Marina’s first professional work was as an extra ballet dancer in the Bremerhaven State Theatre.
After her A levels in Music, Biology, Pedagogy and Sport, she studied Music at the Musik Hochschule Heidelberg/Mannheim and later at the Hamburg Hochschule for Musik und Theatre where she was trained in Violin, Piano, Voice, Choir and Orchestral conducting.
In 1986 she moved to London to study violin with Professor Yfrah Neaman and gained her performance and teaching diplomas at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama in 1988.
Her first job was in the BBC Radio Orchestra and since becoming freelance she has played with most major London Orchestras and Opera Houses, has played in and led numerous West end shows and freelance orchestras and worked for Film and television.As a chamber musician she has recorded for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Her Piano Trio, which specialises in the performance of neglected 19th and 20th century women composers has performed at the Purcell Room, St Johns Smith Square, St David’s Hall Cardiff and has toured in Great Britain and Europe.
Throughout her playing career Marina has taught at many different institutions. She has taught chamber music at the Royal College Junior department, violin at Royal Holloway University and has given masterclasses at Belfast University. She also enjoys leading various amateur orchestras in London and conducting their string rehearsals. Recently she started conducting her own string orchestra in St Albans.
In her spare time Marina goes to ballet classes with Romayne Grigorova at the Royal Opera House and the Roger Tully collective.
Fiona studied cello with Alexander Baillie and William Pleeth. She made her concerto debut at the age of seventeen and since then has performed most of the major concertos with orchestra. At the age of eighteen Fiona was one of five soloists selected to perform in the Youth Makes Music Rotary International Festival at The Royal Albert Hall.
She has given recitals throughout England, France, Holland, Germany, The Czech Republic and Italy including first performances of John McCabe’s Solo Partita for cello in Italy and Keith Beal’s Sonata No1 for cello and piano in Holland. Fiona has also taken part in several recordings and more recently performed in a chamber music concert with Raphael Wallfisch at Burgh House, London. Fiona has been the cellist of The Pentland Trio since its formation in 2010.
Chieko Arai, violin
An internationally acclaimed violinist with a wealth of experience in both solo and ensemble performances across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Chieko is dedicated to professional versatility, a refined global perspective and unwavering commitment to artistic integrity and excellence.
In 2024, Chieko curated a series of solo recitals in Japan, supported by the British and Ukrainian Embassies, featuring works by contemporary and classical Ukrainian composers. These performances were featured in media including The Japan News by Yomiuri Shimbun, recognising her statement of harmony through art, bridging cultural and emotional divides. As a recitalist, she has appeared at renowned venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields and St James’s Piccadilly in London.
A full scholarship recipient at the Royal Academy of Music, she earned her BMus 1st class honours, MA with distinction, Prof dip, DipRAM, and LRAM teaching diploma. Chieko has performed in various international festivals and masterclasses under the tutelage of Gerhard Schulz, second violinist of Alban Berg Quartet at IMS Prussia Cove, with Chaim Taub, pupil of Ivan Galamian at Barenboim Akademie, Maxim Vengerov, and James Ehnes, to name a few.
She taught undergraduate students at King’s College London from 2018 to 2022, with many progressing to music careers and further studies, including postgraduate violin performance at the Royal Academy. At the Junior Academy’s First String Experience, she inspired young beginners as part of a dedicated team. The 2023 season saw her traveling internationally, giving solo and chamber music masterclasses at the “I Festival de Cuerdas Vibra Chancay” in Peru. Chieko is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of musicians to explore their potential and embrace the joy of artistic expression.
Fascinated by the art of violin making, Chieko made her first violin in 2022 after playing on a Carlo Antonio Testore violin (1741) loaned by the Royal Academy during her master’s studies. Currently, she performs on a Johannes Cuypers violin (1791), generously loaned by Dr. Hauber in Germany.
