Music on Thursdays
|
|
Thursday
24th November 2022
12.30 lunchtime
Asaka Quartet
Iona McDonald & Eriol Guo Yu, violins
Suzie Xin He, viola
Jonathan Fong Ho Man, cello
Programme
Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax (1883-1953)
String Quartet No 1 in G major (1918) (23’)
1 Allegro semplice
2 Lento e molto espressivo
3 Rondo
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
String Quartet No 1 in E minor Bologna, H70 (1906)
I Adagio - Allegro appassionata
II Adagio molto
III Allegretto grazioso - Animato
IV Allegro agitato - Allegro moderato - Adagio molto
Concert duration approx: 60 minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Asaka Quartet
The Asaka Quartet is an up-and-coming string quartet formed in 2021 at London's Royal Academy of Music. In October 2021, after playing together for only a week, they were selected for the prestigious Frost Trust Advanced Specialist Strings Ensemble Training Scheme (A.S.S.E.T.) at the Academy where they were mentored by Martin Outram.
In June 2022, they attended the Tunnell Trust's Chamber Music Coll course on
invitation by Jonathan Tunnell where they studied with Richard Deakin, Charles Tunnell, Scott Dickinson and Jonathan Tunnell, working and performing alongside Sylvia Winds and the Ferrante String Quartet.
In July 2022 they were delighted to have been awarded 1st prize in the Wolfe Wolfinsohn String Quartet Prize at the Royal Academy of Music for their performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet Opus 18 No 2 in G major.
In February 2022, Asaka was joined by fellow students in a performance of Schubert’s Octet in the Academy’s Bicentenary Chamber Festival, on invitation by Levon Chilingirian.
They are enjoying a busy Autumn season which includes recitals in Moffat Town Hall, St James’ Piccadilly, Regent Hall and the Royal Academy of Music. After just 6 months of working together, they were delighted to have been appointed Chamber Music Fellows at the Royal Academy for 2022/23.
In June 2022, they attended the Tunnell Trust's Chamber Music Coll course on
invitation by Jonathan Tunnell where they studied with Richard Deakin, Charles Tunnell, Scott Dickinson and Jonathan Tunnell, working and performing alongside Sylvia Winds and the Ferrante String Quartet.
In July 2022 they were delighted to have been awarded 1st prize in the Wolfe Wolfinsohn String Quartet Prize at the Royal Academy of Music for their performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet Opus 18 No 2 in G major.
In February 2022, Asaka was joined by fellow students in a performance of Schubert’s Octet in the Academy’s Bicentenary Chamber Festival, on invitation by Levon Chilingirian.
They are enjoying a busy Autumn season which includes recitals in Moffat Town Hall, St James’ Piccadilly, Regent Hall and the Royal Academy of Music. After just 6 months of working together, they were delighted to have been appointed Chamber Music Fellows at the Royal Academy for 2022/23.
Iona McDonald, violin
Iona McDonald is a violinist recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Musicwhere she obtained her Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees studying with
Maureen Smith and Michael Foyle. Born in Dumfries, and with her early education in
Moffat, Iona is a well-known young musician around Dumfries and Galloway.
Iona is a member of the Asaka Quartet, formed at the RAM in October 2021. The quartet enjoys performing regularly in venues across London and Dumfries and Galloway.
Iona is passionate about music education and has been working with the Benedetti
Foundation since January 2020 where she currently works as a Senior Lead
Ambassador.
She is also a keen orchestral player and has been a member of the Gustav Mahler
Jugendorchester since 2019. Highlights of her time working with the GMJO include
performing on the opening night of the Salzburg Festspiele in July 2021 and a
collaboration with the GMJO and the Dresden Staatskapelle in March 2020.
While studying, she performed regularly with the RAM Symphony Orchestra which she
recently led for their performance of Mahler 3 at the Royal Festival Hall conducted by
Semyon Bychkov for the Academy’s 200th Anniversary Concert in June 2022.
Iona has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland ensembles since the age of 8, touring China in 2015, performing at the Proms in 2016 and leading the Symphony Orchestra in the 2017 season. In July 2022 she was invited back as a soloist to perform Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 with the NYOS Junior orchestra. She has also performed as soloist with Buxton Music Society, Birmingham Musicale, Halifax Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow Chamber Orchestra, and High Peak Orchestra.
Maureen Smith and Michael Foyle. Born in Dumfries, and with her early education in
Moffat, Iona is a well-known young musician around Dumfries and Galloway.
Iona is a member of the Asaka Quartet, formed at the RAM in October 2021. The quartet enjoys performing regularly in venues across London and Dumfries and Galloway.
Iona is passionate about music education and has been working with the Benedetti
Foundation since January 2020 where she currently works as a Senior Lead
Ambassador.
