Jamie Smith and Calum Stewart are two of the UK’s finest exponents of Celtic folk music. Known both for their solo work and as lead musicians of interceltic band Mabon, they have developed a close musical partnership that after several years of playing together informally has finally culminated in the formation of a duo.

With their versatile combination of piano accordion/guitar/voice and wooden flute/uilleann pipes, Jamie, from South Wales, and Calum, from Morayshire in Scotland, delve deeply into the Celtic music traditions to unearth and present tunes and songs rarely heard, from places such as the Isle of Man and Galicia in northern Spain. The aim is not so much to give a musical tour of the various Celtic regions, but to gather different styles/flavours together and forge new pieces of music from them. Both Calum and Jamie are accomplished composers in their field and original pieces sit respectfully alongside the traditional material in their concert repertoire, which they deliver with wit, energy and verve.

Jamie and Calum also work for Live Music Now as soloists, translating the duo performance into their own individual solo concerts. Both musicians work comfortably on their own in a variety of venues and are experienced and confident when it comes to involving the audience in a show.

With Mabon, Jamie and Calum have performed all over the World: grand outdoor spectaculars in France, folk festivals in the UK, delirious allcomers in Mexico, forest parks in Italy, stadiums in Australia and castles in Poland. This autumn the band will embark on its first full-length UK tour.

Camille Maalawy - mezzo soprano

Camille Maalawy has achieved notable acclaim for bridging both musical and cultural divides. As the only Arab singer to reach the final of the first International Competition of Israeli Music outside Israel in July 2008, she broke new ground as she has done consistently throughout her professional career.

Born to an Egyptian father and English mother, Camille studied at Goldsmiths College and Birkbeck College graduating with a BMus (Hons) MMus Degree (Distinction) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Opera Studies. Her repertoire is as extensive as it is diverse, ranging from opera, oratorio and Lieder to embracing both Arabic and Jewish music. Studying with Ann Hood and Nan Christie, Camille’s vocal and musical diversity gained recognition coming second in the final of the Keldwyth Award (2004) whilst also appearing regularly with the Iraqi-Jewish ensemble, Rivers of Babylon touring India (2005) and performing at Simcha on the Square (2006) as well as creating the role of Lola in Pocket the Clown (Jim Marcovitch) at Battersea Arts Centre (2007)

Concert performances have included Music Beyond Frontiers, a concert of Arabic and Jewish music with Hilda Bronstein, as part of the Sing London Festival; a recital to support the Friends of Bereaved Families Forum: Israeli-Palestinian Families for Peace (LSO St. Lukes); Murder in the Cathedral (Iris Theatre); the world premiere of Song of Songs (Ken Burton); concerts with the Choir of London, under the baton of John Rutter and performances for the charity Hafla which promotes Middle-Eastern co-existence.

Recent engagements have included Camille’s debut at the Wigmore Hall singing songs by the Palestinian composer, Patrick Lama; Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater with the Limerick Choral Union; a premiere of a new work for the Ekon Greek Music Festival and of a song cycle by Julian Dawes; a performance with the Lincoln Noel Trio; recitals at St. Pancras Parish Church, St. Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Arts Depot, Finchley and a series of concerts with the London Vintage Jazz Orchestra.

Future engagements will take Camille to Germany to take up the position of Musician in Residence at the Haus Ohrbeck Jewish Christian Conference, as well as the premieres of two new works by Julian Dawes.

Her passion for embracing music from many cultures has brought her success and accolades not only as a performer but also as an educator, working with children and young people across a wide range of communities including The Spitalfields Festival, Hemel Hempstead, South Oxhey (Watford) Camille also gives regular concerts as part of the Music in Hospitals and Live Music Now schemes. Her recently released CD Daughter of Arabia draws on her cultural heritage as well as showcasing her vocal talent.

Polina Gerasimenko was born and educated in Russia, where she graduated with distinction from both Stavropol College of Arts and Saratov State Conservatoire. She was taught by Prof. Nathan Benditsky, a second generation musical descendant of Heinrich Neuhaus, Moscow Conservatoire’s renowned pedagogue. Polina has been performing extensively and has won various awards, including Ensemble and Accompanist Prizes in the South Russia Chamber Music Competition. In 2005 Polina moved to Surrey, England, where she is teaching piano to children and adults as well as performing with Guildford Opera Company, and various singers and instrumentalists.