Catarina Silva, violin/viola and ensembles
Born in Lisbon (1992), Catarina finished her Professional Diploma degree at the Royal Academy of Music in 2018 under the guidance of prof. Hélène Clement. During her studies in the UK, Portugal (Undergraduate degree, at Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa with prof. Pedro Muñoz), and Spain (Master’s degree in orchestral studies at Centro Superior de Música del Pais Vasco, San Sebastian, under the guidance of profs. Natalia Tchitch and David Quiggle) Catarina joined several professional orchestras such as Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, Euskadiko Sinfonikoa Orkestra, Bilbao Sinfonikoa Orkestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC NOW, London Sinfonietta, British Philharmonic Orchestra, among others, playing in major concert halls in Europe and UK.
Catarina has been a part of well-known Chamber Music Festivals such as Classical Logroño sharing the stage with the violinist Tatiana Samouil, Classical Summer 2016 when she was awarded 2nd prize winner in viola by Gerard Caussé, Virtuoso Belcanto 2019 working closely with Lars Tomter and Bruno Guiranna, Aurora Music Festival 2019 working with Alexander Zemtov.
Since 2014, has performed solo, being accompanied by the Orquestra Sinfónica da ESML (Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa), Orquestra Sinfónica Juvenil (Lisbon), and with the String Camerata Gareguin Aroutiounian (Lisbon).
Since 2019, Catarina shares her passion for performing with her love for teaching. Catarina has been exploring instrument music teaching in various ways: one-to-one private lessons, ensemble teaching, and group Violin/Viola teaching. Currently, Catarina teaches Viola and Violin at the Nucleo Project and Viola, Violin, and Piano at the Whitefield School.
Pauline Jones, Cello and Double Bass
Pauline Jones grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she learnt the violin, cello, piano and organ. In the late 1980s, her family returned to Britain where she completed her schooling. She then spent a gap year working at Wells Cathedral Music school, and studied cello with Ioan Davies and piano with Michael Young.
At the Royal Academy of Music in London, she completed her undergraduate education, studying cello with Lionel Handy and David Smith, and piano with Jean Harvey and Geoffrey Harris. She also studied conducting, performed with two piano trio ensembles and was often lead cello of various Academy orchestras.
Whilst at the Academy, Pauline furthered her teacher training with the Academy’s First String Experience, headed by Wendy Max. She then trained as a classroom music teacher at the Institute of Education and worked as such for one year, before joining Carmarthenshire Music Service in West Wales as a peripatetic cello teacher, orchestral coach and conductor.
After living abroad in Canada and South Africa for nearly a decade, Pauline returned to Britain and once again teaches for Carmarthenshire. Now based in London, she also teaches privately here, and works regularly with Wendy Max as a piano accompanist, ensemble coach and teacher.
Gabriel Francis-Dehqani, Cello and Chamber Music
Gabriel read Music at Durham University where he performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician, graduating in 2021 with the Eve Myra Kisch Prize for musical excellence. In 2026, Gabriel was awarded the Kieth Harvey Award by the British Cello Society which will help fund his solo debut album in 2027. In 2024 Gabriel won First Prize at the Muriel Taylor Cello Competition and the Irish Heritage UK competition, held at Wigmore Hall. He also won First Prize at the 4th Edition of the International Contemporary Music Competition (adjudicated by Giovanni Sollima) and was subsequently invited to perform a recital at the Accademia Filarmonica Romana, including a world premiere of a piece written for him by British composer Deborah Pritchard. Gabriel is currently Musician in Residence at St-Jude-on-the-Hill in Hampstead Garden Suburb where he is co-director of the Inspire Recital Series.
