Praised by the New York Times for his “great flair and virtuosity” and the (London) Times – “a masterly recital”, John Lenehan has appeared in concerts throughout the World from Abu Dhabi to Zurich and from Aberdeen to Zimbabwe. As a soloist he has appeared with orchestras such as the London Symphony at the Barbican and the Royal Philharmonic in the Royal Albert Hall. John Lenehan has also collaborated with some of the leading instrumentalists of our time and is recognised as an outstanding and versatile chamber musician. For his second appearance at St Martin in the Fields this season he has chosen to perform Beethoven's 'Emperor' piano concerto.
The internationally-acclaimed violinist Rimma Sushanskaya conducts Beethoven's Egmont Overture and Symphony No 5. She was the last pupil of David Oistrakh, with whom she studied at Moscow Conservatoire, and under whose tutelage she won many prestigious awards. Upon leaving the Soviet Union she rapidly established a glowing reputation in the west; the Washington Post, described her as “one of the greatest violinists alive today,” and commented on her “extraordinary intensity and brilliant virtuosity.”
Rimma Sushanskaya has embarked on a successful career in conducting. In recent years she has performed as a conductor in concert halls of an ever growing list of countries including Germany, Russia, Israel, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Switzerland, China and the United Kingdom. She has been enjoying successful performances and re-engagements in prestigious venues such as: Gewandhaus, Leipzig, Germany, Philharmonic Hall and Konzerthaus Berlin, Germany, Philharmonic Hall. Kharkov Ukraine, Tonhalle, Zurich, Switzerland.
Among the list of orchestras conducted by Rimma Sushanskaya includes: Berlin Sinfonetta, Neues Sinfonia Orchestra, Berlin, Leipzig Chamber Orchestra, Germany, Kharkov Philharmonic, Ukraine, St Petersberg State Orchestra, Russia State Philharmonic of Satu-Mare, Romania, Orchestra of the Swan, UK.
She made her highly acclaimed London debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in 2017 conducting Pictures at an exhibition, and La valse. Among the many important orchestral works in Dr Sushanskaya’s repertoire, the following are to be noted: Beethoven’s Symphony No 9, 'Choral', Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 in E minor, Mozart's Requiem D minor, Mahler's Symphony No 4 G major and Orff's Carmina Burana.
Following in the traditions of her own legendary teacher, Rimma is equally anxious to pass on her knowledge and experience to young people. She is sough-after professor at Birmingham Conservatoire, and her Virtuoso Violin Festival every summer in Stratford-upon-Avon (her home in England) attracts string students of the highest calibre from the UK and abroad.