Philippe Honoré divides
his busy schedule between chamber music, solo work and as a principal
player with the Philharmonia Orchestra. He was made an Honorary Associate
of the Royal Academy of Music in 2001. He is a founder member of Mobius,
and has also appeared as a soloist performing Beethoven, Mozart, Bach
and Vivaldi concerti as well as Ravel's Tzigane. His solo recordings
for the Decca album 'An Equal Music' are regularly featured on Classic
FM and BBC Radio 3. The novel of that name by the author Vikram Seth
was inspired and dedicated to him. Highlights for 2007/08 include a violin
and piano recital in Moscow, and premieres of solo violin works by Alec
Roth at the Salisbury, Chelsea and Lichfield Festivals.
Since her first concert at age five, Maya Iwabuchi has
enjoyed an international career as a solo violinist, chamber musician
and orchestral leader. Highlights as soloist include appearances with
the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonia
Orchestra. Her performances throughout the UK have taken her to the South
Bank Centre, Wigmore Hall, St. George's Bristol and music festivals such
as Chichester and Aldeburgh and the International Musicians Seminar in
Prussia Cove. The Strad hailed her as 'simply brilliant' and the Times
'gorgeous'. She toured with the Vellinger Quartet in 2001 as a guest
to much acclaim. Maya has been Leader of the Philharmonia Orchestra since
1994 for which she regularly receives praise from artists and critics
alike. Maya joined Mobius in 2004.
Born in Santander, Jaime Martin studied with Antonio
Arias in Madrid and later with Paul Verhey in The Hague. He has performed
as soloist with orchestras such as Academy of St. Martin in the Fields,
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, London Mozart Players,
Orchestra of Santa Cecilia of Rome and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
with conductors including Daniel Gatti, Andras Schiff, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
and Heinz Holliger. His solo recordings include Mozart concertos with
Sir Neville Marriner, a premiere recording of the Sinfonietta Concerto
for Flute and Orchestra written for him by Xavier Montsalvatge and conducted
by Gianandrea Noseda, Bach works for flute, violin and piano with Murray
Perahia and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields for Sony and Mozart
flute quartet for EMI. He was Principal Flute of the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra (1997-2001) and he now holds Principal Flute positions with
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and
English National Opera. He is Professor at the Royal College of Music
in London and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
Alison Nicholls performs as soloist, chamber musician
and frequent guest with major orchestras in the UK and elsewhere.
Widely regarded as one of the finest players of her generation,
she has won many national and international awards. These include
First Prize at the 1994 World Harp Festival Competition, where
she was unanimously awarded the Zabaleta Prize and Special Salvi
Award. As a soloist, she has performed for the UK Harp Association,
the American Harp Society, the World Harp Congress, and at international
festivals throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East.
Born in Britain, Alison studied at London University and the Juilliard
School, New York. Now based in Paris and London, she remains committed
to making music accessible, through performance, outreach projects,
recording, broadcasting and teaching.
Sally Pendlebury grew up in Manchester and attended
Chetham's School of Music. At age 14 she became the youngest
founding member of the European Community Youth Orchestra and
was its principal cello for 3 years. She studied at the Guildhall
School of Music during which she won the Capital Radio Prize
and was a Shell/LSO competition prizewinner. She also won scholarships
to study in Dusseldorf and Boston. She is a member of the Chamber
Orchestra of Europe and has performed and recorded with many
of the great soloists and conductors of today. She was a founder
member of the Vellinger String Quartet which won the 1994 London
International String Quartet Competition, and with them toured
regularly throughout Europe, Japan and the USA. The quartet performed
at many festivals such as Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Centre, Edinburgh,
Klangboden in Vienna and Mondsee. She is regularly invited to
festivals internationally and this year will participate in chamber
music series in New York, San Francisco, Nurnberg and Graz. Sally
plays guest principal with many British orchestras such as English
Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia.
Robert Plane is Principal Clarinet of the BBC National
Orchestra of Wales. As a concerto soloist he has appeared with the
Bournemouth Symphony, City of London Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, Northern
Sinfonia and Zurich Chamber Orchestra in the UK and in Europe. He is
particularly known for his performances and recordings of British music.
His Finzi Clarinet Concerto recording has received a number of accolades
such as the Classic CD 'Best Concerto Recording' Award, BBC Radio 3's
'Building a Library Recommended Recording' and Gramophone Magazine's
'Editor's Choice'. His disc of Bax Sonatas was shortlisted for a chamber
music Gramophone Award in 2006. He will make his USA chamber debut
with the Mandelring Quartet in 2008.
Vicci Wardman has been Principal Viola of the
Philharmonia Orchestra since 2001 where she performs regularly
with the world's great conductors and soloists. In 1986 she was
a string finalist in the BBC ‘Young Musician of the Year'.
As a multi award-winning student at the Royal Northern College
of Music, Vicci became a founder member of the Sorrel Quartet
in 1987 with whom she made many prize-winning Chandos recordings
and enjoyed an international career. She is regularly invited
as guest principal in orchestras such as the English Chamber
Orchestra, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, the BBC National
Orchestra of Wales, the London Philharmonic and Oslo Philharmonic.
Vicci has also appeared with Hausmusik and the Nash Ensemble,
and is a member of the critically-acclaimed Eroica Quartet. Vicci
gives classes at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy
of Music and teaches privately at her home in London.
Text from Charles Padley