Chris Meredith and Amy Thatcher met whilst studying for a Bmus Hons in Folk and Traditional music at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 2004. Together, their repertoire reflects an eclectic variety of music from Scotland, England, Ireland and Europe. They fuse these styles with influences beyond the boundaries of contemporary folk and jazz. Composition has become an integral component of their development; a skill which has been nurtured by some fantastic tutors during their time at Newcastle including Kathryn Tickell and Alistair Anderson.
Chris and Amy have the ability to create a variety of textures through different instrumentation; Chris, from the Highlands, learnt to play fiddle and guitar with some great musicians including Catriona McDonald, Stewart Hardy and Chris Newman. Amy, brought up in Stockport, has been privileged to study music with Liza Austin-Strange at ‘Fosbrooks Folk education Trust’, Karen Tweed and Ian Lowthian which has left her with a more than competent hold of the piano accordion, fiddle, piano and English clog dancing.
Between them, they have made various appearances on Radio and Television, played in prestigious venues including The Sage Gateshead, Newcastle City Hall, The Bridgewater Hall, Eden Court Theartre and Celtic Connections. They have supported the Mike McGoldrick trio, Lau, The Poozies, Jenna Reid and Peggy Seeger. Amy has made two albums; 2003’s ‘Paper Bird’ was done with fellow accordionist Murray Grainger and her debut album with ‘The Shee’ was out in 2008.
Some of their other achievements as workshops leaders and teachers include working at the Kodaly Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary, introducing music into schools with Focal Music’s scheme ‘Nowt se strange as Folk’ and teaching at Cambridge and Sidmouth music festivals. To add to their achievements they continue to work with Yehudi Menuhin’s ‘Live Music Now scheme’ which they joined in 2007.

Chris Sarjeant & Benedict Taylor

Chris Sarjeant (Vocals/Guitar/Cittern) and Benedict Taylor (Fiddle) met some eight years ago whilst studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Benedict studied the Viola whilst Chris concentrated on the Piano. In addition to their classical training, the pair found that they shared a passion for folk and popular music, both had grown up immersed in traditional English music, Chris’s parents, professional folk-singers, Benedict’s father, a Morris dancer! After graduating and spending a little time finding their musical feet, (during which time Benedict spent some time teaching in India), the duo re-united in London to concentrate on learning, arranging and performing traditional English material. Since then they have built up a very solid reputation, being described by popular folk star Tom McConville as, ‘….a very major addition to the British folk scene’. Chris and Benedict’s first professional outing was at Leeds Civic Hall in late 2006 at which they collaborated with celebrated poet Ian MacMillan, more recently, the pair have performed at Cecil Sharpe House, (the head-quarters of the English Folk-Dance and Song Society) as well as other prestigious venues including Islington Folk Club and the Magpie’s Nest London. In December of 2008, the duo were accepted on to the prestigious scheme, Live Music Now which will see them participate in the organisation’s work bringing music of all genres to audiences who may otherwise not be able to attend live performances. This work seeks to maximise the potential for live music to educate and provide therapy as well as to entertain!

Chris Sarjeant
English Traditional Folksinger and Guitarist who is heavily influenced by the British Folk revival.
Chris has been recently described as,"….a very major addition to the British Folk Scene…” by BBC Folk-musician of the year Tom McConville who added that his guitar work is “…impeccable…” and that he possesses, “….one of the best voices ever!” Chris has forged this enviable reputation despite only launching himself onto the Folk scene two years ago, since then he has been steadily winning audiences over with his arrangements and interpretations of Traditional English song. In addition to developing his self-taught Guitar style, Chris also arranges and performs on the Cittern and Piano, (having graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music on the latter instrument in 2004) and regularly performs with other musicians, most notably fiddle player Benedict Taylor, their work together is held in high regard, described as, “….by far one of the most exciting duos to emerge onto the folk scene in recent years”(Goose is Out Folk Club). In the past year, Chris has performed at many leading venues including Cecil Sharp House, The Goose is Out, Islington Folk Club and the Magpies Nest Chris has also performed recently at the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge as part of the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, on the London World Music Series and in May of this year, a three day run at the Tate Modern in collaboration with representatives of the English Folk-Dance and Song Society.

