NORTHERN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by Peter Raynes
Barbara Grunthal was a pupil at Chetham's before going to the Royal Northern College of Music, where scholarships from the Guinness Foundation and the Royal Society of Arts enabled her to continue her studies with Ralph Kirshbaum.
Her chamber music commitments have included a British Council sponsored Piano Trio tour of Greece and Cyprus, and a series of duo recitals in Holland with classical guitar.
Barbara now teaches at Chetham's and has a busy freelance career working with many orchestras and chamber ensembles in the region. She is a member of the Northern Chamber Orchestra and Manchester Camerata and is involved in the many and various Camerata Education projects, of which, she particularly enjoys workshops in schools for children with Special Educational Needs.
Barbara Grunthal's chair is supported by Peter Raynes.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Chairman Is Supported by Dieter Senn
Conrad Marshall studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Roger Rostron and Trevor Wye.
He graduated, winning the Hiles medal for orchestral playing, and immediately commenced trialling for second flute in The Hallé Orchestra.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported Anonymously
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported Anonymously
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by Pam McKinlay in Memory of Ken
James Manson started playing the double bass at age 14, and he went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music with Duncan McTier, where he won the Eugene Cruft double bass prize.
He has been principal bass in the Northern Chamber Orchestra since 1989 and works with all the orchestras in the North West including the BBC Philharmonic and the Hallé.
James also enjoys working as a composer and arranger and his work includes several musicals, jingles and music for BBC radio. He is the Northern Chamber Orchestra's Composer in Residence, and works with the Education team, delivering workshops in schools around the region.
James Manson's chair is supported by Pam McKinlay in memory of Ken.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Sponsored by Judy Jones, in Memory of Alan
Jennifer Langridge lives in Manchester, she studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded the Barbirolli Prize for Cello. She went on to become a Junior Fellow of the RNCM as part of the Nossek String Quartet.
Jenny Cox began learning the Horn at the age of 11 before continuing her studies at the RNCM with Lindsey Stoker, Bob Ashworth and Beccy Goldberg. During her time there she gained a first class BMus(Hons) degree, Post Graduate Diploma and was awarded both the Philip Jones Brass Prize and Goronwy Evans Memorial Prize.
John Melbourne is the principal timpanist of the NCO. He is also principal percussion of the Northern Ballet and Manchester Concert Orchestra. He freelances with many of the major orchestras in the north of England.
Some of John's career highlights include The Lucerne Festival Orchestra Rite of Spring with Charles Dutoit, Turandot at the Royal Opera House, War Requiem with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on a European tour and at the Proms and Britten's Death in Venice with Opera North. He also particularly enjoyed Northern Ballet's 2013 production of The Great Gatsby, which included the last movement from Richard Rodney Bennet's Percussion Concerto.
John Melbourne's chair is currently available for sponsorship. Please contact charlie@ncorch.co.uk for further information.
Kenny Sturgeon was born in Liverpool in 1983. After studying privately with Ruth Davies and Jonathan Small, he went on to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) in 2001, where he studied with Stephane Rancourt, Rosie Staniforth and Emma Schied, graduating with a BMus in performance in 2005. He then won a full scholarship to the Royal College of Music, to study for an advanced postgraduate diploma in performance with Chris Cowie, Gareth Hulse and John Anderson, graduating in 2007 with distinction. Whilst at the RCM, Kenny was lucky enough to be invited to perform with the European Union Youth Orchestra.
