Toby Hawks music director and violin
Toby Hawks has been playing the violin since he was 7, and the viola since just a little bit later. After a thorough grounding in his teens with the Bromley Youth Music Trust, he went on to Cambridge University – ostensibly to study Modern and Medieval Languages, but really to play the violin and viola as much as possible! He has been a freelance performer and teacher ever since: in Gloucestershire, London and now Sussex. Before moving to Sussex, he spent a year in Finland, immersing himself in her culture and, specifically, folk music. This is an abiding interest, as is playing the Baroque violin.
For all this, the music of Edward Elgar remains his first love, and the performing of the three great chamber works in the place they were conceived a long-cherished ambition.
Toby Hawks has been playing the violin since he was 7, and the viola since just a little bit later. After a thorough grounding in his teens with the Bromley Youth Music Trust, he went on to Cambridge University – ostensibly to study Modern and Medieval Languages, but really to play the violin and viola as much as possible! He has been a freelance performer and teacher ever since: in Gloucestershire, London and now Sussex. Before moving to Sussex, he spent a year in Finland, immersing himself in her culture and, specifically, folk music. This is an abiding interest, as is playing the Baroque violin.
For all this, the music of Edward Elgar remains his first love, and the performing of the three great chamber works in the place they were conceived a long-cherished ambition.
Terence Allbright piano
Terence Allbright was born in Northampton, where as a tiny tot he taught himself to play the piano and started to compose; later, he took organ lessons with John Bertalot and Graham Mayo, then studied piano in London with John Bigg and composition at Cambridge with Laurence Picken.
Recent concerts have included a rare complete performance of Le Rossignol Éperdu by Reynaldo Hahn, and song recitals with Ann Murray, with Felicity Lott and her husband the reader Gabriel Woolf, with Jacquelyn Fugelle, Susan Legg, Neil Jenkins and Giles White. Also chamber music with the wind quintet A Breath of Fresh Air, music for organ and piano with Timothy Ravalde, and Britten, Reich and Fitkin for 2 pianos and for 6 pianos.
Recordings include Somervell's Maud (and songs by Sterndale Bennett and Howells) sung by Stephen Roberts with Tennyson's poem read by Gabriel Woolf; Fauré, Martucci and Falla song cycles with Ann Murray, and more recently a cd for the English Poetry and Song Society of contemporary songs with Jane Manning and Stephen Roberts, and volume 1 of the piano music of Peter Thorogood.
As well as about 50 scores for BBC Radio Drama, Terence's compositions include piano pieces, music for instrumental ensembles, songs and choral works; in 2012 Chichester String Ensemble commissioned Grave & Harmonious Music, and in January members of the Riot Ensembleperformed his Partita for flute and piano. He is currently working on Narratives & Rituals for 2 pianos and percussion, and a piano trio. Terence has lived in or near Petworth since 1979; he was artistic director of the Petworth Festival from 1994 to 2001, and teaches at Chichester University.
Terence Allbright was born in Northampton, where as a tiny tot he taught himself to play the piano and started to compose; later, he took organ lessons with John Bertalot and Graham Mayo, then studied piano in London with John Bigg and composition at Cambridge with Laurence Picken.
Recent concerts have included a rare complete performance of Le Rossignol Éperdu by Reynaldo Hahn, and song recitals with Ann Murray, with Felicity Lott and her husband the reader Gabriel Woolf, with Jacquelyn Fugelle, Susan Legg, Neil Jenkins and Giles White. Also chamber music with the wind quintet A Breath of Fresh Air, music for organ and piano with Timothy Ravalde, and Britten, Reich and Fitkin for 2 pianos and for 6 pianos.
Recordings include Somervell's Maud (and songs by Sterndale Bennett and Howells) sung by Stephen Roberts with Tennyson's poem read by Gabriel Woolf; Fauré, Martucci and Falla song cycles with Ann Murray, and more recently a cd for the English Poetry and Song Society of contemporary songs with Jane Manning and Stephen Roberts, and volume 1 of the piano music of Peter Thorogood.
As well as about 50 scores for BBC Radio Drama, Terence's compositions include piano pieces, music for instrumental ensembles, songs and choral works; in 2012 Chichester String Ensemble commissioned Grave & Harmonious Music, and in January members of the Riot Ensembleperformed his Partita for flute and piano. He is currently working on Narratives & Rituals for 2 pianos and percussion, and a piano trio. Terence has lived in or near Petworth since 1979; he was artistic director of the Petworth Festival from 1994 to 2001, and teaches at Chichester University.
Iain Gibbs violin
Iain Gibbs began playing the violin at the age of six and went on to study with Erik Houston at the Royal College of Music, Junior Department from 2001 – 2009. He studied with John Crawford at Trinity Laban Conservatoire before completing the Masters Course at the Royal College of Music, studying with Detlef Hahn.
In August 2016 Iain became a member of the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. He regularly works with the John Wilson Orchestra and has also worked with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Northern Sinfonia and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded for Seth McFarlane and performed with Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a gala evening in support of WellChild.
Iain plays a 1928 William Hill violin, generously lent to him. Upcoming performances include Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Portobello Orchestra and Havering Concert Orchestra.