Claire Jones
Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales

Claire is a graduate of the Royal College of Music where she studied with Ieuan Jones. She was one of the first recipients of the Arts Council of Wales/Prince of Wales Advanced Study Awards and is continuing her studies at the Royal Academy of Music under the direction of Skaila Kanga.
Since her appointment to the post of Royal Harpist in June 2007, Claire has performed for His Royal Highness and members of the Royal Family on a number of prestigious occasions. Invited by Maestro Gergiev, she also joined the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Orchestra as guest artist for a concert at Windsor Castle. In July 2007 Claire performed at the Opening Gala of the European Harp Symposium at the Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff with former Royal Harpists Catrin Finch and Jemima Phillips. Solo performances include her debut at Bryn Terfel’s Faenol Festival in association with Live Music Now, at the Opening Ceremony of the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod and at the Cambridge Music Festival. Claire’s concerts in Wales also include performances with the National Youth String Academy of London at the Fishguard International Music Festival and Aberystwyth Musicfest.
Claire has performed on a number of television and radio programmes including appearances on GMTV, BBC, HTV, S4C, Classic FM, Radio 3, Radio Cymru, and Radio Wales. She has also been featured in a number of press articles.
A winner and finalist in numerous competitions, Claire has recently premiered a work for solo harp and chamber orchestra by Patrick Hawes. Future concerts include performances with the English Chamber Orchestra and European Chamber Orchestra at London, Plaxtol and Howden Music Festivals. Her debut CD ‘Touching Gold’ was released on the Kissan Label in 2007.
Claire was accepted for Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now scheme in 2007. Her career is also supported by the Victor Salvi Foundation and the Cork Fund.

Consort 1700 is a dynamic Baroque chamber ensemble formed in 2005. The group consists of Martyn Shaw / Baroque Flute, Emma Dixon / Baroque Cello and Charlotte Wilson / Harpsichord and has been recently joined by Jennifer France / Soprano. Following study at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the individual members of Consort 1700 have performed in venues across the country including St Martin in the Fields, York Centre for Early Music, Bridgewater Hall, Royal Festival Hall and The Barbican Centre. As an ensemble they have performed together throughout the UK. Recent engagements include recitals for Glossop Concerts Society, West Kilbride Concerts Society, the Kirkgate Arts Centre Cockermouth and Crosby Hall.

Jennifer France - Soprano has recently joined the group (July 2009). She is presently a 4th year student at RNCM studying with Sandra Dugdale. Before this she studied musical theatre at the Arts Education School, Tring Park where she performed in many productions, in particular as a featured soloist at a gala performance at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London.

As Consort 1700 instrumental ensemble, Martyn, Charlotte and Emma performed their debut for the Leeds International Concert Season in April 2008 and will be performing for the Ripon International Festival in September.

The group presents programmes of historical repertoire in an engaging and vibrant manner to a variety of audiences in different contexts and environments. In addition to their performances in recital, Consort 1700 regularly presents interactive educational concerts and workshops for Live Music Now! the largest outreach programme of its kind in the UK. Forthcoming engagements include recitals in Cumbria, Harlech, for Warwick University and Barton Arts Festival.

Jennifer has been a member of the National Youth choirs since the age of 11 and toured Europe with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. In 2001 Jennifer was the soloist for the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of the Royal family. Since coming to the RNCM, Jennifer has performed in many college productions including La Rondine (cover Gabriella), The Threepenny Opera (Vixen), The Cunning Little Vixen (Young Vixen), L’enfant et les sortileges (La cendre and La Pastourella), Eugene Onegin and Die Fledermaus (cover Adele). Also in RNCM Opera excerpts, Jennifer has performed the roles of ‘Amor’ (The coronation of Poppea), ‘Cleopatra’ (Giulio Cesare) and ‘Zerbinetta’ (Ariadne auf Naxos). Jennifer has also performed with the RNCM chorus at the Bridgewater hall in Mozart’s Requiem under Sir Colin Davies and recently took the part of the ‘Spirit’ in the Manchester Camerata’s outreach production of Dido and Aeneas with Nicholas Kraemer, as well as performing with the RNCM New Ensemble as part of the recent festival of Detlev Glanert’s music. On the oratorio platform, Jennifer has performed as a soprano soloist in many works, including Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Te Deum and Messiah, Schubert’s Mass in B flat major and G major, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Creation and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. She has also performed as a soprano soloist and as part of the South Creake Chorus for the Yorke Trust in Norfolk in Bach’s Magnificent, Cantata no. 63 and Handel's Israel in Egypt.
Forthcoming engagements include performing the role of ‘Mabel’ in Phoenix Opera’s production of ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ at Gawsworth Hall this summer.