She is also a keen orchestral player and has been a member of the Gustav Mahler
Jugendorchester since 2019. Highlights of her time working with the GMJO include
performing on the opening night of the Salzburg Festspiele in July 2021 and a
collaboration with the GMJO and the Dresden Staatskapelle in March 2020.
While studying, she performed regularly with the RAM Symphony Orchestra which she
recently led for their performance of Mahler 3 at the Royal Festival Hall conducted by
Semyon Bychkov for the Academy’s 200th Anniversary Concert in June 2022.
Iona has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland ensembles since the age of 8, touring China in 2015, performing at the Proms in 2016 and leading the Symphony Orchestra in the 2017 season. In July 2022 she was invited back as a soloist to perform Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 with the NYOS Junior orchestra. She has also performed as soloist with Buxton Music Society, Birmingham Musicale, Halifax Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow Chamber Orchestra, and High Peak Orchestra.
Eriol Guo Yu, violin
Born 1998 in Hangzhou, China, Eriol Guo Yu started playing the violin at the age of eight. While studying in Shanghai, she won the East China Normal University’s concerto competition leading to a highly praised performance of Brahms violin concerto at Shanghai Concert Hall.
Eriol performs in many renowned venues across Asia and Europe including Royal Festival Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Berlin Konzerthaus and Wigmore Hall. She has taken part in festivals such as Young Euro Classic in Berlin, Snape Maltings Proms, and Bolzano Music Festival. In 2022 she was invited to Encuentro de Santander and Dartington Summer Festival.
She has a wealth of orchestral experience, having played with orchestras such as London Sinfornietta, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra. As a former member of the Asian Youth Orchestra, NYO-China, International Regions Orchestra and others, she has enjoyed working with renowned conductors including Bychkov, Ludovic Morlot, James Judd, and Sir Mark Elder.
Eriol studied her Masters degree with an entrance scholarship at Royal Academy of Music London, under the mentoring of Prof Michael Foyle. She is a passionate baroque violinist as well, having studied with Nicolette Moonen, and collaborated with Rachel Podger, Lawrence Cummings, Bojan Čičić, etc. She is now a Chamber Music Fellow with her quartet at Academy.
She has previously studied with Lin Chang, Weimin Zheng from Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and received guidance from Yo-yo Ma, Midori, James Ehnes, Bin Huang, Ian Swensen, Liwei Qin and others.
Eriol is playing on a Giuseppe Pedrazzini made in 1930.
Eriol performs in many renowned venues across Asia and Europe including Royal Festival Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Berlin Konzerthaus and Wigmore Hall. She has taken part in festivals such as Young Euro Classic in Berlin, Snape Maltings Proms, and Bolzano Music Festival. In 2022 she was invited to Encuentro de Santander and Dartington Summer Festival.
She has a wealth of orchestral experience, having played with orchestras such as London Sinfornietta, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra. As a former member of the Asian Youth Orchestra, NYO-China, International Regions Orchestra and others, she has enjoyed working with renowned conductors including Bychkov, Ludovic Morlot, James Judd, and Sir Mark Elder.
Eriol studied her Masters degree with an entrance scholarship at Royal Academy of Music London, under the mentoring of Prof Michael Foyle. She is a passionate baroque violinist as well, having studied with Nicolette Moonen, and collaborated with Rachel Podger, Lawrence Cummings, Bojan Čičić, etc. She is now a Chamber Music Fellow with her quartet at Academy.
She has previously studied with Lin Chang, Weimin Zheng from Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and received guidance from Yo-yo Ma, Midori, James Ehnes, Bin Huang, Ian Swensen, Liwei Qin and others.
Eriol is playing on a Giuseppe Pedrazzini made in 1930.
Suzie Xin He, viola
(Suzie) Xin He, grew up in China and began playing the viola at the age of 12 in Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of Music with Donglei Hou. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the Royal Northern College of Music, receiving four years of full scholarships from ABRSM and learning with Lucy Nolan, Veit Hertenstein, and Martin Schaefer.
Since commencing her studies at the RNCM, Xin has had masterclasses with viola players such as Thomas Riebl, Henk Guittart, and Timothy Ridout. Xin won the RNCM Concerto Competition of 2021 and performed Bartok Viola Concerto with RNCM Chamber Orchestra in October 2021.
In March 2022, she performed Enescu Viola Concertstück in Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. She is the winner of the viola prize and one of the finalists of the RNCM Gold
Medal in 2022.
In September 2022, Xin started her postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music with Martin Outram.
Since commencing her studies at the RNCM, Xin has had masterclasses with viola players such as Thomas Riebl, Henk Guittart, and Timothy Ridout. Xin won the RNCM Concerto Competition of 2021 and performed Bartok Viola Concerto with RNCM Chamber Orchestra in October 2021.