Iain Gibbs began playing the violin at the age of six and went on to study with Erik Houston at the Royal College of Music, Junior Department from 2001 – 2009. He studied with John Crawford at Trinity Laban Conservatoire before completing the Masters Course at the Royal College of Music, studying with Detlef Hahn.
In August 2016 Iain became a member of the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. He regularly works with the John Wilson Orchestra and has also worked with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Northern Sinfonia and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded for Seth McFarlane and performed with Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a gala evening in support of WellChild.
Iain plays a 1928 William Hill violin, generously lent to him. Upcoming performances include Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Portobello Orchestra and Havering Concert Orchestra.
Mark Gibbs viola
Mark studied viola at the Royal College of Music Junior Department with Peter Lewis and Penny Filer and then at the Royal College of Music with Jonathan Barritt, graduating in July 2013. Following a successful application, Mark studied with Czech violist Jan Peruška at the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, from September 2011 until January 2012. He was commended for his performances in the 2011 and 2013 Royal College of Music viola competitions.
Mark is a keen chamber musician and has performed recitals throughout London and the south east. He has performed numerous concertos, including Telemann’s viola concerto with Solistes de musique ancienne, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Ensemble Lunaire and Siegfried Camerata and Britten’s Double Concerto with King’s Philharmonic.
Mark has played Principal viola with many orchestras, including the Young Musician’s Symphony Orchestra, London Firebird Orchestra , London Beethoven Project, Orchestra Vitae, Newham Philharmonic and Ulysses Symphony Orchestra, performing at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St. Martin in the Fields and LSO St. Luke’s.
Mark was recently offered a position in the Macao Orchestra in China and worked with them in September and October 2014. He regularly performs with the Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and Mozart Festival Orchestra and was a member of Southbank Sinfonia 2015. He often plays in the pit orchestra for Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London.
Mark studied viola at the Royal College of Music Junior Department with Peter Lewis and Penny Filer and then at the Royal College of Music with Jonathan Barritt, graduating in July 2013. Following a successful application, Mark studied with Czech violist Jan Peruška at the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, from September 2011 until January 2012. He was commended for his performances in the 2011 and 2013 Royal College of Music viola competitions.
Mark is a keen chamber musician and has performed recitals throughout London and the south east. He has performed numerous concertos, including Telemann’s viola concerto with Solistes de musique ancienne, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Ensemble Lunaire and Siegfried Camerata and Britten’s Double Concerto with King’s Philharmonic.
Mark has played Principal viola with many orchestras, including the Young Musician’s Symphony Orchestra, London Firebird Orchestra , London Beethoven Project, Orchestra Vitae, Newham Philharmonic and Ulysses Symphony Orchestra, performing at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St. Martin in the Fields and LSO St. Luke’s.
Mark was recently offered a position in the Macao Orchestra in China and worked with them in September and October 2014. He regularly performs with the Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and Mozart Festival Orchestra and was a member of Southbank Sinfonia 2015. He often plays in the pit orchestra for Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London.
Mark Walkem cello
Birmingham-based cellist Mark Walkem enjoys a varied musical life. Born in Bedford, Mark graduated from the University of Birmingham with a first-class honours degree in Music. Subsequently, Mark studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Lionel Handy. As an orchestral cellist, Mark works regularly with freelance orchestras around the Midlands and London. As a concerto soloist, Mark has performed the cello concertos of Elgar, Saint-Saëns (No.1) and Haydn (C major) with orchestra.
An interest in period performance led to baroque cello studies with the leading cellist/viola da gamba player Richard Tunnicliffe and an involvement with the University of Birmingham's Centre for Early Music Performance and Research. Mark currently plays on a baroque cello by David Rubio, kindly loaned to him by David Winfield. Mark was able to study baroque cello at the 2016 Dartington International Summer School thanks to the support of the Derek Hill Foundation.
Mark's passion for music owes much to the wonderful provision of Bedfordshire Youth Music. Now a teacher himself, Mark currently holds teaching posts at King Edward's School (Birmingham), King Edward VI High School for Girls, Bablake School (Coventry), West House School and with the Solihull Music Service.
Mark also plays the double bass, and is an active choral singer. In his spare time, Mark enjoys playing tennis and cooking.
Birmingham-based cellist Mark Walkem enjoys a varied musical life. Born in Bedford, Mark graduated from the University of Birmingham with a first-class honours degree in Music. Subsequently, Mark studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Lionel Handy. As an orchestral cellist, Mark works regularly with freelance orchestras around the Midlands and London. As a concerto soloist, Mark has performed the cello concertos of Elgar, Saint-Saëns (No.1) and Haydn (C major) with orchestra.
An interest in period performance led to baroque cello studies with the leading cellist/viola da gamba player Richard Tunnicliffe and an involvement with the University of Birmingham's Centre for Early Music Performance and Research. Mark currently plays on a baroque cello by David Rubio, kindly loaned to him by David Winfield. Mark was able to study baroque cello at the 2016 Dartington International Summer School thanks to the support of the Derek Hill Foundation.
Mark's passion for music owes much to the wonderful provision of Bedfordshire Youth Music. Now a teacher himself, Mark currently holds teaching posts at King Edward's School (Birmingham), King Edward VI High School for Girls, Bablake School (Coventry), West House School and with the Solihull Music Service.
Mark also plays the double bass, and is an active choral singer. In his spare time, Mark enjoys playing tennis and cooking.