Rosemary is a busy freelance bassoonist living in London and enjoying the opportunity to travel far and wide through her work: Ireland, Europe, North Africa, and further afield to China and South America. She studied at the Royal College of Music with Martin Gatt and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Meyrick Alexander and Gordon Laing.
Rosemary has a varied and exciting career playing both bassoon and contrabassoon in orchestras and ensembles, as well as teaching and coaching children and adults. She has worked with some of the top UK orchestras including BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Philharmonia Orchestra and Welsh National Opera, as well as making regular trips to Northern Ireland and Dublin to play with Ulster Orchestra and RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
Chamber music is a big part of Rosemary's life and she regularly gives recitals with Aristos wind quintet. In June 2011, she is working with the chamber opera group Stanley Hall Opera on a production of Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, and later this summer is looking forward to working with Longborough Opera, on performances of Wagner's Siegfried.
When Rosemary is not busy playing the bassoon she likes to get out into the mountains - walking, climbing, skiing and ski touring. She recently returned from an expedition to the Himalayas in Nepal, and is planning another trip later in 2012.
Nicholas Concannon Hodges
Nick,
picture by Carla Rees Dawson
Nicholas started his musical
studies on the violin which he continued at the Royal
College of Music with Frances Mason. Whilst there he as awarded the Royal
Orchestral Society Prize. He began conducting in 1998 and his studies have
taken him all over Europe. He has worked with the international renowned pedagogue
Jorma Panula, Atso Almila, Per Andersberg and Tomas Koutnik and conducted
orchestras in Italy, Holland, Sweden, Eire and the Czech Republic. These include
the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic
Orchestra and the Belfast Philharmonic Society. Nicholas is currently Music
Director of the Todmorden Orchestra, Burnley Municipal Orchestra and Chorus,
Sinfonia da Capo, Thames Concert Orchestra. As an Associate Conductor, he
has worked with I Maestri of London. He has also been a Guest Conductor with
the Croydon Symphony Orchestra and the Whitehall Orchestra and was Assistant
Conductor of the Haslemere Music Society from 1999 - 2006. As a choral director
he has worked with the Peoples' Proms Chorus, Staines and received regular
invitations to work with the choir of St Peter's Church, Staines. Nicholas
also works with youth orchestras. He is currently director of the City of
Derby Youth Orchestra and Intermediate Orchestra and the North East Derbyshire
Chamber Orchestra. Past work has included working with the National Youth
Orchestra of Ireland on their Wagner Ring Project in 2002, both as a sectional
coach and orchestral manager. He has also worked with the American International
Schools Honour Orchestra as assistant conductor. As a violinist, Nicholas
has worked with many freelance ensembles including Orchestra Nova, London
Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Presteigne Festival Orchestra and the Belmont
Ensemble of London.
