Acclaimed as a “pianist of extraordinary gifts” (Gramophone) and “immense power” (The Times), Clare Hammond is recognised for the virtuosity and authority of her performances and won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award in 2016.
This year sees her debuts at the BBC Proms, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Salle Bourgie in Montréal, alongside return visits to the Wigmore Hall, London’s National Gallery, and Raritäten der Klaviermusik in Husum. She records a disc of concertos by Britten, Tippett and Walton with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and George Vass, performs Rachmaninov with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Tom Fetherstonhaugh, and Hesketh with the Ulster Orchestra and Anna Rakitina. Clare will give the World Premieres of the newly discovered Fantasia by Andrzej Panufnik with the Filharmonia Poznańska and Łukasz Borowicz, and a new concerto by Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Recent highlights have included Rachmaninov’s Paganini Variations with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Lionel Bringuier, Grace Williams’ Sinfonia Concertante with BBC NOW and Jac van Steen, works by Piers Hellawell and Samy Moussa with the Ulster Orchestra and Jamie Phillips, and recitals at the Aldeburgh Festival, Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice (broadcast on RAI 3), and Festival Baroque de Pontoise. Clare gave sold-out performnaces of Ghosts and Whispers for piano and film with composer John Woolrich and animators the Quay Brothers at Fundación Juan March in Madrid and the Barbican, and continued her collaboration with actor and writer Tama Matheson.
Clare has recorded six discs for BIS, most recently releasing an album of Etudes by visionary French composer Hélène de Montgeroult, launched in a special concert at London’s National Gallery and featured extensively on BBC Radio 3’s Composer of the Week and Essential Classics. The disc was selected as Editor’s Choice in Gramophone. Reviewers noted the historical importance of the etudes and the ideal match with Hammond’s virtuosic and lyrical abilities. She previously recorded a disc of 20th- and 21st-century variations which received extensive critical approval, and a disc of etudes by Unsuk Chin, Nikolai Kapustin, Sergei Lyapunov and Karol Szymanowski which won her an Opus d’Or from Opus HD magazine and 5 diapasons from Diapason.
Clare attended Cambridge University, where she obtained a double first in music, and undertook postgraduate study with Ronan O’Hora at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Raised in Hednesford, Dylan was first introduced to the Violin aged 9, through the Staffordshire Performing Arts music scheme under Katalin Beke. He was later taught by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Opera North member, Byron Parish before successfully auditioning at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, where he was generously funded and supported by the Leverhulme Scholarship and the Albert and Eugenie Frost Scholarship.
It was not long before Dylan got involved with orchestral violin playing and he was excitingly offered a place in the City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Orchestra. The CBSO Youth Orchestra has given Dylan many incredible opportunities in his career, which includes leading Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in one of the UK’s most prestigious venues, Symphony Hall. He is also a member of the National Youth String Orchestra whom he performed with in the Ambleside International Music Festival and also at King’s Place, London.
Dylan also featured in the National Youth Music Theatre’s annual season, where he performed at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s renowned theatre ‘The Other Palace.’ He appeared as a violinist in the world premiere of ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' and also in "Anything Goes" where he was singled out by Susan Elkin in a review as "one of the very best things in the show" on musicaltheatrereview.com. These experiences put him in good stead to later play in the pit orchestra of RNCM’s Young Company production of ‘Sweet Charity’.
Whilst studying at the RNCM, Dylan’s orchestral experience has continued to blossom. He has excitingly performed with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Verbum and the Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra. Dylan has also been privileged enough to be the principal second violinist of both the RNCM concert orchestra and the RNCM's 2019 opera production of Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmelites".
Chamber music also plays a substantial part in Dylan’s career. Dylan is currently the second violinist of the Riedl Quartet which was founded at the RNCM during his first year. As well as this, he is part of the Michael Haydn Orchestra soloists who represent the orchestra with chamber works and helped launch their 2019/20 season.
Renowned for her unique artistry and compelling insight into music from the Baroque to the present day, Stockport born Jennifer Pike has established herself as one of today’s most exciting instrumentalists.
Jennifer first gained international
recognition in 2002, when aged 12, she became the youngest-ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year and the youngest major prizewinner in the Menuhin
International Violin Competition. Aged 15 she made acclaimed debuts at the BBC Proms and Wigmore Hall, and her many subsequent
Proms appearances include being a ‘featured artist’. She was invited to become a BBC New Generation Artist from 2008 - 2010.
Performing extensively as soloist with major orchestras worldwide, Jennifer’s highlights include concertos with all the BBC orchestras, Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Hallé, Aurora Orchestra, as well as appearances across Europe and beyond. She made her Carnegie Hall debut playing Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with the Chamber Orchestra of New York, recorded for Naxos. and appeared as a guest director with the BBC Philharmonic, London Mozart Players and Manchester Camerata.
In October 2020, Jennifer was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to classical music. Jennifer plays a 1708 violin by Matteo Goffriller
Described by BBC Music Magazine as "A worthy successor to Julian Bream", Australian born guitarist Craig Ogden is one of the most exciting artists of his generation. Craig Ogden has performed concertos with many of the world’s leading orchestras and is the most sought-after guitarist for chamber music in the UK. He regularly appears as soloist and chamber musician at major venues and collaborates with the UK’s top artists and ensembles.
Numerous composers have written works specially for him and he has recently given world première performances of guitar concertos by Andy Scott, David Gordon (double with accordionist Miloš Milivojević), David Knotts (with the BBC Concert Orchestra, recorded for BBC Radio 3, filmed for BBC4 TV) and William Lovelady with the English Chamber Orchestra for Music in Country Churches with HM the King in attendance. The work received its London première in November 2022 at Cadogan Hall. In January 2023, Craig gave the world première of a guitar concerto by Greg Caffrey with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, recorded by BBC 3.
One of the UK’s most recorded guitarists, Craig has accumulated an acclaimed discography for Chandos, Virgin/EMI, Nimbus, Hyperion, Sony and five chart-topping albums for Classic FM. Recent recordings include a solo recital disc for Chandos, Craig Ogden in Concert, a new arrangement of the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach with violinist David Juritz and cellist Tim Hugh for Nimbus, Environments II guitar concerto by Irish composer Greg Caffrey with the Ulster Orchestra and Dancing with Piazzolla with the London Tango Quintet, released in February 2024 and selected as album of the week by BBC Radio 3. He frequently records for film and has presented programmes for BBC Radio 3, BBC Northern Ireland, and ABC Classic FM in Australia.
Craig Ogden is Director of Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Adjunct Fellow of the University of Western Australia, Associate Artist at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and Director of the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival. Craig Ogden plays a 2011 Greg Smallman guitar and strings made by D’Addario.