Poulenc Complete Chamber Works - London Conchord Ensemble

Artist(s):
London Conchord Ensemble,

London Conchord Ensemble is a flexible ensemble of internationally recognised young soloists, chamber musicians and principals from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Opera House Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Based in London, the ensemble explores both the traditional and contemporary repertoire of chamber music written for combinations of strings, wind, voice and piano, mixing well-known masterpieces with new discoveries. The group's particular passion is to bring to the fore great works which are seldom heard because of their unusual instrument combination.

Following their critically acclaimed debut at the Wigmore Hall in October 2002, the ensemble has continued to perform extensively throughout the UK, Europe and North America. Highlights of recent seasons include performances at Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, Dusseldorf Tonhalle, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Palais des Beaux Arts, Niedersachsen Musik Festival and tours of Ireland, France and America. The ensemble enjoys regular collaborations with guest vocalists and recent concerts at Windsor Festival, Newbury Festival, Winchester Festival and Chelsea Festival have included Dame Felicity Lott, Sue Bickley, Andrew Kennedy, James Gilchrist and Katherine Broderick.

Ensemble-in-residece at Champs Hill, the London Conchord Ensemble has received wide critical acclaim for recordings of Poulenc, George Crumb, Thuille, Loeffler, Pierene and Durufle and Bach on the Champs Hill Records and Black Box labels and regularly appears on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

Julian Milford ~ piano
An English graduate of Oxford University, Julian Milford subsequently studied piano and piano accompaniment at the Curtis Institute and the Guildhall. He works as an accompanist and chamber musician with some of Britain's finest instrumentalists and singers, performing at major chamber music venues across Britain and Europe. Julian's recent concerts have included recitals with baritones Sir Thomas Allen, Toby Spence and Christopher Maltman, mezzo- soprano Sarah Connolly, and cellist Han-Na Chang in venues including the Frick Collection in New York, the Philharmonie in Cologne and the Herkulessaal in Munich, as well as at the City of London and Cheltenham festivals.

Julian has also recorded extensively for major independent recording labels including Hyperion, ASV and Black Box. He has made a number of recordings with the distinguished violinist Lydia Mordkovitch for Carlton Classics and Chandos. His debut solo recording comprising works by William Alwyn (Chandos) was described as "impeccably stylish" by BBC Music Magazine.

Maya Koch ~ violin
Born of German-Japanese parentage, Maya Koch performs around the world both as soloist and as violinist with the London Conchord Ensemble. Her recording of recital works by Poulenc, Stravinsky and Milhaud for Orchid Classics received the recital Selection of The Month in Strad Magazine, the review exclaiming "this recital disc simply oozes class ... playing with an elegance and natural warmth that is delectable... Bravo!"

She has appeared at venues throughout Europe, Japan and China including London's Wigmore Hall, Cheltenham Festival, Prussia Cove, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Teatro Olimpico Vicenza, Tsuda Hall Tokyo, and Forbidden City Hall, Beijing with artists such as Martha Argerich, Ivry Gitlis, and the Schubert Ensemble. Maya is also the founder of the Lenny Trusler Children's Foundation (www.LTCF.co.uk) which raises money for sick babies through musical projects.

Thomas Carroll ~ cello
Described by The Strad as a player of "authority, passion, with an unerring sense of direction, full of colour and underpinned by a clear musical intelligence", Welsh cellist Thomas Carroll launched his career when he won both the Young Concert Artists Trust and Young Concert Artists, New York, awards, performing in many major venues across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

He has appeared as concerto soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, BBC Orchestras, Royal and London Philharmonic as well as orchestras such as the Vienna Chamber, Melbourne Symphony and Bayerische Rundfunk. His passion for contemporary music has led to premieres of works written for him by Michael Berkeley, Joe Dudell, Halli Cauthery and Malcolm Singer. His love of chamber music has resulted in collaborations with Yehudi Menuhin, Gidon Kremer, Ivry Gitlis, Steven Isserlis, Yo-Yo Ma, Heinrich Schiff, Mischa Maisky, Michael Collins, Julian Rachlin and the Belcea, Chilingirian and Endellion Quartets as well as his regular duo partner Llyr Williams.

