symphonica Tywi. Rhys was one of the main contributors to the recent television series ‘Valley of Song’ which was broadcast on BBC television.
Rhys plays on an 18th century violin by Lorenzo Storioni.
David Adams
Guest director and soloist
4th, 5th & 6th March 2011
David Adams former leader of the Ulster Orchestra is now leader of the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. He is Co-Artistic Director of the Goldberg Ensemble and has appeared as leader with many of the UK’s leading symphony and chamber orchestras.
Equally at home on violin and viola he has been a member of the Raphael Ensemble and Ovid Ensemble and now makes regular guest appearances with the Nash Ensemble, Endellion String Quartet, Gould Piano Trio and Hebrides Ensemble. His other musical collaborations include concerts and broadcasts with Steven Isserlis, Alexander Janizcek and James Clark. He regularly attends the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove.
Recent engagements include Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden in Roros, Norway and the Corbridge Festival (Northumberland) with the Gould Piano Trio. During 2008-2009 season David performed Prokofiev Violin Concerto No.2 and The Lark Ascending with Ulster Orchestra as well as directing and conducting the orchestra. David also recorded the Beethoven String Quintets with the Endellion String Quartet released on Warner Classics.
Recent and future projects include The Lark Ascending with Welsh National Opera Orchestra, The Four Seasons with Ulster Orchestra, and Bruckner and Mendelssohn Quintets with the Endellion Quartet at Wigmore Hall. Next season he also has concerts and recordings with the Gould Piano Trio, Nash Ensemble and Goldberg Ensemble.
David began his studies at the age of 5 with his father, Principal Viola in the Halle Orchestra. He continued his training with Malcolm Layfield at Chetham’s School of Music and the RNCM and then in the USA with Zvi Zeitlin and Daniel Phillips.
Catrin Finch
Soloist for Handel Harp Concerto and Mabinogi Harp Concerto by Geraint Lewis
8th April, 9th April & 13 May 2011
Described as “The Queen of Harps”, Catrin has delighted audiences with her performances in the UK and worldwide.
Inspired to learn the harp at the age of five, her rise to prominence started almost immediately, achieving the highest mark in the UK for her Grade VIII exam at the age of nine. She studied with Elinor Bennett for eight years before entering the Purcell School. Catrin graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2002 where she studied with Skaila Kanga and received the Queen’s Award for the most outstanding student of her year.
Her first major competition success came in 1999 winning the Lily Laskine International Harp Competition in France, one of the premier harp competitions in the world. On winning the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, Catrin went on to play in over thirty states in the USA, including recitals and concerto debuts in New York, Boston and Washington D.C. In May 2004 she was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and has also received an “Echo Klassik” in Germany.
Catrin is the former Royal Harpist to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Holding the appointment from 2000-2004, she had the honour of reviving this ancient tradition last held in 1873. During her period as Royal Harpist she played regularly at the Royal Palaces and performed to Royalty from around the world.
In 2008 Catrin made her debut in Hong Kong and toured Scandinavia with Welsh bass-baritone, Bryn Terfel. She joined the London Mozart Players on a concert tour, returned to the MDR Musiksommer Festival and performed at the Inter-Celtique Festival in Lorient, Brittany.
2008 also saw the opening of “Acapela”, a converted chapel on the outskirts of Cardiff which Catrin and her husband Hywel have transformed into a recording studio and concert venue. More information is at www.acapela.co.uk
Known for her work within the community and with the younger generation, Catrin is committed to promoting the harp and classical music in general to a new and wider audience.
For more information visit www.catrinfinch.com