Gabriel has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the UK, North America, Europe and Asia including venues Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, The Arnold Schönberg Center, Conway Hall, St Martin-in-the Field’s, The Princess Alexandra Hall, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, The Barbican Hall, The Sage Gateshead, The National Gallery, The Holywell Music Room, St James’s Piccadilly, Milton Court Concert Hall, Café OTO and St John Smith’s Square. A keen chamber musician, Gabriel works in the Chamber Music Department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as Hans Keller Fellows with his multi award winning Quartet, the Elmore Quartet. The Quartet were awarded first prize at the 74th Royal Overseas League International Chamber Music Competition in 2026 and third prize at the prestigious Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Reggio Emilia, Italy (2024). They hold the position of Quartet in Residence at the MusicAbility Foundation in Penzance, where they deliver workshops to primary school students and perform in a regular concert series. Gabriel is passionate about teaching and helping to nurture the love for music in the next generation. He is dedicated to meeting the needs of each individual student, and helping them access the highest level of musicianship they wish to achieve. He has a deep love for chamber music and believes that the best way for students to learn is to play with their teachers and with their peers, whilst maintaining a rigorous and intentional practice routine to make sure the music making can be as fun and rewarding as possible!
He has been invited to attend festivals across the UK and Europe such as the Venice Biennale, Aalborg Kammermusik Festival, McGill String Quartet Academy, The Across Festival, Santander Encounter of Music and Academy, the Aldeburgh Festival, Brussels Cello Festival, International Summer Academy of the MDW in Vienna, Schiermonnikoog, Drimmin String Quartet Academy and IMS Prussia Cove. Recent performances include Schumann’s Cello Concerto at Cambridge University (St John’s College Chapel), Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Rutland Sinfonia and Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Essex Symphony Orchestra.
Gabriel has a particular interest in contemporary music. He commissioned a Cello Sonata – ‘Murmurations’ – from his dear friend and colleague Will Harmer which was premiered at St-Martin-in-the-Fields in 2024. Gabriel and Will have subsequently given many performances of the Sonata, including in Italy and in Ireland as part of the Drogheda Classical Music series. Gabriel has since commissioned Harmer to write him a Cello Concerto which was premiered at Cambridge University in 2026. Gabriel is an Associate City Music Foundation Artist (2025/26), together with Harmer – they are excited to record ‘Murmurations’ in 2026, along with other arrangements and works by Harmer. Gabriel recently performed Boulez’s Messagesquisse for 8 cellos, alongside David Cohen, as part of the London Symphony Orchestra’s Boulez 100: Chamber Concert in London and is a 2024-25 Britten Pears Young Artist.
He has performed recitals, given masterclasses and sat on competition juries across seven cities in China, including recitals at Bechstein Concert Halls in Shanghai and Beijing. Gabriel has won numerous awards from The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Help Musicians UK, The Stephen Bell Scheme and the Essex Foundation supporting his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Louise Hopkins, where he graduated from the Artist Diploma course. Gabriel has performed masterclasses for Mathieu Herzog, Gerhard Schulz, Gary Hoffman, Steve Doane, Frans Helmerson, Guy Johnston, Louise Hopkins, Alasdair Tait, David Waterman, Ilya Poletaev, Christoph Richter, Rebecca Gilliver, Adrian Brendel and Julian Lloyd Webber among others.
Winning the Hall Memorial Prize at the Essex Young Musician Competition and the 2022/23 musician in residence at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, Gabriel has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 numerous times as a soloist (Including solo performances of Kaija Saariaho works and Luigi Dallapiccola’s Ciaccona, Intermezzo e Adagio), chamber musician and with his award winning piano trio – Trio Casella. His piano trio won first prize at the Piano Trio Society’s Intercollegiate competition, the Ivan Sutton and the St James’ Chamber Music Competitions in London. They were also awarded third prize at the 2024 Renzo Giubergia International Competition.
As a founding member, Gabriel enjoys work with the Komuna Collective, a collective of contemporary musicians whose work has been supported by the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust, Arts Council England, The Oxford Research Centre for Humanities, The Nordic Culture Fund, PRS Foundation, CRASSH Cambridge and the Nordic Culture Fund. Komuna have performed in venues such as Electrowerkz London, Classical:NEXT Berlin, Hjorted Art and Music in Sweden, and Cambridge Arts Festival, UK. Their debut album ‘Views from the Real World’ was released in December 2024 followed by a series of launch events in London, Oxford, Norwich and Manchester.