Martyn Shaw / Baroque Flute studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and subsequently at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was awarded a double Entrance Scholarship. He was recipient of the British Land award in 2003, MBF award and winner of a Jerwood Foundation scholarship. More recently Martyn was given the Jean Vincent Award by the Dalcroze Society UK, in recognition of his work in this area. Currently he is studying towards a PhD in Performance Practice at the University of Birmingham. Martyn has played with several leading ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Touring Opera, Welsh Baroque, the Eighteenth Century Concert Orchestra, Armonico Consort and London Handel Orchestra. He is a member of the Hampton Court Palace early music ensemble, and founder member of Consort 1700. Martyn is Lecturer in Flute and Historical Performance at Leeds College of Music.

Charlotte Wilson / Harpsichord This year have seen Charlotte receive excellent reviews for her début recital at London’s Handel House, for the British Harpsichord Society, and for her recital in the Weymouth Concert Series. She won joint second prize in the Broadwood Harpsichord Competition in Fenton House, London, and gave a recital at the Bruges International Harpsichord Exhibition this July. She has upcoming performances at Handel House, and Emmanuel Church, Didsbury and a return visit to the RNCM - from where she graduated with distinction this summer. She has also started to study with renowned Norwegian harpsichordist Ketil Haugsand. As a chamber musician Charlotte has performed with Melinda Maxwell and Mike Thompson, and performed in a public master class with Emma Kirkby at the RNCM. She regularly performs with the New English Orchestra. Touring with the NEO has taken Charlotte to Colston Hall, the Bridgewater Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall among other venues. December 2006 saw her perform Brandenburg Concerto no.5 with them in the Liverpool Cornerstone Festival.

Emma Dixon / Baroque Cello completed her BMus(hons) degree and recently a Masters Degree in cello performance at the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Jenny Curtis and Kim Dinitzen. As a chamber musician and orchestral player she has performed across the country and abroad. As a baroque cellist, Emma has received lessons from Richard Tunnicliffe and Rachel Grey, and has performed with the RNCM Baroque Ensemble, the Britten Pears Baroque Orchestra, for the Yorke Trust and for Kirklees Baroque Ensemble under directors including Richard Egarr, Gary Cooper and Simon Jones. Emma is currently in the final stages of completing a Certificate in Dalcroze Eurythmics, for which she has been awarded the Ann Driver Scholarship by the Dalcroze Society UK, and is continuing to study the Baroque cello privately whilst working as a freelance cellist and developing music projects for venues around Manchester.

Craig Yates

A Member of Only Men Aloud
Winning Choir in the BBC’s ‘Last Choir Standing’

Born in Birmingham, Craig demonstrated early promise as a singer being named Midland Choirboy of the Year 1992-93. He continued his studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, where he achieved a BA (Hons) in music and a Post Graduate Diploma in singing with distinction.

During his time at Wales’s National Conservatoire and as a member of Welsh National Youth Opera, he undertook many operatic roles; these included Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas), Lockitt (The Beggars Opera), Vicar (Albert Herring), La Chauve-Souris (L’Enfant et les Sortiléges), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Todd (Sweeney Todd), Figaro (La nozze di Figaro), Drebyednyetsov (Paradise Moscow), Father and Sandman (Hansel and Gretel), Lord Rochester (Rochester’s Second Bottle), Sid (Albert Herring) and Forrester (The Cunning Little Vixen). In 2003, he played the role of Sweeney Todd as part of the Cardiff International Festival of Music Theatre. In February 2003, he was the winner of the inaugural Welsh Young Musical Theatre Singer of the Year Competition.

In 2003, he was invited by Mme. Larissa Gergieva to continue his training at the world-renowned Mariinsky Academy for Young Singers in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is still the only British person to be offered such a place.

