Accord Duo:
Miloš Milivojevic & Zivorad Nikolic
Risings stars of the accordion, these young virtuosi, perform a rich repertoire which moves fluidly between soulful and delicate Argentinian tangos by Astor Piazzola, to the passion and power of Serbian melodies providing evocative, inspirational and uplifting music. Milos receives raves reviews for his performances and is in demand around the world: ‘Milivojevic's artistry on the humble button accordion took the breath away – I'd put money on this brilliant young performer opening a whole range of new musical worlds.’ Michael Church, The Independent.

Miloš Milivojevic
Serbian born accordionist Miloš Milivojevic is a first prizewinner at International Competitions in Germany, France, Italy and Denmark, and in July 2007 he became the first accordionist ever to win the RAM Club Prize at the Royal Academy of Music. While studying at the RAM since 2002, he won the S & M Eyres Scholarship, the Louise Child Prize, Larry Adler Award, a Foundation Award and a Vice-Principal's Special Award. In March 2008, Miloš Milivojevic was the Winner of the prestigious Derek Butler London Prize at the Wigmore Hall.

Milos made his London debut at the Royal Festival Hall, Purcell Room in January 2004 where he performed World Premiere by Anthony Gilbert, commissioned by the Park Lane Group. His performance was enthusiastically received by the music critics.

"Already a virtuoso" David Murray, The Financial Times;
"a hurricane of imaginative invention" Hilary Finch, The Times;
"Mr. Milivojevic's mastery…rapturous ovation" Geoffrey Smith, Country Life

His ambition has always been to take the classical accordion into the spotlight of the classical music world and he is deeply involved in collaborations with contemporary composers. As a result, he has premiered works by Anthony Gilbert, Howard Skempton, Elena Firsova, Stephane Altier, Patrick Nunn, Ben Foskett, Tom Lane, Elena Vorotko, Carlos Duque, Mark Bowden, Emily Hall, Chris Mayo, Anna Meredith, Philip Venables, and Robert Percy and has given the UK premiere of Sequenza No.13 by Luciano Berio.

Miloš has also performed in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St John Smith Square, St Martin in the Fields and St James Piccadilly, University of London Senate House, Holywell Music Room, National Portrait Gallery, St Paul Church Covent Garden, Colston Hall Bristol, Keble College Oxford, and has performed at the Foundation Day awards ceremony in front of HRH The Princess Royal.

Appearances at the festivals include: Park Lane Group Young Artists, Cheltenham International Festival of Music, Cheltenham Contemporary Concerts, Aldeburgh Festival Britten-Pears Orchestra, Oxford Chamber Music Festival, Berio Festival, Northfolk & Norwich Festival, Deal and Chichester, Swaledale, Hexham, Burton & Bradstock, Belef, Nomus and Grad Teatar Festival.

Internationally, he performed in Russia, Slovenia, Hungary, Iceland, Serbia and Montenegro, Canary Islands as well as Australia. He also gave live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and Serbian National Radio and television network.

Milos is also a keen chamber musician. He is a member of the London Tango quintet, Kosmos Ensemble and Accord Duo. In masterclasses he has received guidance from many distinguished musicians, including Nicholas Cleobury, John Williams, Steven Isserlis and Gorgy Kurtag. Since 2002 he has been studying with Owen Murray at the Royal Academy of Music.
www.milosmilivojevic.com

Zivorad Nikolic
Zivorad Nikolic was born in 1983 in Kragujevac, Serbia. At the age of six he joined the Miloje Milojevic School of Music as a classical accordion player and was accepted as one of the most promising students. While at the school Zivorad studied with Vesna Djurdjevic, Radomir Tomic and Radenka Ristic.

He entered many national and international competitions in France and Italy where he picked up the top honors and has performed concerts internationally, notably in France, Norway, Italy and Canary Islands.

In 2002, Zivorad was accepted by the National Conservatory of Music in Marseille, France. In his first year in Marseille he received d’unanimite’ prize –superior level award and was invited to play at Napoleon Palace in Marseille.

Since joining the Royal Academy of Music in 2004 his teacher has been Owen Murray. He has perform at St.Martin’s in the Fields, St.Johns Smith Square, Concerts at RAM of classical accordion department, concert at Jordan's club as Accord duo together with Milos Milivojevic and many others. He is also the member of Fugata quintet.

