Faure Piano Quartet no. 1 in C minor - 3rd mvt. excerpt
Sara Trickey enjoys an exciting and diverse career as a solo violinist and chamber musician. Noted for her “fiery and passionate” performances (The Strad) and her “beautifully refined tone” (Musical Opinion), she performs at many of the major UK festivals and venues, including in the Presteigne, Alwyn, Oxford May Music, York, Ashburton and Wye Valley Chamber Music festivals. She plays regularly with pianist Dan Tong with whom she has recorded the Schubert Sonatinas to critical acclaim (“Irresistible!” – Barry Millington). Her album of solo violin music, “From an Empty Room” recently won her a double five star review in BBC Music Magazine.
Sarah-Jane Bradley,“ardent and affecting soloist” (The Daily Telegraph) is well-known for her championing of new works for the viola, premiering and recording concertos by David Matthews, Paul Patterson and Matthew Taylor. She has worked as soloist with the Philharmonia, Hallé, and BBC Symphony Orchestra amongst others, and her acclaimed recordings of concertos, recitals and chamber music include CDs for Hyperion, Chandos, Naxos and Dutton Epoch. A founder member of the Leopold String Trio and subsequently Sorrel Quartet, she has played with many chamber groups and is a sought-after chamber musician. "Is there a better British Violist than Sarah-Jane Bradley?" (The Strad)
Ursula Smith has collaborated as an established international chamber musician with musicians including Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Steven Isserlis, Heinz Holliger, Marieke Blankestijn and Malcolm Martineau. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Yale University where she gained a Masters Degree. Her teachers included Ralph Kirshbaum and Aldo Parisot, and at Prussia Cove, György Kurtág and András Schiff. She was a member of the Zehetmair Quartet from 2006-2012 and played in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall. Her CD of Britten’s complete Cello Suites and two new commissions from Sally Beamish and Jacob Anderskov was released in December 2024.
John Lenehan is described as “One of our most celebrated musicians” (Classic FM) and “Simply one of the best chamber pianists going”. (The Scotsman). He has recorded over 80 CDs, and is renowned internationally both as a soloist and chamber musician. His breadth of repertoire has led to his popularity on Spotify and other streaming platforms, regularly achieving one million monthly listeners.. John is also acclaimed for his work as a composer and arranger. His work has been heard at the Last Night of the Proms, under the Eiffel Tower during the Bastille Day celebrations and has been performed by artists such as Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, Nigel Kennedy, Nicola Benedetti and many orchestras worldwide.