Stratford upon Avon
Chamber Music Society
President: Sir William Lawrence, Bt.
Registered Charity No. 508874

First prize winners in the 2009 Royal Over-seas League Competition, the Solstice String Quartet is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most talented young quartets in the country. Selected by both the Tillett Trust and Park Lane Group in 2008 the quartet made their debuts at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in 2009.
Supported by The Tillett Trust

Born in 1984, James Turnbull began playing the oboe aged 7. In July 2005 he graduated with First Class Honours in Music from Christ Church, Oxford. As a soloist, James has performed live on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ and on BBC Television’s ‘Songs of Praise’.The Berkeley Ensemble is an exciting new group of young musicians who met as members London’s Southbank Sinfonia.They have performed in orchestras as diverse as the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust

Jaroslaw Nadrzycki was born in Zagan, Poland, where at the age of 6 he started having regular violin classes.When he was only 12, he made his Moscow debut with The Moscow Conservatoire Orchestra in the Tchaikovsky Great Hall. In September 2008, he was awarded the first Prize at the Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition. Daniel Swain read Music at St.Anne’s College, Oxford winning a Scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. He graduated with the highest honours and an ‘Award for Excellence’ and was subsequently awarded a Junior Fellowship.

Current winner of the Landor Records competition James Barralet is fast becoming known as one of the finest cellists of his generation. His debut recording of solo cello works by Kodaly, Britten and Roxburgh is due for release in 2009.
“ A great cellist, moreover a great musician. ” Benjamin Zander.
Also a sought-after chamber musician, Alasdair Beatson was invited to join the tours of International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, in the UK, and Musicians from Steans Institute, Ravinia Festival, in the USA, after his participation in their masterclasses and concerts. “
... hugely enjoyable performance... outstanding calibre.” Musical Opinion.

London Concertante enjoys an enviable position in the world of classical music where it is regarded as one of the finest chamber ensembles in Europe - a position it has spent the last eighteen years striving to maintain. Begun in 1991, the ensemble quickly garnered praise both here and abroad and now gives around a hundred concerts a year all over the world.

In difficult times, music can play an especially important role in bringing us solace, and my earnest wish is that our new season of concerts will do just that. The emphasis is firmly on artists of the future, who are nevertheless already making their presence felt. We begin with another BBC Young Musician of the Year, Jennifer Pike, at the time the youngest performer ever to win the title. The artists in the next four concerts should bring freshness and excitement to their programmes, and all have won prestigious prizes. I am particularly pleased to be able to engage the cellist James Barralet, who grew up in the Stratford district, and who is including the Rachmaninov sonata in his programme. We shall end, as partial recompense for three duo-recitals, with a group including the Beethoven septet in their programme, for which we shall have to extend the platform.

I was very pleased when, after the memorable evening of Haydn string quartets performed by the Dante in our final concert of the last season, their most experienced member described our venue as ideal for chamber music. We continue to thank Birmingham University for allowing us its use, and I warmly invite you to come and hear for yourselves. Our subscription remains unchanged !

Countess of Munster Musical Trust