He played in the "Fiddler on the Roof" show at the "Crucible "theatre in Sheffield and his recent musical experiences include the Channel 4 recording for the Tiger aspects documentary "How Music Works" and live session for the BBC programme Roma Rokker Radio.

AILIE ROBERTSON - CLARSACH

Ailie is one of the new, exciting generation of harpists who are rapidly changing the face of traditional harp music. She comes from Edinburgh, Scotland, and started playing the harp when she was 11, under the expert tuition of Isobel Mieras. While brought up mainly playing Scottish music, she has always had a passion for Irish music, and has just finished studing for an MA in Irish traditional music performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. She was 1st prize at the inaugural London Harp Competition, best overall musician at the Edinburgh Competition Festival and was awarded Gold medals for advanced performance and composition at the National Mod for 4 consecutive years. In 2000 she was selected to represent Commun na Clarsach for Scotland at the Pan Celtic Festival. This year she was awarded a scholarship from the ESU in recognition of her 'virtuosic clarsach playing', and was also a winner of the St Albans New Roots award. She played in the Scottish Harp Orchestra, Na Clarsairean for many years, performing with them at two World Harp Congresses - in Seattle and Prague. She has given recitals at events all over Scotland, including performing for HRH the Queen, and being invited to give a private concert to the Lord High Commissioner and his distinguished guests earlier this year. She has played alongside many great irish and scottish musicians such as Alan Kelly, Christy Leahey and Eileen O'Brian, and this summer is supporting Karine Polwart at the St Albans Festival. In August she is touring round Ireland and Scotland with her new band The Outside Track.

Eilidh auditioned successfully for Live Music Now in November 2006 and enjoys playing for a wide range of audiences in community venues.

The award-winning Alba Brass has established itself as one of the leading young chamber ensembles in the UK. Founded in 2004 when the individual members were students at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, their debut performances at the inaugural Aracena International Chamber Music Competition in Spain were an immediate success with the ensemble receiving all the major prizes. Since then Alba Brass has been invited to perform throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, North America and the Middle East.

Widely recognized as an ensemble that is both artistically expressive and technically facile, Alba Brass’s repertoire includes many of their own unique arrangements as well as a particular emphasis on contemporary original works, some commissioned by and written for the ensemble. Regulars on the festival circuit, they have appeared at the Loch Shiel Spring Festival, RSAMD Brass Spectacular, Aberdour Festival, Moray Spirit of Brass Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival and the Durham International Festival of Brass.

Alba Brass also regularly work for some of the UK’s leading businesses and have built up a reputation for their quality of performance, presentation and professionalism. Their vast experience has seen them performing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of Scottish Parliament and even at the opening of a new Wind Farm ‘on location’ in Fintry! As apart of Live Music Now! the ensemble has been successful in the area of education with their Scottish Arts Council funded projects ‘Make Some Noise!’ and ‘Life in Fife’ being delivered throughout Scotland, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates over the last two years for people of all ages and abilities. Whether performing in the concert hall or the classroom, Alba Brass's work is united by the belief that music is a primary means of communication. Through working with composers and artists from other practices, Alba Brass is pushing the boundaries of the brass quintet medium and redefining the concert experience for a new audience.

Caroline Munro – Trumpet
Caroline’s interest in music began at the age of 8, when she joined the local brass band and received cornet lessons. She was greatly influenced by the rich culture of brass band music in West Lothian and later went on to win several regional prizes and was principal cornet with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland and West Lothian Schools band for 6 years. When
she progressed onto trumpet in 2001, Caroline successfully auditioned for the RSAMD and studied for her BMus degree with Nigel Boddice and John Gracie (RSNO). She then achieved a scholarship from the Musician’s Benevolent Fund and went on to complete a MMus under Peter Franks (SCO) and Mark O´Keeffe (BBC SSO).
Caroline graduated from the RSAMD in 2008. She teaches brass for South Lanarkshire council and, has worked as a freelance musician with the Orchestra of Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera as well as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Recently Caroline spent time in Tenerife playing with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra as co-principal trumpet.

