Six concerts from October to March in the Cowdray Hall, Schoolhill at 7.30
Alla Aranovsky (violin), Alla Krolevich (violin), Boris Vayner (viola), Leonid Shukayev (cello)
Some of you will remember the cancellation of our January concert in 2005 when this quartet were due to play, but were “snow-bound” in New York. We are glad to have been able to invite them again, and have reduced the chance of weather problems by bringing them in October this time! The quartet started life 20 years ago as the Leningrad Quartet, but when the city of Leningrad resumed its historic name, the quartet likewise changed its name to St Petersburg Quartet. The list of chamber music competitions that the quartet has won is far too long to detail, and the reputation of their performances world-wide is such that we know this will be a great start to our season. The programme has a distinctly Russian flavour, with the additional attraction of one of Dvorak's less well-known quartets.
David campbell (clarinet), Ben Hancox (violin), Hannah Dawson (violin), Robin Ashwell (viola), Cara Berridge (cello)
Prizewinners in the London International String Quartet Competition, and in both the Bordeaux and Trondheim International Quartet Competitions, this quartet has become well known on concert platforms throughout the UK and Europe. With them will be the clarinetist, David Campbell – we haven't had a clarinet quintet concert since 1976 and so we are delighted. As well as two quintets, the quartet will play a work commissioned for them by Welsh composer John Metcalf, which explains why the concert is being included in s•o•u•n•d, North East Scotland's Festival of New Music (for further details of this exciting event see the web-site at www.sound-scotland.co.uk).
David McGuinness (harpsichord), Alison McGillivray (cello) and Mhairi Lawson (soprano)
Alison is a much sought-after baroque cellist, who plays with many early music consorts and orchestras, and played for us with the group “Ricordo” a few seasons ago. David and Alison are part of “Concerto Caledonia”, which specialises in the music of 18th-century Scotland, played on period instruments. In addition their interests also embrace traditional and contemporary music. At present they have a residency at the new Perth Concert Hall. Alison and David will be joined by the brilliant young Scottish soprano, Mhairi Lawson, who studied with Emma Kirkby. She has appeared as soloist with many well-known early music groups, including the Gabrielli Consort, and Les Arts Florissants. We will hear a varied programme of 18th-century music with Scottish connections.
Oliver Heath (violin), Rebecca Eves (violin), Gary Pomeroy (viola), Christopher Murray (cello)
Like the Navarra Quartet we heard in December 2006, the Heath Quartet is another of the exciting young ensembles to come from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Since their formation in 2002, they have won numerous awards, including in 2006 the Royal Northern College Sir John Barbarolli Memorial Prize for Chamber Music. They will come to Aberdeen as part of a Scottish Tour for the Tunnell Trust. The programme includes a work new to ACMC, Martinu's second quartet, and Beethoven's great late quartet op. 130.
Katharine Gowers (violin), Gretel Dowdeswell (piano)
We had planned a cello and piano recital for February, but unfortunately Alice Neary is unable to play for us. We are delighted that the violinist Katharine Gowers is able to take her place. Katharine was a gold medal winner at the Guildhall School of Music, and has since then played with many of the foremost chamber artists, including Paul Lewis, Alfred Brendel and Stephen Isserlis, and toured the Bach Double Violin Concerto with Nigel Kennedy. She is a regular sonata partner with Gretel, as well as appearing as concerto soloist.
Gretel Dowdeswell was a founder member of the Gould Piano Trio and played with them for 11 years. She has subsequently consolidated her reputation as a chamber music specialist, performing in Europe, Canada and the Far East, most recently with the acclaimed cellist Jian Wang in China. The programme for this concert is being finalised, and will be announced in October.
Alexey Naumenko (violin), Anton Ilyunin (violin), Dmitry Pitulko (viola), Anna Gorelova (cello)
Yet another of Russia's spectacular young quartets, the Atrium won second prize in the International Competition of String Quartets by Shostakovich in Moscow in 2002, only a year after they were formed. In 2003 they won first prize and the audience prize in the London International String Quartet Competition, and as part of their prize they recorded for EMI quartets by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. The CD was released to critical acclaim, and since then their international career has blossomed with many concerts tours and festivals throughout Europe.