Kettering Symphony Orchestra Competitors

The Chilingirian Quartet is one of the most famous names in British chamber music with an international reputation forged over 4 decades. Formed in 1971 by Levon Chilingirian, Mark Butler, Simon Rowland-Jones and Philip De Groote, all recent students at the RCM, the quartet brings a wealth of musical history, tradition and relationships with the greatest names in world chamber music from the 20th century and this informs their practice today. Tradition, subtlety, verve and insight characterise their approach. Levon's early influences include Manoug Parikian, Hugh Bean and musicologist Hans Keller. Levon's career was launched winning the first prizes in both the 1969 BBC Beethoven Competition and the 1971 Munich Duo International Competition. Stephen Orton studied with William Pleeth, is principle cello with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Susie Mészros studied with Sndor Végh, was principle viola with Camerata Salzburg making her debut at Wigmore Hall in a duo with Yehudi Menuhin in 1977, winning the Gold Medal at the Royal Over-Seas League competition. Ronald Birks studied with Alexandre Moskovsky, formerly of the Hungarian String Quartet. In 1971, he was invited to become second violin of the Lindsay String Quartet, with whom he remained until the quartet's retirement in 2005, becoming a member of the Chilingirian Quartet in 2009. Great performers and educators all, their precision, ideas and the wellspring of their art is firmly rooted in the great middle european tradition of chamber music performance. The members of the Chilingirian Quartet will be discussing and reflecting on chamber music, the great works and the elements of performance at the highest level in podcasts, video interviews and articles.

Symphony orchestra promoting an annual concert season in Sidcup, South East London. Repertoire includes symphonies by Beethoven, Berlioz, Dvořák, Elgar, Mahler, Schumann and Shostakovich, Suk and Tchaikovsky, opera scenes by Barber, Menotti, Verdi and Wagner, ballet scores by de Falla, Poulenc and Stravinsky and Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. www.facebook.com/sidcupsymphonyorchestra https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLtIy3raGLabTu0JOsJKQwA

The Arensky Chamber Orchestra was formed in 2009 from the top young professional musicians in London. Led by conductor William Kunhardt, they have rapidly gained a name for combining a dare-devil attitude to music-making with a passion for reimagining the way classical music concerts are presented. Besides countless concerts and festival appearances in the UK, they have given two highly acclaimed seasons at London's Cadogan Hall. The ACO is currently collaborating with artist-in-residence Matthew Sharp - 'virtuoso of the arts' (The Times) and international cellist, singer and actor - whilst previous partnerships include collaborations with the Royal College of Art, and international artists such as Benjamin Grovsenor, Clio Gould, Andrew Haveron, Jennifer Pike and Philip Higham, as well as concert broadcasts on Classic FM. The ACO is classical music for the 21st century. The main artistic drive behind the Arensky Chamber Orchestra is the desire to revitalise the classical music scene from within, by reimagining the content and delivery of classical concerts. This means approaching each programme or individual work with a fresh mind, searching for ways to make the music more immediate, more inspiring, more profound, but being ever mindful of shallow gimmickry. Our biggest aim is to fill our audience with the passion we feel about our music, and create truly memorable performances. The ACO boasts the finest young chamber musicians in the UK. The musicians of the Arensky Chamber Orchestra also come together to perform in smaller ensembles as the Arensky Chamber Orchestra Soloists giving some of the leading chamber musicians in Britain a chance to work in new combinations and with unfamiliar repertory. Regular players come from prize-winning groups such as the Fournier Trio, the Barbican Trio, the Rose Trio, and the Fitzwilliam, Benyounes, Brodowsky, Cavalieri, Finzi, and Vardanyan String Quartets. Together they bring the energy and verve the ACO is famous for to the intimate chamber music stage.