Performers’ Biographies

Roger Owens – piano
‘Roger Owens has a lovely sound, open and rounded, and shows excellent touch and control at the softest dynamics.’(Tim Parry, International Record Review).

Roger Owens has established himself as one of the most versatile of pianists.  His repertoire is unusually wide and ranges from Gibbons to Hoddinott, whose music he has premiered on several occasions.  He has appeared regularly at the major musical centres of the United Kingdom where his playing has been acclaimed for combining effortless virtuoso technique with a warm tonal palette and vivid sensitivity.

Recent highlights have been performances of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Barbican, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Bach Choir and the Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall and also with the Waynflete Singers and London Mozart Players at Winchester Cathedral, Grieg’s Piano Concerto at The Anvil, Basingstoke and an appearance at the Freden International Music Festival in Germany where his playing was described as ‘music making of overwhelming intensity…an outstanding combination of passion, musical depth and technical expertise’ (Andreas Bode, Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung).  Last season he gave piano/organ recitals at Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Bledington Festival with Thomas Trotter and performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in Loughborough as a member of the Eluard Trio.

Roger studied privately with Peter Gould and then at the Royal College of Music with John Barstow MBE, where he was presented with both the Chappell and Tagore Gold Medals.  A placement on the Countess of Munster Recital scheme helped to launch his career.  He went on to win the Royal Over-Seas League Piano Competition along with the Bryden Thomson recital prize at the Scottish International Piano Competition. 

Roger is a skilled communicator whose engaging personality makes him a popular visitor to music societies throughout the British Isles.  He has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, most recently in Spain and Germany, and has broadcast for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and German radio.  Future appearances include recitals at the Winchester and Great Comp Music Festivals.

‘I really admire Roger Owens’ piano playing.  It is not only technically masterful, but also beautifully phrased and poetic.’ (Sir Roger Norrington, conductor).

Lionel Handy - ’cello
Lionel Handy launched a series of concerts in 2008 to promote new works for the cello and to celebrate the centenaries of Carter and Messiaen, and also to celebrate his own physical recovery from a serious accident. His subsequent recording for the Cadenza music label has received both national and international critical acclaim. To date, he has commissioned eight new works for cello and a second recording of works by Kodaly was released in January 2011.  
                                                            
Lionel has given several solo recitals at the Wigmore Hall and South Bank. In 2001 he was invited to participate in the inaugural South African Chamber Music Festival, returning for a second visit in 2003. He has premiered many contemporary works and with the London Sinfonietta has worked with many of the leading composers of recent times including Tippett, Berio, Lutoslawski, Henze, Carter, Part, Birtwistle, Reich and Knussen. Lionel plays as guest principal with most of the UK’s leading orchestras including the Philharmonia, LSO, Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and English Chamber Orchestra. His interest in British twentieth century music has led to performances of the concertos by Finzi, Bax, Walton and Delius.

Lionel was principal cello with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields for ten years with whom he recorded extensively and toured the United States and Europe many times. Later as solo cellist with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, he performed an eclectic range of concertos from CPE Bach and Boccherini to Tavener and Roxburgh.

Much in demand as a chamber musician, Lionel has broadcast frequently for BBC Radio Three and European networks and has made numerous commercial recordings. He is a member of London Music Phoenix Ensemble and Trio Eluard with whom he has performed in festivals in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain as well as the UK.

As a scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music, Lionel Handy won all the prizes for cello and chamber music, including the prestigious Moir Carnegie Recital Diploma prize and Principal’s Prize. He was awarded first prize in the Muriel Taylor Competition by Jacqueline du Pre and with several other important scholarship awards he was able to continue his studies with Janos Starker in Banff and with Pierre Fournier in Geneva. He has been professor at the Royal Academy of Music since 1982, and also teaches at the Birmingham Conservatoire in addition to summer schools in Europe. Many of his former pupils hold important positions in orchestras throughout the UK. He was recently awarded F.R.A.M. from the Royal Academy of Music. He plays on a cello by Fendt (circa 1820).

Vida Guitar Quartet
The VIDA Guitar Quartet brings together four guitarists of exceptional artistry who share a passion for chamber music. After their debut at the World Youth Guitar Festival in 2007, the Quartet have rapidly gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic guitar ensembles in the UK, performing at venues including Kings Place (London), the Sage (Gateshead), St George’s (Bristol) and other events such as London Guitar Festival in the Fall, Bath International Guitar Festival, Dilllington Guitar Festival, and Winchester Guitar Festival. 

Mark Ashford is an internationally renowned performer and teacher.  A former scholarship student at both Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, Mark finished his studies with the eminent guitarist David Russell in Vigo, Spain. He is a prize winner at many national and international competitions including the Guitar Foundation of America, Alessandria International Guitar Competition, Scandinavian International Guitar Competition, Julian Bream Prize, and BBC Radio 2 Young Musician.  He has performed as a soloist at major concert halls including, the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Bridgewater Hall, Queens Hall (Edinburgh), St George’s Bristol and the Guildhall London.  Mark’s latest solo CD is of Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’  recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Cleobury. He teaches at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music and in 2003 was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for his achievements in the music profession.

