Chamber Music

I am passionate about chamber music and accompanying. It is essential for me to be able to work with other musicians. Some of the finest, most satisfying music ever composed is of a collaborative nature and it is inspirational to work in this way.

I have worked with many instrumentalists and was a founding member of Ensemble Hans Gal. Along with Helena Smart (violin) and Leandro Silver (cello) I am currently part of the King’s Piano Trio.  I am always keen to put together interesting and stimulating programmes for different instruments and combinations. I also like to combine both vocal and instrumental music.

I co-ordinated and performed in a concert series of students from the Royal College of Music at Lauderdale House in Highgate, London and have arranged seven extensive concert  tours to South Africa for various instrumentalists and singers since 2002.

 

Song Accompaniment

I have spent many years working intensely on art-song repertoire with singers. I adore the combination of words and music, as well as the programming opportunities that the added literary dimension provides. I now have a wide ranging repertoire and deep knowledge of this unique genre.

Whilst a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, I put together programmes that celebrated the songs of Herbert Howells, Samuel Barber and also co-ordinated and played in a performance of Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch. Whilst a Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music I presented many performances with students, including Schumann’s Myrthen cycle, the complete songs of Henri Duparc, a concert of chamber songs by Chausson, Faure, Barber and Vaughan Williams, as well as a 2001 centenary concert of songs by Gerald Finzi. I also regularly accompanied singing students for masterclasses, lessons and diploma exams, as well as in competitions in the UK and Germany.

After leaving the RCM, I set up London Song Circle, a group designed to present song in interesting programmes. It usually consists of two singers and sometimes includes a narrator. The group toured South Africa in 2003 and again in 2010 to great critical acclaim.

I have worked with many singers and have had particularly fruitful collaborations with Erica Eloff (soprano), Angela Gilbert (soprano), Julianne Young (mezzo-soprano), Margriet van Reisen (mezzo-soprano), Clint van der Linde (counter-tenor), Thomas Walker (tenor) and Christian Immler (Baritone).

I continue to work with singers on a regular basis and always relish the challenge of putting a new programme together. The possibilities are endless!