Gabriel has won first prize at the Windsor Festival Composition Competition and was principal conductor of the Durham University Chamber Orchestra, conducting a concert at The Sage, Gateshead with soloist Sir Thomas Allen. Prior to this, Gabriel studied with Guy Johnston and was awarded the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship to Eton College, where he studied with Sue Lowe.
Peng Nian, Violin/Viola
Peng was born in Han Dan and brought up in a medium size heavy industry city called Fu Shun in north east China, which has a population of 2.2 million (small for China!).
She started learning the violin at the age of four and a half in Fu Shun. The orchestra she played in as a school student won a number of first prizes and she was selected to appear when the orchestra played on TV over there. She was offered a place as an orchestra member in the only music centre in Fu Shun and was one of two who were accepted without audition.
In 2000, she came to UK to study and, luckily, in 2007 she met Tatjana Goldberg as her violin teacher at Middlesex University. She loved Tatjana’s teaching style from the first lesson and later gave up an unconditional offer to study music at Manhattan college, New York, in 2008, because she felt that Tatjana was the right teacher who would direct her well for the future. Thanks to Tatjana, Peng received a music prize at Middlesex University in 2009. She then continued to study for a MA in Music Performance jointly at City University and Guildhall school of music and drama. During her studies she played one of Vivaldi’s violin concertos with the UK’s longest running chamber ensemble, Allegri String Quartet, and also had masterclass with the leader of the quartet, Rafael, and masterclasses with Sophie Langdon.
Peng started as assistant to both Nigel and Tatjana since studying at Middlesex University and also developed her own teaching practise since that time. In 2008 she started working as a helper at YMC and she has very much enjoyed working as part of the teaching staff with Nigel, Tatjana, Fiona and Greg at YMC. Before working at YMC, she taught Mandarin at Hackney Community for a number of years.
Having taught at primary schools in north London for several years, she is now enjoying a freelance career as chamber musician, orchestral player and choral singer. She has played at Burgh House, St Luke’s, on the South Bank and worked with Kings College. Peng is currently a member of the orchestra at Hertfordshire University. She also sang at St George’s, Hanover Square, and has organised children’s concerts and a musical in China, but she now dedicates her time mainly to teaching youngsters.
Friyan Bajan, Junior Musicianship/Early Years and Piano
Friyan Bajan is a pianist and conductor based in Wimbledon. She started her formal piano education while living in the Netherlands and continued her education in India throughout her secondary schooling along with being a part of the school’s Western Music Choir.
Before pursuing her MMus degree at Royal Holloway, University of London, she taught piano online during the pandemic for two years after graduating with a BA in Western classical music, Psychology and English. During her time at Royal Holloway, she studied modules such as Music & Screen Media, Collaborative Piano, Pedagogy, composed for the New Sounds: Campus Echoes and performed as a solo pianist and vocalist. Her final recital programme for her MMus project was based on women composers including Clara Schumann, Cecilia McDowall, Reena Esmail and Rachel Portman.
She is the Musical Director for the original musical production Beowulf: The Musical which premiered at the Fringe Festival 2024 in August at Greyfriars Kirk. Recent conducting projects include working with the Cumbria Opera Group as Associate Conductor for Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw in August 2025 and the Beowulf: The Musical album recording in June 2026. She is the Music Scholar with the Opus XVI Chamber Choir. Friyan enjoys teaching early learners and piano lessons at the Youth Music Centre.