Bede Williams - Trumpet
Bede Williams (1985) is a New Zealand born conductor and trumpeter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Widely recognised as a musician of prodigious talent and individuality, his performances throughout Scotland in the last season were acclaimed as “visionary,” “incisive,” and “confident.” In 2008 - 2009 Williams held an Emergent Leaders’ Fellowship from the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). Highlights of his tenure included conducting the premier of John de Simone’s Symphony at the 2009 PLUG festival, the premiere of Michael Rose’s Piano Concerto and joint artistic directorship of the 2009 Summerfest. He was a driving force in the establishment of the RSAMD MusicLab, directing the group’s debut performance of Aus den Sieben Tagen by Karlheinz Stockhausen at the ECAT festival in Edinburgh, and a collaborative
performance with Anto Pett and Anne-Liss Poll at the RSAMD Piano festival in Glasgow.
Williams has performed major concerti as a soloist with professional and amateur orchestras in the UK and NZ, and has performed as an orchestral musician for most professional orchestras in Scotland and NZ. In 2005 he received the Philip Jones Memorial Prize for brass at the Royal Overseas League music competition, and in 2008 was a member of the Lucerne
Festival Academy conducted by Pierre Boulez. He graduated with First Class Honours from the RSAMD in 2007 as an Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music international scholar, and in July 2008 completed his postgraduate diploma in Orchestral Conducting studying repertoire from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Williams teaches trumpet at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh and is Conductor of the Lomond and Clyde Community Orchestra and the St Andrews University Symphony Orchestra. Currently he is composing a new education project commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council, Live Music Now! (UK) and the Zayed Higher Organization (UAE) for delivery in several locations during 2009-2010.

Jamie Shield - French Horn
Jamie Shield is currently the youngest member of Alba Brass. He was recently invited to join the group after a long search for a horn player with the strength of sound to fill the middle voice of the quintet. Currently studying with John Logan and Hugh Potts as a scholar at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama he is a past principal horn of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra.

Paul Stone - Trombone
Born in Edinburgh, Paul Stone began playing Baritone at the age of seven and went on to become the principal Euphonium player in the celebrated West Lothian Schools Brass Band, winning Scottish, British and European titles as well as several individual awards. Paul later entered the Royal Scottish Academy of Music to study Euphonium with David Dowall, Trombone with Kevin Thompson and Lance Green, and Electro-Acoustic Composition with Dr Alistair MacDonald. During his time at the academy Paul was awarded the Countess of Munster Musical Scholarship, the Barcapel Music Award, the Robert McCreath Memorial Prize and The Governors Recital Prize (Brass)
A busy freelance career followed, performing with Scotland’s professional Orchestras, as well as Scottish Brass (BBC SSO brass quintet), the RSNO Brass Quintet, Brass Ensemble and Big Band and numerous musical productions and free-lance orchestras. Paul has also enjoyed performances with RTE Symphony Orchestra, the Ulster Orchesta and the Czech National
Symphony Orchestra and taken part in the RSNO’s education programme. On a “lighter” note, Paul was intermittently a member of P&O Cruises’ in-house orchestras, a role in which Paul worked with artists and performers as diverse as Paul Daniels, Elaine Delmar, Roy Walker, Iris Williams, Gerrard Kenny, Allan Stewart and Claire Sweeney.
A member of Slide Effect (Trombone Quartet) Paul currently lives in Glasgow and continues to freelance as well as teach.