In March 2022, she performed Enescu Viola Concertstück in Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. She is the winner of the viola prize and one of the finalists of the RNCM Gold
Medal in 2022.
In September 2022, Xin started her postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music with Martin Outram.
Jonathan Fong Ho Man, cello
(Jonathan) Fong Ho Man is currently a Chamber Music Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music, where he also finished his Master's, majoring in cello performance, with Distinction under Josephine Knight. He completed his undergraduate study in Hong Kong Baptist University, under Chen Yi Chun.
Being the winner of the Eastern Music Festival Concerto Competition during summer 2019, he is very passionate in performance and his chamber group was selected as the only Hong Kong group admitted into Princess Galyani Vadhana International Ensemble Competition Chamber Ensemble Group in 2018. He was twice champion in other music festivals when he was young.
In the past two years, he has been invited to premiere two new solo cello pieces in celebrating the Bicentenary of the Royal Academy of Music. Moreover, Jonathan is active in orchestral performances and travelled to numerous countries including
Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and United States to perform.
Jonathan has worked with well-known soloists such as Mengla Huang, Chuanyun Li,
Shen Wenyu, Xue Wei, Charles Castleman, Anne Akiko Meyer and Liping Zhang. Apart from performance, he is active in participating in masterclasses with world-class musicians like Qin Li Wei, Norbert Anger, and was even selected to participate in a quartet masterclass by Quatuor Van Kuijk, an event of Hong Kong's Le French May Arts Festival.
In 2016, he was admitted as a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra for an Asian tour under the baton of Maestros Richard Pontzious and James Judd with two of the cello coaches, Anna Kwan and Rhonda Rider.
In 2019, he was admitted to the Eastern Music Festival with the guidance of Julian Schwarz. During his study in Hong Kong, Jonathan was a member and the principal cellist of both Hong Kong Baptist University Orchestra and Collegium Musicum Hong
Kong from 2017 to 2020. During his Master's degree studies, he performed with Manson Ensemble and the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Sir Mark Elder and Semyon Bychkov.
Being the winner of the Eastern Music Festival Concerto Competition during summer 2019, he is very passionate in performance and his chamber group was selected as the only Hong Kong group admitted into Princess Galyani Vadhana International Ensemble Competition Chamber Ensemble Group in 2018. He was twice champion in other music festivals when he was young.
In the past two years, he has been invited to premiere two new solo cello pieces in celebrating the Bicentenary of the Royal Academy of Music. Moreover, Jonathan is active in orchestral performances and travelled to numerous countries including
Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and United States to perform.
Jonathan has worked with well-known soloists such as Mengla Huang, Chuanyun Li,
Shen Wenyu, Xue Wei, Charles Castleman, Anne Akiko Meyer and Liping Zhang. Apart from performance, he is active in participating in masterclasses with world-class musicians like Qin Li Wei, Norbert Anger, and was even selected to participate in a quartet masterclass by Quatuor Van Kuijk, an event of Hong Kong's Le French May Arts Festival.
In 2016, he was admitted as a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra for an Asian tour under the baton of Maestros Richard Pontzious and James Judd with two of the cello coaches, Anna Kwan and Rhonda Rider.
In 2019, he was admitted to the Eastern Music Festival with the guidance of Julian Schwarz. During his study in Hong Kong, Jonathan was a member and the principal cellist of both Hong Kong Baptist University Orchestra and Collegium Musicum Hong
Kong from 2017 to 2020. During his Master's degree studies, he performed with Manson Ensemble and the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Sir Mark Elder and Semyon Bychkov.
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax (1883-1953)
String Quartet No 1 in G major (1918) (23’)
1 Allegro semplice
2 Lento e molto espressivo
3 Rondo
Bax lies under the tremendous shadows of contemporaries Vaughan Williams and Elgar. He deserves to be heard a great deal more. Here is the Maggini Quartet setting matters right, as will the Asaka at today's live concert:
String Quartet No 1 in G major (1918) (23’)
1 Allegro semplice
2 Lento e molto espressivo
3 Rondo
Bax lies under the tremendous shadows of contemporaries Vaughan Williams and Elgar. He deserves to be heard a great deal more. Here is the Maggini Quartet setting matters right, as will the Asaka at today's live concert:
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
String Quartet No 1 in E minor Bologna, H70 (1906)
I Adagio - Allegro appassionata
II Adagio molto
III Allegretto grazioso - Animato
IV Allegro agitato - Allegro moderato - Adagio molto
UK-based Maggini Quartet concentrate on recording music of British composers. The quartet's violist, Martin Outram, is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where he is now Professor of Viola. This could be the defining performance of the Bridge quartet. Again, we get to follow the score.
Previous concert
Elena Topogonova, piano - click here
Next Thursday's concert
CarmenCo Trio: flute, 2 guitars, - click here