Eleanor o’Driscoll, Voice/aural teacher and Choir Director
Mezzo Soprano, Eleanor O’Driscoll is studying for a Master’s degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she trains with Susan Waters and is supportedby a scholarship. Prior to this she trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where she performed the roles of Ghost Child 1 in Turnage’sCoraline, Charlotte Badger in McNeff’sBanished, Lapák the Dog in Janáček’sThe Cunning Little Vixen, and Flora in Dove’sThe Enchanted Pig. In the 2022/23 season Eleanor also performed the role of Siebel in Gounod’sFaust with Arcadian Opera Company and was part of the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company’s chorus. Most recently Eleanor made role debuts at West Green House Opera as La Suora Infermiera in Suor Angelica, and as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro for Hewlett Opera. As an oratorio soloist, Eleanor has performed for a number of choral societies, including London Lawyers Music, Redditch Choral Society, and Malvern Festival Chorus. After teaching singing for a number of years, Eleanor is very excited to be joining the team at Youth Music Centre, running aural and voice lessons, as well as leading the choir.
Graham Bennett BMUS LRAM PGCE, Music Theory and Composition
Graham studied piano, theory and composition at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music in London where he was awarded the Associated Board Entrance Scholarship. During this time he won many prestigious prizes and performed extensively in the United Kingdom and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician.
In 2001 Graham studied for a PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London to obtain Qualified Teacher Status which enabled him to broaden his teaching experiences working with students in mainstream schools across North London, and he is Head of Theory and Composition at the Youth Music Centre
Graham is also the author, composer and publisher of the ‘Music Master Series’, a collection of fun and easy to follow Educational Music Books specialising in composition, theory and performance.
Otto Hashmi, Recorder
Otto is a recorder player from London with a broad range of experience both in classical and popular music, with a passion for promoting the recorder as a fine instrument at all ability levels.
He performs widely as a soloist through UK and EU touring, including as recent support for acclaimed jazz musician Shabaka. As a session player he has performed on recordings for BBC, ZDF, and for composers including Anna Meredith and Mario Grigorov. As musical director and live musician in he has toured across Europe and North America.
He received his MMus in Advanced Instrumental Studies with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2024, studying recorder with Ian Wilson. He was awarded a Concert Recital Diploma for outstanding performance in his final recital.
He received his BA (Hons) Music from the University of Bristol with focus on recorder performance, musicology with specialism in early music and African-American music, and studio composition. He was additionally awarded the university’s Studio Composition Award upon graduation.
Otto is a member of the European Recorder Teachers’ Association, and a Young Artist of the Worshipful Company of Musicians with his early music ensemble Londinium Consort.
Maria Noskova, Violin and Viola
Award winning violinist Maria Noskova started learning the violin at the age of five. She currently studies at the Royal College of Music with Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky and Professor Michał Ćwiżewicz. She has won first prizes in North London and Watford Festivals, the Moscow Music and Arts Competition and the Youth Music Centre Concerto Prize in 2019, amongst others. In 2017, she began attending the Purcell School of Music where she studied with Dr. Tatjana Goldberg. During her time there, she held the role of concertmaster for several orchestral concerts at Cadogan Hall, the Southbank Centre Purcell Room and Hatfield House, partaking in a side-by-side project with the Carducci Quartet. She is the current concertmaster of the Causeway Chamber Orchestra, with whom she performed Mozart’s 2nd violin concerto with conductor Luca Imperiale in 2023, and since 2025 has been the concertmaster of the Harrow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tom Kilworth, with whom performed the Dvorak Violin Concerto in March of 2026. Since 2022, she has played in the Sonora Quartet (est. 2022), and has worked with prestigious quartets, such as the Marmen Quartet, the Sacconi Quartet and the Brodsky Quartet. They perform frequently in venues such as St Mary Abbots Church in Kensington, the Austrian Cultural Forum, and the RCM Performance Spaces. Their most recent concerts include performing in the Oxford and Cambridge Club and Draper’s Hall. She has played in masterclasses to Ian Watson, Remus Azoitei, Zaure Zharova, TasminLittle and Francesca Dego. She currently plays on a Neapolitan 19th century violin kindly loaned to her by the Royal College of Music.