Jonathan Gawn – Tuba
Jonathan began his musical studies in Ballyclare Primary School at the age of 9. While at school he was the principal tuba with the Ulster Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the 55th Old Boy’s Brass Band in Belfast. Jonathan completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of Ulster graduating in 2003 with 2:1 honours. Having developed his interest in performance throughout his undergraduate course he decided to move to Glasgow to continue his studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama studying tuba with David Dowall and Chris McShane.
While at the RSAMD, he was the recipient of a Countess of Munster Award, an EMI Music Sound Foundation Award, was twice runner up in the prestigious Governor’s Recital Prize, was winner of the Ulster Arts Club Centenary Award, was the winner of the Guinness Brass Bursary in Dublin and a participant in the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Future First’s Scheme. He also performed in master classes with James Gourlay and Roger Bobo. Jonathan left the RSAMD in 2005 with a
Postgraduate Diploma in Performance and a Master of Music.
Upon leaving college Jonathan took up his regular position as principal tuba with the Orchestra of Scottish Ballet as well as freelancing regularly with all the other professional orchestras in Scotland and Ireland. Jonathan also has a keen interest in solo work and chamber music having toured throughout Europe and North America with his quintet Alba Brass (of which he is a founder member). He has also worked with the BBSSO Brass, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Brass and the Brass Company. As a soloist he has performed the Gregson Tuba Concerto with the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra and has given several solo recitals throughout the UK and Ireland including a recital in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Alongside his playing commitments, he has a strong interest in music education and as well as his teaching at Wellington School has recently been the low brass coach for the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the European Youth Brass Band.

Amadio
The flute and harp duo ‘Amadio’ was formed in 2004 when Ruby Aspinall (harp) and Candice Hamel (flute) were studying at Trinity College of Music, London. The duo has performed extensively around the U.K. and Ireland. Venues include The Royal Festival Hall, The National Concert Hall of Ireland, Chard Music Festival, Somerset and Burgh House, London. Candice and Ruby are talented and accomplished musicians in the fields of solo, orchestral and chamber music. As a duo, they perform to a wide variety of audiences and enjoy exploring many different musical genres such as – folk, jazz and contemporary. www.amadio.co.uk

Ruby Aspinall (harp)
Ruby began her musical career as a Leverhulme scholar at The Purcell School of Music aged nine. During her time there she was awarded First Prize for The Young Composer’s Award of Wales. She subsequently continued studying harp at Trinity College of Music, London.
As a soloist and orchestral player she has performed at the London Coliseum, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. John Smith’s Square and toured to Japan, Holland and Germany. Ruby has made film and TV recordings with BBC Wales and The Musician’s Directive. Her extensive experience as a theatre musician includes playing for ‘The Hired Man’, awarded TMA Best Musical 2004. Ruby was also featured playing the harp on Channel 4’s programme ‘3 Minute Music’, in 2007.

Candice Hamel (flute)
Candice began her musical studies at The Royal Academy of Music, Dublin. She later went on to study at Trinity College of Music, London and The Royal Conservatoire, The Hague. Candice studied under world class flautists including Wissam Boustany, Karen Jones, Emily Beynon and Rien de Reede. She was principal flute with The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland for two years and has played in the following venues ; Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Konzerthaus, Berlin, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, The Barbican and Royal Festival Hall, London.
Candice has given numerous solo recitals around the U.K. and Ireland and has made several broadcasts for RTE. Alongside her solo, orchestral and chamber music work, Candice is a busy teacher for Wandsworth Schools Music and also teaches privately. She also runs her own residential flute course at Knuston Hall, Wellingborough.

Duo Amanes
Ioannis Zaronis - Guitar, Daf, General Percussion
Phil Holmes - Saxophone and Melodeon

Duo Amanes is the result of two primarily Western trained musicians who fell in love with the music of the Orient. Amanes, borrowing their name from the unaccompanied, improvisatory vocal style found in Greece and Turkey, bring together sounds and instruments not commonly associated with each other. Traditional lutes from Greece are united with saxophones, melodeons, Arabic hand-drums and guitars. The result, is a repertory stretching from the coast of the Eastern-Med, to the Hebrides and
from Andalusia to Latin America.

Theo Lais is a classical guitarist by training and folk instrumentalist by trade.
Although the Spanish guitar tradition still holds a special place in his repertoire, Theo's main fascination lies with the music traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Of special interest are the music idioms of the island of Crete as well as the instrumental compositions of what has come to be known as classical Ottoman music. His main performance instruments, other than the flamenco guitar, include the Cretan lute and
the lavta or 'the lute of Constantinople' as it is known among Greeks.