During 2005, he was offered his first work with Welsh National Opera where he played the roles of Kite Recorder and Teenage Kite in a new chamber opera Red Flight Barcud. Since then, he has performed numerous roles with WNO including the role of Mark in the chamber opera Wild Cat, and covered the role of Evan in James MacMillan’s The Sacrifice.

Craig also works as a vocal animateur for the WNO MAX Department and is a founder member of both Serendipity and Only Men Aloud. He was accepted for Live Music Now in April 2008 and represented the scheme at the 2008 Swansea Festival.

Nicola Rose was born into a musical family in London. Her professional musical training began when she became one of the first girl choristers’ at Salisbury Cathedral in 1991. She won a top music scholarship to Clifton College, Bristol and graduated in 2008 from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she studied piano accompaniment with Susie Allan and Zoe Smith. Whilst there, Nicola received the accompaniment prize in 2005 and 2008, and the Mansel Thomas Award for Musicianship in 2007.

Nicola enjoys playing for singers, instrumentalists, circuses, choirs, children's groups and drama societies in South Wales as well as working as a repetiteur for the Welsh National Opera MAX department and Music Theatre Wales.

Nicola Rose has been a member of staff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Junior Music and Access Studies Department for the past four years and also enjoys accompanying vocal lessons and classes at Dennis O’Neil’s Cardiff International Academy of Voice.

Nicola released a CD with Percussionist David Danford in 2007 and is currently recording a new CD with The Lunar Saxophone Quartet to be released in the Spring of 2009.
Nicola was delighted to be accepted onto the late Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now scheme in April 2008 with the baritone Craig Yates.

Daniela Lehner, Mezzo-soprano

Daniela Lehner, 25, has just received one of the classical music world's greatest accolades - an Award from the renowned Borletti-Buitoni Trust, given to performers of great quality and musicianship. At the same time, she has made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Hermia in Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". She has also recently become a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

Born in Austria and studied at the Bruckner Conservatoire Linz, the University of Music of Vienna, and the University of Music “Mozarteum” in Salzburg before joining the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, studying with Rudolf Piernay.

She has taken part in masterclasses with Marilyn Horne, Christa Ludwig, Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles, Martin Katz, Margo Garrett, Malcolm Martineau, Hartmut Höll, Ferenc Rados and Felicity Lott.

Prizes include a Georg Solti Scholarship, Kiwanis-Prize for Young Musicians, a Rotary Club Award, a Johannes-Kepler-Scholarship, scholarships of the Académie Musicale de Villecroze, (France), 2nd prize in the EMCY-Competition (Hamburg) and 1st prize in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition 2004.

Daniela received full scholarships to take part in the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Young Artists Program 2002 (Chicago) in 2002, and in the Music Academy of the West 2004 (Santa Barbara, California).

She has sung with the Bruckner-Orchestra Linz and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Hannover. Operatic roles include Thomas’s “Mignon”, Concepción in Ravel’s “L’Heure Espagnole” (GSMD), and Arsamenes in Handel’s “Serse” in the Cheltenham Festival.

Daniela has appeared in recital with Graham Johnson in Belgium (De Singel, Antwerp) and Germany (Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Kölner Philharmonie).

In January 2006, Daniela gave her Carnegie Hall recital debut in Marilyn Horne’s Festival “The Song Continues”. She gave her Wigmore Hall debut earlier this year.

She has recently taken part in Graham Johnson’s recordings of the Complete Schumann Songs, and in a “Voices of Europe”-recording of Engel Lund’s Book of Folk Songs.

Upcoming concerts include recitals at Hatchlands, Westminster School, Holywell Music Room Oxford, two recitals with Graham Johnson in the Klavier-Festival Ruhr 2007 and a recital with Julius Drake in Denmark in 2008.

José Luis Gayo, piano

José Luis Gayo was born in Madrid, where he studied piano at the Conservatoire “Padre Antonio Soler” with Anatoli Povzon and Arpad Bodo, winning the conservatoire's chamber music award. He also holds a degree in piano pedagogics from the Conservatoire Liceu Barcelona.

He has taken part in master classes with David Dubal, Radoslav Kvapil, Joseph Banowitz, Nelita True, Alberto Portugheis and Roger Vignoles.