Mark Eden and Christopher Stell are well known as the Eden Stell Guitar Duo, one of the most innovative guitar ensembles in the world. They formed in 1990 whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music, and continued their studies with Sérgio and Odair Assad in Brussels. The duo’s career was launched auspiciously as winners of both the South East Young Musicians Platform and the Park Lane Group young artist concert series. Since then they have gone on to record eight CDs on the BGS, Docker and Hänssler Classic labels, their latest ‘Music for an Island’ BGS117 is a multimedia CD. Mark and Christopher have perform in over 20 countries at venues including London’s Wigmore Hall and Southbank Centre and Germany’s Stuttgart and Beethoven Halle. Concerto engagements have included performances with renowned ensembles such as the Prague Chamber Orchestra, and the duo are the only guitarists since Julian Bream to receive an ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone Magazine. They hold teaching positions at the Royal College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire and Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior department, and give classes in other music academies and guitar festivals all over the world. They were elected Associates of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of their performing achievements and are D’Addario strings sponsored artists.

Helen Sanderson studied guitar at the Royal College of Music with Charles Ramirez, graduating with both the Madeline Walton prize for guitar and the prestigious Anthony Saltmarsh Bursary. Her active concert career has included concerts at major international guitar festivals and recitals at the Purcell Room, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Barbican Hall, the Academy of Arts (Berlin), the British Embassy in Vienna, Bath International Guitar Festival and Winchester Guitar Festival. In addition to her solo performances, Helen is also much in demand as an adjudicator, recording artist and accompanist for voice and guitar repertoire, working in partnerships with Mark Wilde (tenor) ‘Ancient Melodies’ (Docker Records), Susan Legg (mezzo-soprano), and the eminent countertenor James Bowman.

‘Love, the Magician’ (BGS118) is the VIDA Guitar Quartet’s debut CD recording with the BGS label with a programme of distinctly Andalucian flavour.

VIDA Guitar Quartet play D'Addario strings.

James Stretton
James Stretton has been a highly successful musical chameleon working professionally as a trumpeter in a wide diversity of genre. His musical journey began in the Warwickshire County Youth Orchestra, culminating in a performance of the notorious 2nd Brandenburg Concerto, aged 17.

He studied Trumpet at Trinity College of Music, London. Post-graduate he continued his musical studies in Houston, Texas. James has performed with some of the country’s leading orchestras including City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and London Concert Orchestras as well as being a regular musician in productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company.  Formerly he was a member of both the Yorkshire giants of the brass band world – Black Dyke and Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

In 2005 he left his fulltime teaching post at Harrogate Ladies’ College and started his own company, orichalcum – World of Brass, which utilises his ability to play ALL the members of the brass family.  Together with pianist Iain Jackson they perform truly unique and innovative BRASSED UP! concerts that entertain, educate and enthral.

Craig Ogden, Guitar
Craig Ogden made his Royal Albert Hall debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez in a Classic FM Live concert. He has also performed concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia (with Vladimir Ashkenazy), Accademia di Santa Cecilia (Rome), Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Scottish National, Bournemouth Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Northern Sinfonia, Britten Sinfonia, Riga Kammermusika, St Petersburg Festival Orchestra, English Chamber, English Symphony, English Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, National Orchestra of South Africa, Tasmania Symphony, West Australian Symphony and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.

Craig Ogden regularly appears as soloist and chamber musician at the major London venues including the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Barbican. He has also performed at most of the main UK festivals and is the most sought after guitarist for chamber music in the UK performing with the Brodsky Quartet, Nash Ensemble, London Sinfonietta, tenors Mark Padmore, Ian Bostridge and John Mark Ainsley, Claire Bradshaw (mezzo-soprano), Paul Tanner (percussion), Gerard McChrystal (saxophone), Alison Stephens (mandolin) and Judith Hall (flute). Craig also frequently records for film and was featured on the British hit, Notting Hill. Ogden’s world premiere performances include a concerto written for him by Gerard Brophy (Australia) (with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra), Sun Trap (for solo guitar) by Jonathan Cole commissioned by the Britten Festival, The Hinchinbrook Riffs (for solo guitar and digital delay) by Nigel Westlake and an Alec Roth song cycle for the Chester Festival. He has also given UK premieres of guitar concertos by John Corigliano (USA) and Aaron Jay Kernis (USA). Commissions currently in planning include concertos from John McCabe, John Metcalf and Ciaran Farrell.

Craig Ogden is married to British opera singer Claire Bradshaw with whom he frequently appears in concert. The duo has toured Australia and South Africa and perform regularly in festivals, for music societies and on radio in the UK. Craig Ogden is Principal Lecturer in Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain
 “The height of professionalism…truly orchestral…virtuoso performances…fans of any kind of good music, or just of good anything, should splash out on a ticket for this kind of performance.”  Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Fresh from featuring on the hit BBC1 series Play It Again, The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain is an extraordinarily talented ensemble of professional saxophonists committed to encourage new writing for the saxophone and to introduce audiences to a sound that is rich, diverse and unimaginably awesome.

Audiences will be thrilled with the sound of over 20 musicians performing a range of musical genres which will demonstrate the agility of the saxophone and the amazing musicianship of this ensemble.

Featuring some brand new arrangements such as Ulrich Schultheiss’ ‘Metropolitains’ arranged by Nigel Wood and a new arrangement of ‘Aria’ from Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the internationally renowned saxophonists Gerard McChrystal and Nigel Wood as soloists.

All this coupled with their usual high energy performance of funky reels, crazy rags, not to mention Bohemian Rhapsody should make for an exciting afternoon of music not to be missed.