Yiannis Zaronis was born in Athens Greece in 1981. He began learning the guitar at the age of nine, and in 1998 enrolled in the jazz programme of Fillipos Nakas School of Music in Athens where he studied guitar with Takis Barberis. After completing his jazz studies he enrolled in Christ Church University, Canterbury where he completed his BA Music and in 2007 began a Masters degree in Ethnomusicology at SOAS, University of London. Yiannis has studied Arabic drumming under the guidance of percussion master Hossam Ramzy and he performs regularly with several different bands in the UK. His main interest is Balkan and Gypsy music as well as music from his native country Greece. Since 2003 he has lived in the UK where he works as a musician and music teacher.

Phil Holmes was born in Kent UK in 1979. He spent much of his young life playing Celtic and English folk music on the tin whistle and melodeon until studying the saxophone at the age of 12 years. In the mid 1990’s Phil began training in early American Jazz and commenced a Sonic Arts & Jazz Music degree in 1997 in North London. Phil is now a diverse musician involved in a myriad of musical styles ranging from Jazz, Blues, funk, Electronica and Hip Hop to Balkan, Arabic, Celtic and English Folk Music. He has five years experience in workshops and other musical education and has developed an eclectic musical flavour to reflect his rich resource of influences.

Emma Wilkins, Flute
Emma Wilkins grew up in Aberdeenshire where she began studying the flute. She was later awarded a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and there was awarded the John McGregor flute prize for outstanding achievement and graduated with both a BMus(Hons) and a MMus in music performance.

Emma now enjoys a successful freelance career having recently performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. She has a keen interest in chamber music and not only performs regularly with Helen MacLeod but also appears in concert with the chamber groups; Amici Winds, and Ecoute at a variety of venues across the UK

In addition she has worked with the Scottish pop group Texas where she features on their latest album Red Book which led to several appearances on national television including the BBC’s Top of the Pops.

Fraser MacAulay, Oboe
Fraser originally studied Zoology at Durham University before deciding to concentrate on the oboe.On completion of his degree he went on to study with Stephane Rancourt at the RSAMD and Christopher Cowie at the Royal College of Music.
During his time at the RCM, he was awarded the Earl of Dalhousie Prize and was appointed a Leverhulme Trust Orchestral Mentor in September 2008.

Fraser has freelanced with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Concert Orchestra, the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa and the Orquestra do Norte in Portugal as well as performing regularly with the RCM Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. He was invited to play principal oboe with the Britten-Pears Orchestra for their 2007 concert season and was the only oboist selected to take part in the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Future Firsts” apprenticeship scheme in 2008/2009.

Gemma Carlin clarinet
Gemma began playing the clarinet at secondary school in her hometown of
Aberdeen. In September 2000 she commenced her studies at the RSAMD under the tuition of John Cushing. She graduated from there in July 2005 with a BA(Musical Studies)Hons which includes an endorsement in Woodwind Teaching. In October 2005, Gemma began a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance under the tuition of John Cushing and Spanish clarinettist Maximilliano Martin and recently won the prestigious RSAMD Governors Recital Prize for Woodwind.
As well as teaching clarinet and saxophone throughout Glasgow and the surrounding area, Gemma is also studying through open learning with the Roehampton Institute/University of Surrey and the British Kodaly Academy, for a Certificate of Professional Practice in Early Childhood Music based on the method of Zoltan Kodaly. As a result of this she teaches music through Singing Games and Rhymes in the East End of Glasgow for the Arts and Minds project. Next year Gemma hopes to continue her studies at the RSAMD on the MMus course.

Victoria Scott bassoon
Vick was born in York in 1983 and began playing the bassoon when she was 14 years old. Currently, Vick is in her final undergraduate year at the RSAMD studying with Janet Bloxwich (principal bassoon, Scottish Opera). In October 2006, Vick will return to the RSAMD on the PGDip course to study with David Hubbard (principal bassoon, RSNO). She will be supported in her postgraduate studies by the John Mather Study Award.
Vick is constantly in demand throughout the United Kingdom on both bassoon and contra-bassoon. As a result, Vick has worked many orchestras including BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, as well as playing principal bassoon with the Britten-Pears Orchestra, the Young Musicians’ Symphony Orchestra and Camerata Scotland. Vick has also participated on the Britten-Pears Contemporary Performance and Composition course at the Britten-Pears Centre for Advanced Musical Studies. Vick has been a bassoonist with Amici Winds since its formation in 2002.