José has worked as a Spanish coach for EMI Classics and has has appeared in concert in France, Portugal, Spain and the UK (concerts at the Austrian Embassy, St.James Piccadilly, Austrian Cultural Forum, Steinway Hall, Southampton University).

Upcoming concerts include recitals at Hatchlands Piano Collection.

Dimitris Dekavallas having won more that 12 prizes in international and national competitions is considered one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. He has been described by Julian Bream as a ‘very exciting’ performer, and by the Classical Guitar Magazine as a ‘successful concert artist on the International scene’.

Dimitris was born in Athens in 1982 and began learning the guitar at the age of six. He was first taught at the National Conservatory of Athens. Dimitris continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens, where he studied with Angelos Nikolopoulos. He graduated from the conservatory in 2002 with 1st Prize for achieving the highest mark. The music conservatory honoured him with the ‘Haralambos Ekmetzoglou’ music award at his graduation. From 2003-2004 Dimitris received private tuition from the Guitarist Alexis Froudarakis.

Dimitris won 1st Prize in the Iky National Scholarship Foundation in Greece in 2004, which enabled him to come to London to continue his studies. In 2005 he started his Postgraduate Degree at the Royal Academy of Music under Micheal Lewin, Timothy Walker and John Mills, where he won the Tebutt Exhibition Scholarship Prize. In 2007 he received his Diploma of Postgraduate Performance (Distinction) in guitar and his L.R.A.M. Teaching Diploma (Distinction). The R.A.M. awarded him with the ‘Blyth Watson Award’ at his graduation.

Dimitris gave his first public performance when he was 9 years old, at the National Concert Hall of Athens. At this point his career took off leading to a concert tour in Greece in 2004 and he has given solo performances in most major cities in Greece such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Veria, Volos, Crete, Larissa, Ioannina, Syros, Naxos and Lamia.

Since then, Dimitris has given recitals at Amourers Hall, Bolivar Hall International Guitar Festival, the Old MaltHouse Music Society, the Dorset Guitar Society, the Greenwood Guitar Society, Royal Academy of Music, St Martin’s in the Field, Sheffield Cathedral, St James's Piccadilly, Southwark Cathedral, and St Paul’s Covent Garden. He has been invited to perform as a soloist and lecturer in International Festivals such as Hermoupolis International Guitar festival, Volos International guitar festival, Veria Guitar Festival, Tirgu Mures International Guitar Festival and many others. He also plays as a duo with the well-known solo, chamber and orchestral musician, oboist Marios Argiros.

Competition prizes include:
1st prize, National Guitar Competition Ode to Guitar 1999
2nd prize, Halkida National Guitar Competition 2000
1st prize, Veria National Guitar Competition 2003
1st prize, Volos International Guitar Competition 2003
1st prize, Ivor Mairants Guitar Award, London 2005
Special Prize and Audience Prize, Eduard Pamfil Guitar Competition, Bucharest 2008
Recommended Artist, Making Music Philip & Dorothy Green Award 2008
3rd Prize, Sinaia International Guitar competition, Romania 2008

Dimitris has played in masterclasses with George Hatzinikos, David Russell, Hubert Käppel, Carlos Marchione, Fabio Zanon, Kostas Kotsiolis and Carlo Domeniconi. He has also played in workshops with John Williams, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Dimitris plays a ‘G. Smallman’ guitar and lives in London.

Dimitris Dekavallas having won more that 12 prizes in international and national competitions is considered one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. He has been described by Julian Bream as a ‘very exciting’ performer, and by the Classical Guitar Magazine as a ‘successful concert artist on the International scene’.

Dimitris was born in Athens in 1982 and began learning the guitar at the age of six. He was first taught at the National Conservatory of Athens. Dimitris continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens, where he studied with Angelos Nikolopoulos. He graduated from the conservatory in 2002 with 1st Prize for achieving the highest mark. The music conservatory honoured him with the ‘Haralambos Ekmetzoglou’ music award at his graduation. From 2003-2004 Dimitris received private tuition from the Guitarist Alexis Froudarakis.

