One of the UK’s most exciting violinists, Sophie Rosa was awarded the Second Prize and Audience Prize at the 2nd Manchester International Violin Competition 2011. She has performed across the UK as a recitalist in venues including the Royal Festival Hall, the Purcell Room and Bridgewater Hall as well as performing live for BBC Radio 3. Sophie has recorded at Champs Hill Records and appeared with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Manchester Camerata. Sophie has performed regularly throughout the UK and internationally from a very young age. In 2006 she was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition and was the First Prize winner of the Lions European Music Competition, Cannes. Sophie studied at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music. She was a recipient of the RNCM Gold Medal and was also awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal in recognition of her musical achievements. Sophie was also a recipient of the MBF Ian Fleming Charitable Trust Award. After completing her Masters Degree with Distinction, Sophie completed the RNCM International Artist Diploma in Solo Performance and furthered her studies in America where she has been mentored by Midori Goto, Miriam Fried and Donald Weilerstein. Sophie has performed at the MBNA Chester Music Festival, The Manchester Midday Concert Society, The Aurora Festival, Sweden, Musique Cordiale Festival, France, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove. Sophie plays on a Joseph Gagliano violin dated 1795 made available through the generous support of the Stradivari Trust.
Described as a ‘hugely-gifted soloist of the younger generation’ (The Quarterly Review), Midori Komachi has performed as a soloist and chamber musician extensively throughout Europe and Japan. Midori studied in Basel, Switzerland at the age of 12 where she was accepted exceptionally as a “Young Talented Student” at the Basel Music Conservatoire. Subsequently she made her debut as a soloist with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Howard Griffiths. Since then she has appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Tonhalle Zurich, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Muza Kawasaki (Japan), Philharmony Warsaw, Wigmore Hall, St.George’s Bristol, Rector’s Palace (Croatia). She has broadcast live on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ along with the release of her acclaimed debut CD ‘Colours of the Heart’ (2014). Midori is a recipient of numerous prizes at competitions, including the Max Pirani Prize, Sir Arthur Bliss Prize; winner of the Friends of RAM/Honorary Patrons’ Development Award, and MBF Emerging Excellence Award. As an active chamber musician, she has recorded for Métier, Naxos, and RAM Labels, and regularly plays with the Longbow Ensemble, alongside the Kreutzer Quartet. In October 2012, Midori completed her Master of Music degree with Distinction at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was supported by the Seary Charitable Trust and the William Barry Trust. Over these years she studied with Maurice Hasson and Tomotada Soh. Along with her performing career, Midori has founded various concert projects based on several research topics, for which she has been supported by Arts Council England. In 2012, her Delius and Gauguin Project culminated in a series of concerts in London, Cambridge and Tokyo. Midori has also developed a cultural exchange project in the UK and Japan, working with composers from both countries.
Steinway Artist Simon Callaghan performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. His recent tours have taken him to Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and on two occasions to the Banff Centre in Canada. He has performed at all of the UK’s major concert halls including Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and St David’s Hall Cardiff. 2016 and 17 will see Simon undertake concert tours in the UK, Austria, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. His interest in rarely-performed works has led to invitations to perform concerti by Françaix, Tippett and the first UK performance since 1946 of Medtner’s 3rd Concerto. His rapidly-expanding discography includes solo works by Sterndale Bennett, Parry, Sacheverell Coke and two volumes of Delius with Parnassius Duo partner, Hiro Takenouchi, on the SOMM record label. In 2016 he will make his debut concerto recording for Hyperion with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins. Festival invitations have included Highgate, Whittington and Cervo Chamber Music. Callaghan is also regularly invited to perform on luxury cruise liners and has performed frequently on BBC radio and television. In chamber music he has collaborated with Jack Liebeck, Giovanni Guzzo, Tim Hugh, Thomas Gould, Raphael Wallfisch and the actors Timothy and Samuel West, and Prunella Scales. His extensive repertoire has included complete cycles of Beethoven and Brahms chamber works, and a three-concert residency as St John’s Smith Square in London, exploring the piano quartet medium. Contemporary music performances have included works by Joseph Phibbs, Julian Anderson and Kennett Hesketh, and he was recently invited by the Royal College of Music to play Boulez’s ‘Dérive II’ as part of their ‘Variable Geometry’ series. Simon puts great value on teaching and in 2016 will give regular masterclasses, lead a course at Benslow Music and continue his work as Head of Piano at the Ingenium Academy (Winchester). He is co-producer of MusicUpClose, a series that aims to introduce classical music to non-musicians and is also regularly invited to give lecture-recitals, presenting rarely-performed music to enthusiastic audiences, enhanced by extensive research and engaging introductions. In addition to his performing schedule, Callaghan is Artistic Director of Conway Hall Sunday Concerts, the longest-running chamber music series in Europe.