Karin Bjork, Violin
Karin Björk grew up in a coastal town in southeastern Sweden, but has been living in England for over 20 years. She studied violin at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Clive Lander and baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music with Nicolette Moonen and is now enjoying a varied career, performing with St James’ Baroque, The Mozartists, Feinstein Ensemble, Gabrieli Consort and Players and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. She enjoys chamber music and performs regularly in a string trio and quartet. Karin has worked as a violin tutor at Hill House International Junior School since 2008, she teaches violin, viola and piano privately, and she home educates her two daughters.
Lydia Walquist, Flute and Sight Reading
American-Chinese flautist, Lydia Walquist, is praised by mentors and colleagues for her intuitive, sensitive artistry. She enjoys performing early music, contemporary music, and experimental techniques. Lydia is committed to broadening her listener’s experience by experimenting with audience interaction and creative programming.
“Walquist is a marvel of breathtaking virtuosity.” – The Boston Musical Intelligencer
As a soloist and collaborator, Lydia has performed at Wigmore Hall and internationally at Iceland’s Harpa concert hall as part of Temporal Harmonies Inc, at the RAM Instrumental Olympics as one of the Academy Baroque Soloists, and performed Boulez’s Sonatine for the Royal Academy of Music’s “Boulez in Context” project curated by Tamara Stefanovich. Her interest in creative collaboration is reflected in her frequent work with composers including Zygmund De Somogyi, Ashkan Layegh, and Sarah Marze.
Lydia regularly performs with her captivating chamber group, Temporal Harmonies Inc. Founded by Xiaowen Shang, Mikolaj Piszczorowicz, and Lydia Walquist, Temporal Harmonies Inc. is a proud recipient of the Jacob Barnes Award and has performed in Wigmore Hall, Royal Academy of Music, and the Harpa Concert Hall. With their upcoming events and performances, this passionate ensemble is keen to bring new audiences to classical music and break down the barrier between the listener and the performer.
Her orchestral engagements include performances with the RAM Symphony Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder and Edward Gardner, Knussen Chamber Orchestra with Ryan Wigglesworth, and the Dunedin Consort with John Butt. She has served as Principal Flute in opera productions at the Royal Academy of Music such as Albert Herring and Le Nozze di Figaro.
Lydia has received top prizes in the Altus William Bennett Prize, DePaul Concerto Festival, Society of American Musicians Young Artist Competition and Enkor International Music Competition. She has been awarded a Bachelors of Music Honors, Masters of Arts with Distinction, and LRAM Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music. Lydia continues to build a multifaceted career grounded in curiosity, versatility, and inclusive programming.
Raj Bhaumik, Clarinet
Raj Bhaumik (clarinet) freelances on both modern and historical instruments, notably playing Guest-Principal with the Irish Baroque Orchestra. He has also worked with the City of London Sinfonia, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Gabrieli Consort and Players, Canzona and the Vauxhall Band. Raj has also benefitted from the Royal Opera House’s “Overture” Programme, and is currently on the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s Experience Scheme.
In 2023 Raj formed a wind quintet, the Dogoda Quintet, after all five members had played together as principals in the National Youth Orchestra. In January 2026 they were selected to be Tillett Debut Artists across the 26/27 and 27/28 seasons and in June 2026 they attended the Tunnell Trust’s “Music Coll” chamber course. Previous concert highlights include EMPOWER Women Changing Music” Manchester, Brighton Dome, Octagon Music Society Watford, and Aylesbury Lunchtime Music. Group education work includes Poole Society for Young Musicians and the Royal Academy of Music’s Junior Composition Department. In early 2027, they will play as part of Wigmore Hall’s “For Crying Out Loud” concert series for babies, through a scheme with the Royal Academy of Music.