Christine Smith horn
Christine Smith was born in Fife and began playing the horn at the age of 13. After studying at the RSAMD Junior Department she continued her studies at the RSAMD with David McClenaghan gaining a BMus and a PGDip. She graduated in July 2005 with an MMus (Distinction) having studied with both David Flack and Hugh Potts.
Christine has amassed a considerable wealth of orchestral experience, and plays regularly with orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera and the Birmingham Royal Ballet and has trialled with the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, Scottish Opera, RTE National Symphony Orchestra and is currently on trial for principal horn at the Northern Ballet.
In addition to her orchestral playing she is also a keen chamber and solo musician giving various solo performances, notably Richard Strauss’ 2nd horn concerto with the RSAMD Orchestra, Strauss’ 1st horn concerto with the RSAMD Junior Academy Orchestra, Mozart’s 4th horn concerto with the RSAMD Athenaeum Orchestra and Mozart’s 2nd horn concerto with the Avison String Ensemble. She has also performed with the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble, Paragon Ensemble and a variety of chamber ensembles, notably with John Wallace and other RSAMD staff members and has also performed the Brahms Horn Trio at the RSAMD Summerfest Festival.
Christine has also received various trust awards from the RSAMD Trust Fund, Musicians Benevolent Fund, Princes Trust and the Cross Trust. She is also a recipient of the Mary D Adams Prize for Chamber Music, the RSAMD Governors Prize for Brass, the 2005 RSAMD Concerto Competition and the Peter Morrison Prize.

Amici Winds
Amici Winds was formed in 2002. Their aim is to perform music to all kinds of audiences and share with them the joy that music can bring. Since their formation, Amici Winds have performed all over the United Kingdom in performances varying
from evening recitals and educational workshops to playing for audiences who would not normally have access to live music.
All its members work regularly as orchestral performers, chamber musicians, soloists and teachers. Members of Amici Winds have performed as freelance orchestral musicians with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Scottish Opera, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, RTE Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra, to name but a few.
Amici Winds are currently performing artistes on the Live Music Now! Scheme, a project started by the distinguished violinist Yehudi Menuhin during World War II to encourage the performance of music for those people who would not usually have access to live music. They are the only Scottish wind quintet to hold a position on this distinguished scheme, and one of only four wind quintets in the United Kingdom.

Yvonne Paterson (flute) and Andrew Robinson (guitar) combine to make “Duende!” An exciting young Scottish duo with flamenco flair, Yvonne and Andrew are both 1st Class Honours graduates who started playing as a duo when they were at school together. After completing their musical studies in London and Glasgow, Yvonne and Andrew were reunited in 2006 and formed “Duende!”

Both Andrew and Yvonne are highly accomplished, award-winning soloists and are very much in demand as orchestral and chamber musicians having worked with several distinguished groups ranging from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Scottish Ballet.

“Duende!” perform regularly across the UK giving recitals and educational concerts often as part of the renowned “Live Music Now!” scheme. They have also performed at many prestigious events, most notably for Prince Charles and as a support act for bass guitarist Jack Bruce. The duo’s extensive repertoire spans many genres including classical, contemporary, easy listening, and Latin-American. With such an eclectic repertoire, as well as the ability to arrange music at request, “Duende!” can tailor a programme to suit the mood of any event or occasion.

Anna Huntley – Mezzo-Soprano

Anna Huntley is currently at the Royal College of Music’s Benjamin Britten International Opera Studio where she is a Sir Thomas Allen Scholar supported by an Opperby Stokowski Award. Prior to this she was awarded a Full Foundation Scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music graduating with a First Class Honours Degree, the Mary Burgess Academic Award and a Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction. Other prizes and awards include the Hampshire Singing Prize, the Oxford Recital Award and MBF Education Awards. Most recently, Anna made her Wigmore Hall debut as a prize winner in the Great Elm Vocal Awards.