Daniel Pailthorpe ~ flute
At the age of 24, Daniel Pailthorpe was appointed Principal Flute of the English National Opera Orchestra, a position he held for ten years. He is currently Co-Principal Flute with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and enjoys a busy freelance career appearing frequently as guest principal with many orchestras, in particular the London Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is a founder member of the London Conchord Ensemble with which he has recorded solo and chamber works by Poulenc, Bach and George Crumb on the ASV, Champs Hill and Black Box labels.

As a student he was awarded the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center, USA and made his London solo debut in the Park Lane Group Young Artists' Series. He is a Professor at the Royal College of Music and is a keen advocate of the modern wooden flute.

Emily Pailthorpe ~ oboe
Oboist Emily Pailthorpe's career was launched at the age of 17 when she became the youngest artist ever to win the Fernand Gillet International Oboe Competition. Hailed by the judges as "the Jacqueline du Pré of the oboe", Emily went on to make her acclaimed concerto debut in 2003, playing the Strauss Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra. In addition to her performances as soloist and chamber musician she appears regularly as guest principal oboe with many orchestras, notably the Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Northern Sinfonia, the Baltimore Symphony, the Dallas Opera, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, and English National Opera. She is also a sought-after session player and features on the soundtracks of many films, most recently Jane Eyre and Harry Potter. Emily can be heard regularly on American National Public Radio, Classic FM, BBC Radio 3, and she was featured as a guest on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. She is the oboist and a founder member of the London Conchord Ensemble.

Her playing has inspired many composers to write for her, most recently Paul Patterson, who dedicated his Phoenix Concerto to her in 2009. Emily plays on an oboe by Howarth of London, and her award-winning recordings include a concerto CD with the English Chamber Orchestra including Vaughan-Williams, Patterson and Howells; Bach concerti; and chamber music of Loeffler, Thuille, Balakirev, Ravel, and Dutilleux.

Maximiliano Martin ~ clarinet
Principal Clarinet of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and winner of the Young Artists Platform in 2002, Maximiliano Martin has performed at the Wigmore Hall London, Queen's Hall Edinburgh, Palau de la Musica Barcelona and Teatro

Monumental in Madrid. As a soloist he has performed with orchestras such as SCO, EUCO and OST under the baton of Bruggen, Manze and Swensen. Chamber music collaborations include Pekka Kuusisto, Bourgue, Zacharias, London Winds and the Doric String Quartet. He is regular guest principal with orchestras such as the LSO and COE he has worked with conductors including Abbado, Haitink and Mackerras.

Martin has recorded his debut album Fantasia; the Mozart Clarinet Concerto; Messiaen Quartet for the End of Times; and his new album Vibraciones del Alma for Linn Records. He teaches at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and is one of the Artistic Directors of the Festival de Camara Villa de La Orotava held every year in his home town in Tenerife. He joined the London Conchord Ensemble in 2009.

Nicholas Korth ~ horn
Nicholas Korth studied the horn with Ifor James and later at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany. Following a postgraduate year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he became a member of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra under Mariss Jansons in 1993. He was appointed principal horn of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia in 1997, and co- principal of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2000. He is also principal of the English Sinfonia.

Alongside these posts, Nicholas appears frequently as guest principal with many orchestras including the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia. He has also performed as soloist with the London Mozart Players and the English Sinfonia. Nicholas also composes and his music is frequently performed by the London Conchord Ensemble.

Andrea de Flammineis ~ bassoon
Born in Milan, Andrea de Flammineis studied at the city's Conservatorio di Musica G. Verdi and the Hochschule for Musik, Stuttgart.

