Susanne Stanzeleit
One of the leading violinists of her generation, Susanne Stanzeleit has performed worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician.
She is well known for her unusually challenging and extensive repertoire, featuring many commissions and UK premieres of works by composers such as Peter Maxwell Davies, John Adams, Lou Harrison, Gyorgy Kurtág, John Woolrich, Philip Cashian and many others.
Susanne regularly broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, German Radio and other major TV and radio stations abroad. She has received rave reviews and a Gramophone Award nomination for her long list of commercial recordings, which feature the complete works of Bartók, Enescu and Dvoràk as well as Beethoven violin sonatas, works by Charles Camilleri and a series of English sonata recordings. Chamber discs include six discs with the Edinburgh Quartet, chamber music by Kenneth Leighton and two CDs of British piano quartets with the Primrose Quartet, all on Meridian.
Susanne was first violin of the Edinburgh String Quartet until 2002 and co-leader of Sinfonia 21, as well as guest-leading many of the foremost chamber orchestras and contemporary music groups in the UK. Susanne was Head of Strings at the London College of Music from 2002 - 2006 and now teaches at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Susanne regularly broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, German Radio and other major TV and radio stations abroad. She has received rave reviews and a Gramophone Award nomination for her long list of commercial recordings, which feature the complete works of Bartók, Enescu and Dvoràk as well as Beethoven violin sonatas, works by Charles Camilleri and a series of English sonata recordings. Chamber discs include six discs with the Edinburgh Quartet, chamber music by Kenneth Leighton and two CDs of British piano quartets with the Primrose Quartet, all on Meridian.
Susanne was first violin of the Edinburgh String Quartet until 2002 and co-leader of Sinfonia 21, as well as guest-leading many of the foremost chamber orchestras and contemporary music groups in the UK. Susanne was Head of Strings at the London College of Music from 2002 - 2006 and now teaches at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
"Susanne Stanzeleit's playing is stunning...this thrilling performer sweeps you off your feet...pure magic."
The Strad, June 2003, CD of the month
"Stanzeleit is, above all, a musician. Her sense of style, her dedication to the music, her absorption of a splendid technique into the essence of whatever she is playing - all these add up to an all-round equipment of formidable dimensions. Come again soon!" Musical Opinion, 1994
"...the best playing I heard at Dartington came in unknown works by John Adams and John Corigliano that dominated a late-night recital by the violinist Susanne Stanzeleit and Julian Jacobson. A recording wouldn't go amiss." Michael White - Independent on Sunday 11 August 1996
"Stanzeleit is both controlled and musical...beautiful palette of line...melodic and imaginative...music before any sense of personal display. Rare qualities these days!" Classic CD, 1994
"Magnificent music, magnificent playing. What more could one wish for?" The Strad
"Stanzeleit is, above all, a musician. Her sense of style, her dedication to the music, her absorption of a splendid technique into the essence of whatever she is playing - all these add up to an all-round equipment of formidable dimensions. Come again soon!" Musical Opinion, 1994
"...the best playing I heard at Dartington came in unknown works by John Adams and John Corigliano that dominated a late-night recital by the violinist Susanne Stanzeleit and Julian Jacobson. A recording wouldn't go amiss." Michael White - Independent on Sunday 11 August 1996
"Stanzeleit is both controlled and musical...beautiful palette of line...melodic and imaginative...music before any sense of personal display. Rare qualities these days!" Classic CD, 1994
"Magnificent music, magnificent playing. What more could one wish for?" The Strad
Robin Ireland
Robin Ireland was a student at Cambridge University and at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York. He was a founder member of the Piano Quartet, Domus, and was the violist of the Lindsay String Quartet, with whom he played for twenty years. He now plays with the Primrose Piano Quartet and the Anton Stadler piano/clarinet/viola trio, and has a Duo with the pianist Tim Horton.
As a soloist, he has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Liverpool Philharmonic and the London Mozart Players, and has in his repertoire all the major works for viola, specialising in recitals of unaccompanied Bach transcribed for viola.
Robin is Senior Viola Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire and also teaches at the University of Sheffield, at Cambridge, and on courses run by ESTA, Pro Corda and Cadenza. He has recorded CDs of unaccompanied Bach and of his own compositions.
Robin plays on an Amati viola made in the early 1600s. He lives in South Yorkshire.
As a soloist, he has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Liverpool Philharmonic and the London Mozart Players, and has in his repertoire all the major works for viola, specialising in recitals of unaccompanied Bach transcribed for viola.
Robin is Senior Viola Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire and also teaches at the University of Sheffield, at Cambridge, and on courses run by ESTA, Pro Corda and Cadenza. He has recorded CDs of unaccompanied Bach and of his own compositions.
Robin plays on an Amati viola made in the early 1600s. He lives in South Yorkshire.
Andrew Fuller
Andrew Fuller has a busy and varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, guest principal, session musician and teacher.
