Guy Johnston
Guy Johnston has become a fast-rising star on the international concert stage after making an extraordinary debut in London at the BBC Proms where he played the Elgar Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. Since then, Johnston has enjoyed a number of recent successes with the London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony, Orchester der Hessischer Rundfunk, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Osaka Philharmonic, St.Petersburg Academic Symphony, Gavle Symphony, Lithuanian National Philharmonic and regular tours to Japan.  Conductors he works closely with include Yan Pascal Tortelier, Daniele Gatti, Leonard Slatkin, Robin Ticciati and Alan Burbayev.

Philip Sheppard
Philip Sheppard is Professor of Cello at the Royal Academy of Music, London as well as a senior lecturer in Principles of Education. He is also a guest lecturer at the Royal College of Music in London and directs education projects for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Harlem centre for young musicians in New York. Philip has been performing as a professional cellist for 30 years, making his debut concert at the age of three, and touring the US and Europe at the age of nine as a concerto soloist. He has performed at venues as diverse as the BBC Proms and Glastonbury Festival, and has made many recordings with classical and jazz composers such as Oliver Knussen, Keith Tippett and John Adams. Philip makes regular radio and television appearances as a soloist, conductor and music commentator and has appeared as a cello soloist on many films. His two solo albums 'The Glass Cathedral' and 'The Diver in the Crypt' use pioneering electric cello techniques and multitracking technology. He has a deep involvement with contemporary music, and has recently collaborated with Scott Walker, Oasis and David Bowie. Philip co-wrote 'Devil in My Life' with Grace Jones for her forthcoming album, and has recently written with Jamelia, Hal, Sia, Pulp and Unkle. Philip has just written and recorded a major solo and orchestral project with Ant Genn, Damien Hirst and John Malkovitch. His music is used in many theatre productions including 'The Elephant Vanishes' for Complicite and 'A Christmas Carol'. Future commissions include a score for dancer Akram Khan, two orchestral albums for BMG and a solo piano album for Chappell. He has recently improvised soundtrack solos for Harry Potter 'The Goblet of Fire' in collaboration with Jarvis Cocker, is featured soloist in 'Hotel Rwanda' and plays solo on all episodes of the BBC drama 'Silent Witness'. Philip has just written a book on the links between intelligence and childhood musical experience. This is published by Artemis Editions. Bluesnow

Alexander Boyarsky
The ‘Cellist, Alexander Boyarsky graduated from the Gnesin Academy in Moscow in the class of Professor Alexander Vlasov and also took lessons from Natalia Gutman, Victor Kubatsky, Sviatoslav Knushevitsky, Alexander Fedorchenko. He has a wide range of repertoire of concerto solos, recitals and chamber music including many premiers of contemporary music in Moscow, St-Petersburg and other towns of the former USSR and Europe. Boyarsky taught at the Moscow Music School and Gnesin Academy and for many years held positions of Co-Principal ‘cellist in Moscow State Symphony Orchestras. These were conducted by Yuri Aranovich, Veronika Dudarova, Maxim Shostakovich and Gennady Rozhdestvensy. He has taken part in many orchestral tours throughout the world playing with most famous conductors and soloists: Z. Metha, Y. Menuhin, M. Rostropovich, V. Gergiev, E. Gilels, D. and I. Oistrakh, N. Jarvi, A. and M. Jansons, P. Tortelie, V. Postnikova, D. Geringas, N. Gutman,T. Grindenko O. Krysa, V. Spivakov, V. Tretiakov, V.Repin, B. Pergamenshikov, N. Petrov and others. Alexander Boyarsky became an UK resident in 1991. He has performed with musicians such a Simon Rownald-Jones, Colin Bradbury, the Belcea Quartet, Eleftheria Kotzia and others at the Britten Theatre, Fairfield Hall, South Bank, St. Davids Hall and many another places. In parallel with performance Alexander Boyarsky devotes most of his time to teaching. He taught the cello at the Yehudi Menuhin School and now teaches at the Purcell School and was for a few years music director of “Cadenza”- summer school. In 1993 he was engaged as professor of Cello at the Royal College of Music, London where he is in great demand as teacher and where in 2004 he was made an Honorary Member, in recognition of his services to music. His pupils have won prizes and awards at Festivals and Competitions and have become members of chamber groups and prestigious orchestras. Alexander Boyarsky has given Master Classes in France, Italy, England, Germany, Spain and Croatia and has been a juror at several international cello competitions. “Anything you do in music is wonderful…” Yehudi Menuhin “He is really wonderful musician - gifted virtuoso with fine taste and feeling of style.” Gennady Roshdestvensky

Simon Morris
Simon has been a co-owner and director of the leading violin and cello experts, J & A Beare, since 1998. He is a well known commentator on violins, cellos and cello-playing and has appeared on the BBC, CNBC and CLASSIC FM; he has given talks at the Royal Festival Hall for the London Philharmonic Orchestra and investment institutions such as Coutts Bank and has been interviewed by the Financial Times, the Independent, the New York Times and other major publications. Prior to devoting his time to the stringed instrument business, Simon was acknowledged as one of the leading cellists in the UK - frequently performing, touring and recording as chamber musician and soloist as well as working with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for ten years. During this time he worked with many of the world's most celebrated string players on the concert platform while developing his specialist interest in fine instruments. Uniquely, he has worked with artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich and Joshua Bell both on the concert platform and as a consultant in fine instruments - recently advising them both on the purchase of exceptional instruments. As an experienced performer and director of the world's leading violin dealers, Simon is also in demand as an international adjudicator and is delighted to return to New Zealand having also been a jury member of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition in 2003.