Frith Piano Quintet

Programme:
Hummel	–	Piano Quintet
Vaughan Williams	-	Piano Quintet
Schubert	–	Piano Quintet "The Trout"

Further information:

Frith Piano Quintet

The Frith Piano Quartet was formed in 2000 by the pianist Benjamin Frith, violinist Robert Heard, violist Louise Williams and cellist Richard Jenkinson. Since its formation the group have performed the complete piano quartets of Brahms, Dvořák, Fauré and Mozart but also take a keen interest in performing gems that are not so often heard in the concert hall by the likes of Frank Bridge, Arthur Bliss and Richard Strauss.

In 2018 Robert Heard and Louise Williams retired and the Quartet was reformed adding violinist David Le Page and violist Robin Ireland.

Benjamin Frith is unable to perform for us at this concert, however, they have found a worthy replacement in Tim Horton.

Tim Horton

Tim Horton (piano) is one of the leading chamber pianists of his generation. He is a founder member of both the Leonore Piano Trio and Ensemble 360 and has been a regular guest pianist with the Nash Ensemble.

In recent years he has also been gaining a reputation as a solo pianist. He presented a complete Beethoven Sonata cycle at the Crucible Studio, Sheffield for Music in the Round between 2011 and 2015, where he is currently engaged in a cycle of Schubert Sonatas, and was invited to make his solo debut at Wigmore Hall in 2016 where he will be giving further solo recitals in the coming seasons.

David Le Page - Born on the channel island of Guernsey, David Le Page began playing the violin at the age of seven. He was offered a place at the Yehudi Menuhin school aged twelve and has since forged a diverse career as a performer, composer, producer and arranger. He is leader of the Stratford-upon-Avon based Orchestra of the Swan and is currently president of the European String Teachers Association (UK). He plays on a violin made in 1874 by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume.

Robin Ireland (viola) is Head of Chamber Music and Senior Viola Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire and also teaches on the Cadenza International Summer School and on courses at Pro Corda and La Mariette in the Loire Valley. During 2011 he was chamber music coach at the Yehudi Menuhin School. In 2017 he has worked with Ensemble 360, the Elias Quartet and the Danel Quartet, and given several performances of Bach’s C major Sonata for unaccompanied violin transcribed for viola. In 2018 he will give three performances of the Walton Viola Concerto with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra.

Richard Jenkinson started to play the cello at the age of five and after winning a Scholarship studied with Florence Hooton until her sudden death in 1988. Whilst at the Guildhall he won all the cello and chamber music prizes. In 1998, he was appointed principal cello with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, since when he has been playing with this Quartet and in a string quartet. He plays a cello by G.B.Grancino of Milan of circa 1662.

John Tattersdill (double bass) graduated from the Royal Manchester College of Music in 1972. John joined the CBSO in 1973 and he has also been an ardent and enthusiastic member of the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group since its formation in 1987. John has had a close relationship with the Maggini Quartet with whom he's performed most of the chamber music repertoire which requires a double bass. More recently he's been playing with the Frith Piano Quartet and Innovation Chamber Ensemble.