Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 6 F major, Op. 68 Pastoral Symphony
arranged by Michael Gotthard Fischer (1773-1829) for string sextet
I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande (Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside)
II. Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)
III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk)
IV. Gewitter, Sturm (Thunder, Storm)
V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefüle nach dem Sturm (Sheperd‘s Song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm)
Bios:
Michael Atkinson
Born on Teeside, Michael took up the cello aged 11. At the age of 18, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music, London, with Andrew Shulman. Whilst there, Michael won most of the cello and chamber music prizes as well as deputising for Rostropovich with the English Chamber Orchestra, playing Tchaikovsky‘s Rococo Variations. On leaving RCM, Michael founded the Fidelio Trio and soon thereafter joined the New Music Players, which was an ensemble in residence at York and Bristol Universities. In 2001, Michael joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with whom he has also appeared as guest principal. Recently, Michael has appeared as a guest principal with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. As a member of the Cellophonics cello quartet and the Elgin String Quartet, Michael regularly commissions composers such as Colin Alexander, Julia Simpson, and Guy Barker, as well as performing in Ireland, Germany, and the UK. Michael is immensely grateful to play a Thomas Kennedy cello given to him by his first teacher, Joan Dutton.
Jane Lindsay
Cellist Jane Lindsay began her musical education at Chethams School of Music and went on to study as a scholar at the Royal College of Music, where she completed her Bachelor's and Master’s degrees. Upon graduating, Jane enjoyed a varied freelance career incorporating solo, chamber, and orchestral performance. As a recitalist, she has performed in venues including the Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and Purcell Room. Jane also worked regularly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and has been fortunate to play at festivals and venues worldwide. In the summer of 2025, Jane was appointed as a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Jane plays on an English cello made by Peter Wamsley in 1746.
Peter Mallinson
Peter Mallinson enjoys both modern and period viola performance. A member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 2012, he has also played with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Hanover Band, and Arcangelo. As a soloist Peter has given many first performances, including the UK premiere of Sally Beamish’s That Recent Earth, and the world premieres of Robin Holloway’s Suite en Saga, Edwin Roxburgh’s Sonata for Three, and Detlev Glanert’s The Pleiades. He recently released Brief Encounters with Meridian Records, a two-CD set which explores the notion of brevity in music through the works of 23 different composers. Before studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Martin Outram and Jane Rogers, Peter read music at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge.
Stuart McDonald
Stuart began studying the violin at the age of 3 with local teachers in Bedfordshire. At age 16, he was offered a place at the Purcell School of Music, before continuing his studies with an undergraduate degree at the Royal Academy of Music. He later moved to the United States to complete a master’s degree at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. After graduating, Stuart began his orchestral career as Joint Leader of The Orchestra Now, based in upstate New York, and performed regularly at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He subsequently returned to the UK to join the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and is now a member of the first violin section of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, performing regularly at the BBC Proms and on tours across Europe. As a freelance player, Stuart works regularly with orchestras around the UK and has performed as Co-Leader with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Shirley Turner
Shirley Turner studied violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Simon Fischer and Yfrah Neaman, winning numerous awards including the Sir James Caird Bloch Prize and the Waddell Memorial Prize. She has played principal second violin with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and has performed with the London Mozart Players, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the Ulster Orchestra; she has been a first violinist in the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 2001. As a chamber musician, Shirley has a wide range of interests, from mainstream repertoire to unfamiliar or newly commissioned works. She has appeared with the Degas Quartet and gives regular recitals throughout the UK of music for violin and viola. She recently featured, briefly, on the album Brief Encounters for Meridian Records. Shirley plays a Luigi Cardi violin from 1886.
Matthias Wiesner
German-born violist Matthias Wiesner studied music education in Frankfurt, violin in Düsseldorf, and viola in London before joining the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2012. He plays regularly with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra London, as well as the French-based historical performance practice ensemble Le Cercle de l‘Harmonie. Having worked closely with Heime Müller (Artemis Quartett), Bernard Greenhouse (Beaux Arts Trio), and the Vogler Quartet, Matthias feels deeply committed to chamber music and frequently appears in festivals in the UK and Europe. In addition to regular collaborations as a duettist with violist Peter Mallinson, promoting and commissioning unique repertoire for two violas, he is a member of the Elgin String Quartet and the Ognisko Ensemble.
Programme:
Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827
Symphony No. 6 F major, Op. 68 Pastoral Symphony, arranged by Michael Gotthard Fischer 1773-1829 for string sextet
I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande (Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside)
II. Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)
III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk)
IV. Gewitter, Sturm (Thunder, Storm)
V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefüle nach dem Sturm (Sheperd‘s Song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm)
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