Julia Desbruslais

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At sixteen Julia Desbruslais won an open scholarship to study the cello with Florence Hooton at the Royal Academy of Music.  During this time she won many awards including the Suggia Award and the Leverhulme Chamber Music Scholarship.  Under the direction of Sydney Griller she was a founder member of the all-female Fairfield String Quartet. They enjoyed ten years touring Britain and Europe, winning major competitions, giving many live broadcasts for the BBC, and recording for Hyperion.

On leaving the Quartet, she became Co-Principal Cello with the London Mozart Players, where she regularly performs with the Chamber Ensemble and has appeared as a concerto soloist. She is also Principal Cello with the London Jupiter Orchestra, with whom she has performed John Taverner’s Eternal Memory at St John’s, Smith Square. She regularly plays as guest principal with many London orchestras, including the New London Orchestra and City of London Sinfonia.

She has a great passion for inspiring young children and is one of the leading lights in the vast education programme of the LMP. Her work has included performing to all ages from work with young children to the elderly in numerous and varied venues.  Her work with young children led to the production of television workshops and compositional projects and she was responsible for the setting up of cello master classes and massed cello ensembles with young children. Julia holds posts as a cello teacher at Whitgift School and Eltham College, and a large private class. With her husband Michael Posner, they run the highly successful Summer Strings residential music courses for children of all ages.

She is a member of the cello quartet formed from the four cellists of the LMP, presenting concerts drawing on the works of the great cellist composers. Their first CD Petits Fours was received with great acclaim. Recent recordings include ‘Lullaby for a Lost Soul’ by Ronald Corp.

Sarah Butcher – Cello

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Sarah studied cello with Stefan Popov at the Guildhall School of Music and chamber music with Hans Keller and the Chilingirian String Quartet. She also took part in masterclasses with William Pleeth at the Aldeburgh Summer School. She has played in many orchestras and ensembles in the UK including the BBC Symphony orchestra, The Guildhall String Ensemble, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Peter Gabriel’s New Blood Orchestra, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera Orchestra for whom she has played principal cello.

She has made recordings for the Cello Classics label, Music for Two Cellos and ‘Petits Fours’, music for four cellos with the London Mozart Players cello section. Also on the Cello Classics label she has performed in a CD of music by the great pedagogue Julius Klengel. As a baroque cellist and founder of Bach Camerata she has also recorded St John Passion (in English) with The Crouch End Festival Chorus and David Temple.

Sarah is a keen chamber musician and has played with the Mistry String Quartet and was a member of the Mainardi Trio. For 10 years she was Artistic Director of The Chamber Players who play regularly at Festivals and venues throughout the UK, including Holywell Music Rooms, Imperial College and Buxton and Chichester Festivals with artists such as Ashley Wass, Gaby Lester, Tim Horton and Benjamin Nabarro.

Sarah is a keen participant in education and community projects and plays principal cello in the Chipping Campden Festival Academy Orchestra, sitting side-by-side with music college students for a series of concerts in the Chipping Campden Festival. Other recent projects include devising a piece for the Croydonites Festival with SLiDE in South Norwood and workshops and concerts for Everyone Matters in Bromley and Kingston.

Sarah also edits audiobooks for the Naxos AudioBooks label and has been involved in many exciting projects including The History of Classical Music and Famous Composers in collaboration with ClassicFM. She has performed on several of these discs including The Cellist of Sarajevo and Macbeth with music by oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck.

She has been a member of the London Mozart Players since 1998.

Louise Honeyman R.I.P.

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Louise Honeyman died on March 19th 2014. Louise was the Managing Director of the LMP during the 80’s and 90’s. She was the first Woman MD of a British Orchestra. Jane Glover was appointed, by Louise, as Artistic Director. In March 1989 she approached Croydon Council and they agreed to make the LMP their resident orchestra. Louise was also responsible for bringing in HRH Prince Edward as the Patron.

Louise was a much loved character and the LMP was her passion right through her retirement. She suffered a severe Stroke on March 15th 2014. Her partner was David Wilson who has been the General Manager of the orchestra since the 80’s. David bravely attended our concert on March 20th accompanied by Louise’s family.

We will all miss Louise tremendously. The concert on March 20th was dedicated to her memory. Our thoughts are with David and Louise’s family.

Press Release February 12th 2014

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PRESS RELEASE: 12 February 2014

“A renaissance for the London Mozart Players!”

‘’……….it gives me more joy than I can say to perform and record with them, I am honoured to be their Conductor Laureate” (Howard Shelley)

The London Mozart Players, the UK’s longest established chamber orchestra and considered by many as one of Europe’s finest, is to become self-governing in a bold but characteristically creative move to counter recent funding cuts.

As of May 2014, when the LMP’s current principal conductor, Gérard Korsten, rests the baton at the final concert in their 2013/14 Fairfield Halls series, a core group of orchestral members led by Viv Davies, a former classical musician turned economist with 20 years senior management experience in the non-profit sector, will take up collective responsibility for the management and strategic direction of the orchestra, drawing upon a wealth of professional experience from within the ranks of the LMP.

