Cello Teaching Staff 2008
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Spike Wilson
Head of Adult Improvers' and Adult Performance Courses
Spike Wilson has many years experience of teaching all ages, having been a Director of the Oxford Cello School and coached and conducted amateur, youth
and student orchestras as well as teaching in schools and having had many private pupils. He has a particular love of chamber music, is the cellist of The Holywell Ensemble, and enjoys coaching groups of all sizes and levels, believing strongly that chamber music is the best way to develop confidence within a framework of individual responsibility and common endeavour, without having to suffer the paralytic nerves caused by solo performance. He also finds that one of the strengths of a summer course lies in looking for ways of overcoming each player's difficulties through sharing ideas and problems, aiming to reduce stress and increase enjoyment in cello-playing. Spike is also performance co-ordinator at Oxford Brookes' University. Holywell Ensemble
Kwęsi Edman BMus
Head of Performance, Advanced and Alpine Cello Courses
Kwęsi studied at the Royal Academy of Music, with David Strange and Philip Sheppard. Whilst at the Academy, Kwęsi participated in master classes with Mats Lidström and Josephine Knight. In 2001 Kwęsi formed the Pręsmaki Duo with pianist Peter Dodsworth in a recital tour. As a soloist he has performed the concertos of Elgar and Dvorak, and has recorded Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme. He has recently premičred and recorded Alex Hills’ solo cello work, The Fountain and the Garden. Kwęsi recently played at the prestigious service at Westminster Abbey (broadcast live on the BBC) commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. In 2005 Kwęsi joined the Amber Players with whom he has performed across the UK. Kwęsi has also worked in popular music, having performed with Elton John (Royal Opera House), Shirley Bassey and Sir Paul Macartney (Queen’s Jubilee Party at the Palace celebration). He has also played on BBC’s Top of the Pops. Kwęsi was previously Head of the Junior course at Oxford Cello School for seven years. He works in London as a freelance teacher and orchestral player and in 2005 co-founded the Caesar Cello Ensemble for adult amateurs. Amberplayers
Matthew Forbes BMus(Hons) LRAM
Head of Improvisation and Intermediate Courses
Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music with First Class Honours in 2000, his career as a musician has been varied and eclectic. He has been guest principal cello of Scottish Opera, as well as enjoying regular work with ensembles such as the Royal Opera House orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, the BBC Concert and
Symphony orchestras, Royal Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the Academy of St-Martin-In-The-Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra among many others. Matthew is the cellist of the Trelawn String Quartet who have recently been Ensemble-in-residence at
Erin James
Head of Junior Course
k Medieval Harp as her 2nd study instrument!
Simon Wallfisch
Choir Master
Born in London and currently based in Germany, Simon began his musical training as a cellist aged 5. He studied Jazz Piano at the Guildhall for two years before he was awarded a Foundation Scholarship to study Cello and voice at the Royal College of Music where he graduated with First Class honours. The Countess of Munster Trust, English Speaking Union, George Solti foundation and Philip Carne have been generous supporters. As a cellist, Simon performed as a soloist and chamber musician in London's Purcell Room, St John's Smith Square, St George's Branden Hill Bristol, and various music festivals in the UK and around Europe, especially in France and Spain. Simon also played with Bolivar Soloists, a group specializing in Latin American Music, recently recording their second CD and broadcasting on National Radio in Germany. Aged 20, Simon began playing regularly with the English Chamber Orchestra, often on the front desk in concerts across the globe and various recording projects. Since he has been singing professionally he has had several opportunities to sing with the ECO as soloist
. Simon gained his Post-Graduate Diploma in voice from the Royal College of Music where he studied with Russell Smythe. Aged 23, he was the winner of the Royal Overseas League Audrey Strage Memorial Prize for Young Singer of Promise and a finalist in the Emmy Destinn Foundation Competition held in Prague. Last year, he was awarded a Prize from the Solti Foundation enabling him to study for a month in Italy with Mirella Freni. In the same year, Simon travelled to Moscow, giving a song recital in the British Embassy, and as a DAAD scholar, he continued his vocal studies as a tenor at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with Scot Wier and subsequently with Jeanette Favaro-Reuter in the Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschule für Musik in Leipzig. Part of his opera training includes work in the Berlin Staatsoper and Komische Oper. He has also had classes with Thomas Quasthoff, Julia Varady, Heather Harper, Donald MacIntire, Sarah Walker, Roger Vignoles and Wolfram Rieger. As a baritone, Simon has performed roles both staged and semi-staged, that include Don Giovanni, Salieri, Kaiser of Atlantis, Figaro (Barber of Seville), Don Alfonso, and his favourite role: Pélleas. Recently rising from baritone to tenor, Simon is already a consumate Lieder singer, last year singing to great acclaim Schubert's Winterreise in both Berlin and Munich. Future engagements include a recording of Die Schöne Mullerin. Simon also enjoys singing lighter repertoire; he recently sang a programme of Cole Porter and Noel Coward songs at the Ivy Restaurant on the occasion of Murray Perahia's 60th birthday.
Marianne Gottfeldt
Marianne was born in Copenhagen and began the cello at the age of ten with
Hans-Erik Deckert. While living and working in Geneva in the late fifties she studied with Pierre Fournier. After returning to England she received a diploma in music from Westminster College in Oxford, whilst studying with Helen Just in London. From 1974-75 Marianne returned to Geneva where she studied at the Conservatoire with Wolfgang Drechsler. In 1976 she became a cello teacher for the Oxfordshire Music Service from which she retired last year. Twenty eight years ago Marianne decided to run day courses for cello students. These courses were so successful that they continue to the present day - the Oxford Cello School!