A regular soloist in oratorio, Anna’s most recent performances include Handel’s Samson at Canterbury Cathedral, the Bach B Minor Mass with Trevor Pinnock and the Mozart Requiem with Andrew Nethsingha in France. Concert highlights have included Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Colne Philharmonic Orchestra, performances as the mezzo-soprano soloist in the prestigious RAM ‘Song Circle’ concerts and solo recitals at St Martin-in-the-Fields and in the Winchester Festival. Anna recently became an artist for the Live Music Now! scheme. Stage roles to date include Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Cenerentola, Sesto (Giulio Cesare) and Stewardess in Jonathan Dove’s Flight for the RAM Opera Tableaux, Cis (Albert Herring) for British Youth Opera and Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) and Isabella (L’italiana in Algeri) at the XXIV Festival Internazionale de Musica Cinque Terre. Future engagements include Irene (Cover) in Handel’s Atalanta with the BBIOS for the London Handel Festival and chorus for Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

James Bailleu - Piano

James Baillieu, one of South Africa’s top young pianists and accompanists received the Bachelor of Music (Performance) degree with distinction at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2004. He studied piano under Graham Fitch and François du Toit, and the clarinet under Jimmy Reinders. Before enrolling at UCT he completed an Individualised Programme of Study in piano and accompaniment at Trinity College of Music, London. As a distinguished music student at UCT he was awarded all the piano prizes. He won the first Laura Searle Piano Competition and was the Eric Chisholm Centenary Competition in Cape Town. James also won the Stellenbosch Conservatoire’s Rachmaninov Piano Competition in 2003.

In May 2004 he participated in the International Russian Piano Competition in California at which as a laureate he was awarded a scholarship to study in Vienna. At the Vienna International Pianists Academy he was awarded the Rosario Marciano prize for an eminent artistic personality.

James has received a full scholarship, the Avery Picker award, from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he is completing his postgraduate studies with Michael Dussek, Malcolm Martineau and Kathryn Stott. He is generously supported by Llutz Fellmann. James has won the Flora Nielsen, Ludmilla Andrews and Brenda Webb accompanists prizes and was highly commended for his performance in the Lillian Davies Beethoven competition at the Academy. He recently was a participant at the European Liedforum in Berlin, and also attended the 2006 George Solti Accademmia di Bel Canto in Italy working with Mirella Freni.

He was awarded the Elisa Fawcett award at the Royal Overseas League Competition in London and the MBF accompanist’s prize at the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, which took place at the Wigmore Hall.

Anna Massie was the winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003 Award. A talented multi-instrumentalist, she excels in playing the fiddle, mandolin and tenor banjo. Though perhaps most impressive is her guitar playing - equally at home either accompanying in her unique rhythmic style or flatpicking tunes, Massie’s dexterity shines through.

She has performed twice at the Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton. As well as solo performances, Anna also performs with the outstanding accordion and border pipe player Mairearad Green. With performances at Celtic Connections, Shetland, Orkney, Hebridean Celtic and Tønder festivals as well as tours in the UK and Scandinavia, the past few years have seen these talented young women’s careers go from strength to strength.

At Celtic Connections 2005, Anna’s first commission was performed – her New Voices piece was very well received by critics and audience alike. She also performed a Master and Apprentice gig with guitar whiz John Doyle. This year saw her performing with the Karen Matheson Band, Donald Shaw, and many international musicians in Donald Shaw’s “Harvest.” Further to the performance at Celtic Connections, Anna has become a regular member of the Karen Matheson Band, touring the UK and to France and Italy.

As well as live performances Anna is a busy recording artist with notable appearances on Michael McGoldrick’s latest album “Wired,” Troy MacGillivray's "Eleven" and, most recently, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain’s new “Roads Not Travelled” album.

Originally from the Wester Ross village of Achiltibuie, Mairearad Green is now based as a professional musician in the happening city of Glasgow. She is equally at home on the accordion, the pipes and the piano. At just 16, Mairearad was in the finals of BBC Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year 2001. She then went on to attend the Plockton Music School of Excellence for her final year at school, where she received tuition from Ian MacFadyen and former Runrig accordionist, Blair Douglas. She has recently attained a BA in French and Marketing from the University of Strathclyde.

A keen composer, Mairearad's tunes are rapidly becoming popular session tunes and have been recorded by other bands, such as Canadian band Clan Terra and fellow accordionist Gary Innes. Among the best-known are "Maggie West's Waltz," "Dad's Landrover" and "Dram Behind the Curtain."