From 1987 - 1991 he was a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra and was appointed principal bassoon of the Orchestra della Toscana in 1992. During his time in Italy he appeared as soloist with some of the leading Italian orchestras, including the RAI Symphony Orchestra of Milan and the Orchestra da camera di Padova e del Veneto.

Andrea joined the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House as Principal Bassoon in 1993, and frequently appears as guest principal with other major British orchestras. Andrea is Professor of Bassoon at the Royal College of Music in London.

Barnaby Robson ~ clarinet
Appointed principal clarinet of the Philharmonia orchestra in 2000, Barnaby also performs regularly with London Winds, Belcea Quartet, Thomas Ad's, London Conchord Ensemble, Artur Pizarro, Endymion Ensemble and the Philharmonia Orchestra Soloists. Barnaby has recorded chamber repertoire for ASV, BBC and EMI, and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

He has performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto on both original & modern bassett- clarinet and has recorded Vivaldi wind concerti on period instruments with the Academy of Ancient Music. With the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, he recorded & performed Mozart's Serenade in B flat for the BBC.

He is professor of modern & early clarinet at the Royal College of Music and has given master classes at all of the UK's leading conservatories and in Switzerland, Singapore and Australia.

Richard Hosford ~ guest clarinet
Richard Hosford is one of Britain's outstanding clarinettists. As a founder member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Richard has toured the world, performing as a soloist in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the USA with conductors Claudio Abbado, Sir Colin Davis, Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Roger Norringon, and Paavo Berglund. He has recorded the Mozart and Copland concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Alexander Schneider for ASV. He is Principal Clarinet with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and a leading member of the Gaudier Ensemble, recording many works for strings and wind with them. In 1998 he became a member of the Nash Ensemble with whom he performs and broadcasts regularly.

Philippe Schartz ~ guest trumpet
Born in Luxembourg, Philippe developed an early interest in the trumpet from listening to his father play in the village wind band. A winner of many prizes and awards, he has developed a highly successful career as an orchestral and a chamber musician as well as a soloist. As Principal Trumpet of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, Mahler Chamber

Orchestra and currently the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, he has performed with much critical acclaim under conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez and Bernard Haitink. He has given recitals and performed as a concerto soloist all over Europe, USA and Japan, in addition to recording six solo CDs for Doyen and Chandos. A member of the teaching staff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Philippe has given masterclasses and workshops at the Royal College of Music, London, Northwestern University, Illinois, and the School of Music and Sonic Arts at Queen's University Belfast, among others.

Byron Fulcher ~ guest trombone
Byron Fulcher is the principal trombonist of both the Philharmonia Orchestra and London Sinfonietta. He took up the trombone at the age of nine and became National Junior Solo Champion at 12. Subsequent solo performances have included the British premieres of Gyorgy Ranki's Tales of Father Goose, Marco Stroppa's From Needles Eye and the world premiere of Dai Fujikura's Ocean as well as Berio's Sequenza V on BBC Radio 3. Byron has twice recorded Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with the Philharmonia under Benjamin Zander and Lorin Maazel. He has appeared at the International Trombone Festival in both Helsinki and Birmingham. A member of London Brass, Byron can also be heard on many film soundtracks including Gladiator and Harry Potter and has been Professor of Trombone at the Royal College of Music since 2004.

Tom Ellis ~ guest guitar
In April 2006, aged just 16, Tom gave the first performance of Stephen Goss' Frozen Music at the Menuhin Hall. This was followed by its London premiere at the Wigmore Hall and its first commercial recording. He subsequently played Vivaldi's D major Concerto with the Menuhin School orchestra and, in November 2008, performed Manuel de Falla's Seven Spanish Songs with soprano Rosalind Plowright at a concert for the Prince's Trust. Tom joined the Royal College in September 2009, studying with Richard Wright. Since then he has twice been a prize winner in the Ivor Mairants Competition, given a series of solo concerts in Italy and performed in the Cadogan Hall's "RCM Rising Stars" concert series.