Leandro Silvera BMus(Hons) PPRNCM
Leandro Silvera was born in
String Playing, the Granada Prize for Chamber Ensembles and the Sir Malcolm Arnold Prize for Chamber Music. He graduated in 1999 with a Commended BMus (Honours) Degree and a Diploma in Professional Performance. He has participated in several masterclasses with Karine Georgian (Dartington International Summer School) and Ralph Kirshbaum (IMS Prussia Cove) and works as a free-lance cellist with the BBC Philharmonic, the Hallé Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Opera North, the Orchestra of the Golden Age (on baroque cello) and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He recently completed his postgraduate studies with Hannah Roberts and was awarded a PGDip RNCM. He developed a passionate interest for teaching working as an assistant to Emma Ferrand; since then he has given cello masterclasses for the European String Teachers' Association and at the
Katy Wright
Katy graduated in 2004 from the Royal Academy of Music in London with distinction and a commendation for an outstanding final recital. She studied with Josephine Knight and David Strange and also studied with Christian Giger, Principal Cello of the Gewendhaus Orchestra in the Hochshule for Music in
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Alex Holladay
Alex has just completed his postgraduate studies in 'cello performance with Colin Carr and Philip Sheppard at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with the prestigous DipRAM, and also winning the Thomas Fitton Prize for Strings for the
best cello final recital. Whilst at the Academy, he was principal cellist in all the major orchestras and was awarded the Peter Halling Memorial Prize and the British Land Prize, together with awards from the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust to support his studies. A passionate chamber musician Alex performs regularly with the Lawson Piano Trio, who hold a Leverhulme Junior Chamber Music Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music and give recitals throughout the year for festivals and societies nationwide and abroad. Alex graduated from Queens’ College,
David Kadum
David has studied the cello since the age of six. His post-school studies took him to the
The Lindsay String Quartet, he performed Andrejz Panufnik cello concerto. After graduation David was offered a Leverhulme scholarship and a Countess of Munster award to undertake performance postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music where he studied with Leonid Gorokhov. Since completing his studies David has freelanced with a number of professional orchestras including Royal Philharmonic orchestra, RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and London Musici freelance orchestra. David has also recently appeared as soloist in a performance of Dvorak cello concerto.
Chris Doggett MA PGcert
Chris graduated in music from King's College,
won a place on the CBSO scheme and came 2nd in the Sylvia Cleaver chamber music prize. He has studied with John Todd and more recently Natalia Pavlutskaya. He now teaches for Luton Borough Council and directs the
Tim Smedley
Tim studied at Chetham’s
awarded places on access schemes with the
Jonathan Buyers
Belfast-born Jonathan studied at the Royal Academy of Music in
course at the RAM, studying with Jennifer Ward-Clarke and Philip Sheppard. Jonathan has worked with many orchestras and period instrument groups, including the
Helen Downham
Helen began to play the ‘cello at the age of eight with Doreen Cresswell. She subsequently went on to study with Catherine Ardagh-Walter of the CBSO and Bernard Gregor-Smith of the Lindsay String Quartet at the
Manchester
Frédérique Legrand
Born in Pidoux,Florian Lauridon, Stephane Manent, Christophe Dujardin, Jerome Pernoo.....), and has been a soloist for the creation of Yvon Bourrel in 2002. She frequently plays recitals in France as well as The UK. Currently a student at the Royale College of Music with Alexander Boyarsky, she plays regularly as a soloist and leader of the orchestra. She is a member of the Hannover Square Ensemble, and regularly performs chamber music. A member of the band " The Outside Royalty"( Channel 4, BBC 5, Radio 1 ...), Frederique has also recorded with several singers and professional bands in
Jessica Garner
Born in 1982, Jessica began playing the cello aged 9. She went on to study cello with Gordon Pringle at Trinity College of Music Junior Department before being awarded a place at the Royal Academy of Music where she studied with Lionel Handy and Philip Sheppard. She has a wealth of solo, orchestral and chamber music performance experience, having performed under the batons of great conductors such as Jan Pascal Tortellier, Tadaaki Ottaka and Sir Colin Davis, as well as various forays into the world of commercial music, including a UK tour with Sir Elton John and playing with various bands. Currently working as a free-lance musician and cello teacher based in London, she is a member of the recently formed Dea Quartet, with whom she performs a wide array of different musical styles. Also very committed to teaching, she coaches and teaches young cellists in West Sussex, conducts young string players and is cello professor at Portsmouth Grammar School, Hampshire. She regularly gives solo recitals in and around London and the south of England.
Hans Nygaard
Hans Nygaard made his first public concert at the age of 7. Already at the age of 13 he performed all over Scandinavia as a soloist in the concertos by Haydn,Wagenseil and Vivaldi. Only 16 years old he won the Berlingske Competition Gold Medal and Special Award of the Jury. He has received a large
number of Prizes and Awards. The long list includes The Royal Philharmonic Honourary Award and awards from HM the Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, The Queen Mother, The Augustinus Foundation (Scandinavian Tobacco Company), MT Hojgaard, Wilhelm Hansen Edition and many more. He is the only musician twice to receive the prestigious Jacob Gade Award. In 1987 Hans Nygaard became a member of the Royal Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and became a principal cellist of the Cultural Ambassador Chamber Orchestra "I Fiamminghi" in Belgium in 1992. In 1993 he was appointed the first ever non-German 1.principal cellist of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra with whom he also performed the Elgar and Brahms concertos. In 1997 Hans Nygaard was appointed principal cellist of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he has performed the Concertos by Elgar and Haydn.