Current members of the management team include Paul Archibald (Projects), Julia Desbruslais (Education) and Peter Wright (Operations). David Wilson (General Manager), Jenny Brady (Concerts Coordinator) and Martin Sargeson (Orchestral Librarian) will continue to provide crucial administrative, management and logistical support.

In support of the management team will be an impressive and experienced group of player ambassadors, led by Marieke Blankestijn, that will advise on the artistic direction of the LMP.

The LMP’s niche lies in interpretive research and understanding of performance style, but with the advantages of instruments designed for the modern concert hall and audience. Its mission is to perform classical music to the highest standards of excellence and to take music to communities where access to live concerts is limited. The orchestra is also committed to devising workshops for schools and hospitals, creating projects that bring people together and enrich lives through a shared musical experience. New plans and initiatives are now underway as the LMP is set to build exciting new partnerships within these communities.

There is unanimous commitment to ensuring the LMP will continue to occupy an exciting and dynamic position in the musical life of the UK and on the international stage. One of the LMP’s first engagements as a rejuvenated organisation will be a tour of China in May. In the meantime, a gala fundraising concert featuring Howard Shelley, Tasmin Little and Laura Van der Heijden will take place on 29 April in Kensington. Discussions are also underway with sponsors for concerts through 2014/15, and for a range of community-based projects in the south-east and around the UK.

“This orchestra is one of the jewels in the crown of British music.”(Hilary Davan Wetton)

 

For further information on the LMP and its activities please contact:

Paul Archibald: 07973 731866, [email protected]

Peter Wright: 07831 157618, [email protected]

 

ENDS

 

Sir Richard Stilgoe

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We are delighted that Sir Richard has agreed to perform at our Gala fundraising concert on April 29th. You’ll have to come along to find out exactly how he will entertain you. But a re wording of a Flanders and Swan Classic is a clue!

London Mozart Players Go to China

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The orchestra is due to fly to China on May 19th to perform 4 concerts with their Principal conductor Gerard Korsten. Cities include Beijing and Shanghai.

LMP Friends – Thank you

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The loyal friends of the LMP made donations to help make this new website possible. Also the individual players of the orchestra each contributed £60 each. A big thank you everyone.

Sold Out indeed!

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Snapped by David Wilson, our General Manager, at a concert in the district of South Holland. Read more

Howard Shelley returns to ‘St Johns Smith Sq’. & Fairfield Halls

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The London Mozart Players are delighted to welcome back acclaimed pianist and director Howard Shelley for the first of three programmes this season. Read more

M & G series at ‘St Johns Smith square’ 2014

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The LMP will return to ‘St John’s Smith Square’ in 2014 with concerts from Howard Shelley, Angela Hewitt and Gerard Korsten. Read more

LMP weekend at the grand hotel Eastbourne selling fast

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The London Mozart Players’ weekend at the Grand Hotel is now a permanent and popular fixture in the hotel’s calendar. See below for more information about the weekend and how to book… Read more

Fairfield Halls 2013/14 season brochure available online

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See below for LMP highlights feature, concert details, friends and booking information. Read more

PRS for music foundation confirms funding support for LMP

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Jonathan Dove, one of the UK’s top contemporary composers, and winner of an Ivor Novello Award, will be writing a new cantata to be performed by the London Mozart Players as part of Croydon’s First World War Centenary commemorations next year. Read more

2013/14 Fairfield Halls season announcement

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London Mozart Players launches its 2013/14 season at Fairfield Halls, Croydon featuring a host of internationally acclaimed artists and conductors. Browse the Fairfield Classical season brochure below. Read more

Christopher O’Neal (interview)

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Cathy Elliott

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Cathy Elliott – Double Bass

 

Cathy first played with the London Mozart Players in December 1984 shortly after returning to the UK from Italy. Her relationship with the orchestra goes back another decade when courtesy of a school friend’s mother, Eva Gruenbaum, who played violin in the orchestra she used to attend the LMP’s regular Wednesday evening concerts at the Royal Festival Hall with Harry Blech,

Cathy is now co-principal bass with the London Mozart Players as well as a member of The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the orchestra of the Rambert Dance Company.

Since returning from studies in Italy with Lucio Bucarella and Franco Petracchi, Cathy has devoted a significant amount of her time to teaching and training string teachers. She has taught students at the Royal College, Royal Academy and Guildhall Junior and Senior departments and has a thriving private practice of students aged 6 to adult.

Cathy is co-author of the Guildhall School’s Millennium Award winning Essential String Method, published by Boosey & Hawkes and has also written and published two double bass tutors Ready Steady Go! and An Introduction to Thumb Position on the Double Bass. From 2004-2009 Cathy was Chair of the Management Committee for the British branch of the European String Teachers’ Association and then from 2009-2012 Project Director. In 2009 the International Society of Bassists recognized her as a Young Bassists Ambassador and in 2014 she was the recipient of the ESTA Award for services to ESTA.

Get in to Classical Music

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Think that Classical Music isn’t for you?  Worried you’ll clap in the wrong place? Love music but not sure whether you like it ‘classical’?  LMP’s GET IN concerts launch at Fairfield Halls in Autumn 2013 Mind expanding, extraordinary and deconstructed… Read more

Jeremy Gough (interview)

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