Additionally, as a soloist and chamber musician, he has broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” and BBC Radio Scotland’s “Classics Unwrapped,” and given duo recitals at the Petworth Festival, Tetbury Goods Shed and St Cyprian’s Lenzie.
Raj commenced studies at the Royal Academy of Music in 2023, on an ABRSM Scholarship, with teachers Christopher Richards, Sonia Sielaff, Maura Marinucci, Chi-Yu Mo, Thomas Watmough Bass Clarinet Laurent Ben Slimane and Katherine Spencer. Whilst at the Academy, he has won first in the Buffet Crampon Clarinet Prize and has performed the solo part in Bernstein’s “Prelude, Fugue and Riffs” with conductor Jeroen Berwaerts.
Raj is passionate about music education and expanding access to the arts. He teaches at the Youth Music Centre, Camden Music Service, and works with the Academy’s Widening Participation Department. In May 2026, he joined the Board of Trustees of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
Raj is grateful to the support provided by the Loan Fund for Musical Instruments and the West London Charitable Trust for their financial support with his instrument purchases.
Henry Hargreaves, Administration
Henry studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Felix Schmidt and Ben Hughes and graduated with Distinction, the DipRAM and the Edwin Samuel Dove award for special merit. He is a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra cello section. The BBC Concert Orchestra regularly broadcasts on BBC radio and TV and highlights of Henry’s time with the orchestra have included playing for Sir David Attenboroughs 100th Birthday Concert, BBC Radio 2 Piano Room performances with artists such as Mumford and Sons, Laufey, Alison Limerick and Niall Horan and concerts at the BBC Proms.
Henry is invited to perform as an extra with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Opera House and English Touring Opera and has been a guest principal cello with the Ulster Orchestra, Welsh National Opera and Scottish Opera.
Henry has taught the cello for the past 11 years in North London. Henry has supported many students throughout the years to secure music scholarships and places in youth orchestras and has been a part of the YMC team, since 2015 first as cello assistant, then teacher and now as administrator.
Visiting Teachers (masters classes or lectures)
Catherine Manson
Catherine enjoys a versatile performing career as a soloist and chamber musician.
As first violinist of the classical London Haydn Quartet she has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, London’s Wigmore Hall and the Sydney Opera House. The quartet’s series of recordings of the Haydn quartets on the Hyperion label has met with high critical acclaim internationally.
She was appointed as leader of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in 2006. Together with the orchestra’s director, Ton Koopman she has recorded the six obbligato sonatas by Bach, Haydn’s concerto for violin and organ and the complete chamber music by Buxtehude. They have given many concerts together throughout Europe.
Teaching has always been an important part of her musical life; in 2001 she co-founded and now directs MusicWorks, an organisation which presents a range of chamber music courses for young musicians.She has given masterclasses and workshops at conservatories in London, Lyon, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and at Juilliard School, Yale and Indiana Universities.
Martin Feinstein is recognised as one of this country’s leading period performers. After playing jazz piano and guitar from a young age, Martin only began playing the flute as a fifteen year old, inspired by hearing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Three years later he started flute and recorder studies at the Royal College of Music and there won a German Government Scholarship which enabled him to continue his training in Hamburg with the great German flautist Karlheinz Zoeller. After spells working with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Modern, he returned to London to form and direct the Feinstein Ensemble. As a soloist and with his ensemble, his chamber and concerto recordings for Naxos, Black Box Music, Sanctuary Records, Dutton Epoch, Barn Cottage Records and BBC Television have met with critical acclaim. Fanfare (USA) said that “Feinstein’s flute-playing is beyond praise – I have never heard better.” Gramophone described Feinstein as “A graceful player and decisive conductor.” They noted that “Feinstein has acquired a formidable command of Bach’s very particular style..these are virtuoso flute concertos played with great authenticity and consummate musicianship.” Martin Feinstein’s love of Bach’s music continues to inspire his work.