Dimitris won 1st Prize in the Iky National Scholarship Foundation in Greece in 2004, which enabled him to come to London to continue his studies. In 2005 he started his Postgraduate Degree at the Royal Academy of Music under Micheal Lewin, Timothy Walker and John Mills, where he won the Tebutt Exhibition Scholarship Prize. In 2007 he received his Diploma of Postgraduate Performance (Distinction) in guitar and his L.R.A.M. Teaching Diploma (Distinction). The R.A.M. awarded him with the ‘Blyth Watson Award’ at his graduation.

Dimitris gave his first public performance when he was 9 years old, at the National Concert Hall of Athens. At this point his career took off leading to a concert tour in Greece in 2004 and he has given solo performances in most major cities in Greece such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Veria, Volos, Crete, Larissa, Ioannina, Syros, Naxos and Lamia.

Since then, Dimitris has given recitals at Amourers Hall, Bolivar Hall International Guitar Festival, the Old MaltHouse Music Society, the Dorset Guitar Society, the Greenwood Guitar Society, Royal Academy of Music, St Martin’s in the Field, Sheffield Cathedral, St James's Piccadilly, Southwark Cathedral, and St Paul’s Covent Garden. He has been invited to perform as a soloist and lecturer in International Festivals such as Hermoupolis International Guitar festival, Volos International guitar festival, Veria Guitar Festival, Tirgu Mures International Guitar Festival and many others. He also plays as a duo with the well-known solo, chamber and orchestral musician, oboist Marios Argiros.

Competition prizes include:
1st prize, National Guitar Competition Ode to Guitar 1999
2nd prize, Halkida National Guitar Competition 2000
1st prize, Veria National Guitar Competition 2003
1st prize, Volos International Guitar Competition 2003
1st prize, Ivor Mairants Guitar Award, London 2005
Special Prize and Audience Prize, Eduard Pamfil Guitar Competition, Bucharest 2008
Recommended Artist, Making Music Philip & Dorothy Green Award 2008
3rd Prize, Sinaia International Guitar competition, Romania 2008

Dimitris has played in masterclasses with George Hatzinikos, David Russell, Hubert Käppel, Carlos Marchione, Fabio Zanon, Kostas Kotsiolis and Carlo Domeniconi. He has also played in workshops with John Williams, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Dimitris plays a ‘G. Smallman’ guitar and lives in London.

Samantha Pearce- Flute
Samantha Pearce was born in Kent and began learning the flute at the age of 8. Samantha won a scholarship to the North East Music School, Aberdeen where she studied with David Nicholson, and was a finalist in the Aberdeen Young Musician of the Year competition and regional finalist for the BBC Young Musician of the Year. In 2007 Samantha won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where she is currently a 3rd year student studying with Karen Jones, Pat Morris and Lisa Beznosiuk for Baroque flute.

Before entering the Royal Academy, Samantha was a member of the National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, with whom she was able to perform in St Paul’s Cathedral and perform as part of the BBC Proms with conductors including Neville Marriner and Richard Hickox. She is currently the principal flute of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland playing regularly in Scotland’s premier concert halls as well as those around Europe. She is principal flute of the University of London Symphony Orchestra and principal piccolo of the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, recently playing principal in their tour of Italy. Samantha played in Bloomsbury Opera’s Winter production of Die Fledermaus and in the Yorke Trust’s period production of Rameau’s Castor et Pollux.

During her time at the Academy Samantha has played with many of the orchestras and ensembles, most recently playing in the Academy’s concert orchestra with Bychkov, and in the Academy‘s Manson Ensemble with Elgar Howarth, playing under the guidance of Harrison Birtwistle. Samantha also performed with the London Sinfonietta in the Queen Elizabeth Hall with George Benjamin and the Manson Ensemble. She is currently a member of Camerata Scotland and NYOS Futures.

Samantha has recently taken up Baroque flute and has enjoyed playing in the Royal Academy of Music’s French Baroque project at Hatchlands House and also St John’s Passion with Edward Higginbottom as part of the Spitalfields festival.

Samantha has been selected to perform in several master classes whilst at the Academy, recently including those of Lorna McGhee, Mathias Ziegler and Sharon Williams. She was also awarded 2nd prize in both the Royal Academy of Music’s flute prize 2008 and piccolo prize 2008 and 2009. She regularly performs and records the work of RAM composers and performed at the Park Lane Group Young composers symposium in the Royal Festival Hall, Nov 2009.