His duo partnership with Pianist Michael Dussek has had great success with recent concerts and recordings, their CDs of Cello works on the Dutton Vocalion label receiving critical acclaim, several being selected as Editor's Choice in Gramophone Magazine.
He was Associate Principal with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for seven years, leaving in 1997 to concentrate on solo and chamber music. Since then he has regularly worked as guest principal for the RPO as well as many others including the Philharmonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the Hallé Orchestra and the Orchestra of St Johns.
As chamber musician he has made many appearances at The Wigmore Hall and at festivals and music clubs around the world, and has made many live broadcasts and recordings. He was a member of the York Piano Trio, the Fibonacci sequence, Aquarius, and Primavera. A member of the ground breaking new ensemble "Chamber Music Direct" he has also been a regular guest player with other Groups including the Sorrel, Brindisi and Coull String Quartets, Endymion and the Schubert Ensemble.
He was a visiting lecturer at the Birmingham Conservatoire from 1997 to 2003 and regularly coaches at the Royal Academy of Music and for UK youth orchestras.
He was Associate Principal with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for seven years, leaving in 1997 to concentrate on solo and chamber music. Since then he has regularly worked as guest principal for the RPO as well as many others including the Philharmonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the Hallé Orchestra and the Orchestra of St Johns.
As chamber musician he has made many appearances at The Wigmore Hall and at festivals and music clubs around the world, and has made many live broadcasts and recordings. He was a member of the York Piano Trio, the Fibonacci sequence, Aquarius, and Primavera. A member of the ground breaking new ensemble "Chamber Music Direct" he has also been a regular guest player with other Groups including the Sorrel, Brindisi and Coull String Quartets, Endymion and the Schubert Ensemble.
He was a visiting lecturer at the Birmingham Conservatoire from 1997 to 2003 and regularly coaches at the Royal Academy of Music and for UK youth orchestras.
John Thwaites
John Thwaites has a varied performing career. He has been working with Alexander Baillie for thirty years. They appeared in the first and last Manchester International 'Cello Festivals, released a recital CD in 2000, and selected live performances in 2009. Another long-standing association is with Sue Lowe's 'Cello Schools, and John has performed with Johannes Goritzki, Louise Hopkins, Pierre Doumenge, Li Wei, Oleg Kogan, Melissa Phelps, Alexander Ivashkin and Alexander Boyarsky.
Alongside relationships with the Schidlof, Maggini, Emperor, Martinu and Brodsky Quartets, a performance of Lyapunov's Sextet with the Dante Quartet on Dutton Digital was BBC Music Magazine's chamber music choice for November 2004. John is also a member of the Audley Horn Trio (Stanzeleit, Stirling, Thwaites) and the Da Vinci Piano Trio (Moffatt, Irvine, Thwaites).
Recent concerto performances include Grieg at St John's Smith Square and Tchaikovsky at the Royal College of Music. A solo disc of Romantic Favourites will be released in 2010.
Formerly Head of Piano at Christ's Hospital and a tutor at GSMD, John is now Head of Keyboard Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire and Course Director of Cadenza International Summer Music School, a piano and strings festival resident at the Purcell School, London, in July.
Alongside relationships with the Schidlof, Maggini, Emperor, Martinu and Brodsky Quartets, a performance of Lyapunov's Sextet with the Dante Quartet on Dutton Digital was BBC Music Magazine's chamber music choice for November 2004. John is also a member of the Audley Horn Trio (Stanzeleit, Stirling, Thwaites) and the Da Vinci Piano Trio (Moffatt, Irvine, Thwaites).
Recent concerto performances include Grieg at St John's Smith Square and Tchaikovsky at the Royal College of Music. A solo disc of Romantic Favourites will be released in 2010.
Formerly Head of Piano at Christ's Hospital and a tutor at GSMD, John is now Head of Keyboard Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire and Course Director of Cadenza International Summer Music School, a piano and strings festival resident at the Purcell School, London, in July.
"Contributing hugely to all this, and in absolute unanimity with the 'cellist, was the excellent pianist John Thwaites, new to the RSAMD's recital series and, clearly, a strong addition to the academy's performing staff. Sheer musicianship all the way from two strong, confident players, and multiple delights for listeners."
The Herald
"It was a ravishing account of a period masterpiece." The Strad
"Thwaites had the sweep and aplomb of a master, contrasting the power and frolics of the Debussy with effortless ease." Yorkshire Post
"...astonishing emotional intensity - a fine recital and an outstanding musician." John Lill
"This recording is a stunner. Brahms's First Sonata is so good I wish they had done the Second as well." The Strad (CD with Alexander Baillie)
"It was a ravishing account of a period masterpiece." The Strad
"Thwaites had the sweep and aplomb of a master, contrasting the power and frolics of the Debussy with effortless ease." Yorkshire Post
"...astonishing emotional intensity - a fine recital and an outstanding musician." John Lill
"This recording is a stunner. Brahms's First Sonata is so good I wish they had done the Second as well." The Strad (CD with Alexander Baillie)