After completing his studies, Kenny embarked on a busy and varied freelance career, performing with almost all of the orchestras in the UK and Ireland, as well as deputising in London's West End and performing for commercial recording sessions. In 2012, Kenny was appointed Principal Cor Anglais with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Jaap Van Zweden, returning to the UK in 2013 to undertake trials for various positions within UK orchestras. After trials with BBC Scottish Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, English National Opera, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Welsh National Opera, Kenny was appointed Sub-principal Oboe with the BBC Philharmonic in 2016, and has also been the principal oboe of the Northern Chamber Orchestra since 2015. With the BBC Philharmonic; as well as broadcasting regularly on Radio 3, he has toured and recorded extensively, and performed at the BBC Proms and several other festivals across the world. When not in the recording studio or the concert hall, Kenny lives in an old weaver's cottage in a small village in the Pennines, West Yorkshire.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by Eleanor Lewington
Louise Latham studied at the Royal Northern College of Music gaining a teaching diploma with distinction, a performing diploma and was awarded the Hiles Gold Medal for orchestral playing. She was a member of the BBC Philharmonic for six years before commencing a busy freelance career working with the BBC Phil, Halle, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Northern Chamber Orchestra . In 2001 she was invited to tour the USA for three months as leader of London City Opera Orchestra . Highlights of her orchestral work include a concert in Carnegie Hall whilst touring the USA with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and more recently, Wagner's Ring Cycle with Opera North
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported Anonymously
Michael Dale has enjoyed a very varied career since coming to Manchester to spend a ‘brief' period with the Hallé.
Since starting freelancing a very long time ago, his debut on ‘Top of the Pops' with Dusty Springfield led to many appearances with artists such as John Denver and Shirley Bassey, and more recently, with Russell Watson and Kathryn Jenkins. In between, Mike has had more musically demanding experiences with many chamber orchestras, in particular the NCO, where he has been part of ‘team viola' since the eighties.
His work life is held in a precarious balance with responsibilities towards a flock of pure breed hens, half a dozen bee hives and three hard-to-keep-up-with teenagers!
Michael Dale's chair is supported anonymously.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by Jane and Wyn Davies
- Member of NCO
Nichola Hunter is a freelance flautist and soloist , enjoying playing her piccolo and alto flute also, in chamber ensembles and major symphony orchestras, in many differing venues throughout the UK, Europe and the Far East.
Nichola also combines her freelance performing career with a busy teaching practice, privately, in three schools and she is also a tutor at Huddersfield University.
Nichola has been a member of NCO for many many years, and she loves working for the orchestra for all the wonderful varied enjoyable repertoire she has performed, and all the friendships she has made too, along the way! She has played in many of the NCO CD recordings .
Job Titles:
- Administration Officer
- Finance
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by John Whibley Holidays
Rachel Whibley is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, and has worked extensively with many of the top UK orchestras, including the BBC Philharmonic, the Hallé, RLPO, Northern Chamber Orchestra and Manchester Camerata. In addition, she has worked for several international orchestras, including Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra and Bolshoi Ballet.
She spent four happy years in Dublin working with the RTE Symphony and Concert orchestras, and in Belfast with the Ulster Orchestra.
An experienced teacher, Rachel has taught woodwind instruments for over 20 years, from preschool to adult, beginner to diploma level, including at the Royal Northern College of Music junior school.
Rachel co-founded Carrot Productions in 2014 following 5 sell-out performances of The Snowman with live orchestra in her home town of Glossop. Subsequently, she has built the business to such an extent that Carrot Productions is now the world's leading performers of both The Snowman and Wallace & Gromit with live orchestra, and is at the forefront of family orchestral entertainment.
She is passionate about creating opportunities for the highest quality music to be heard by people of all ages, particularly those new to classical music, and to foster collaborations between artists of different mediums to create new and exciting pieces, resulting in highly acclaimed and popular new works.
Rachel Whibley's chair is supported by John Whibley Holidays.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by Dr Michael Sambrook
Rebecca Thompson was inspired to play by Nancy Elderkin, her Granny, who played the violin in the local cinema orchestra in Spalding, Lincolnshire. After her studies at the RNCM and in Chicago she began playing with orchestras and ensembles across the UK. Being a freelance player has taken Rebecca all over the world, playing all sorts of genres of music.
She has been a member of Northern Chamber Orchestra for many years and loves playing the variety of repertoire it performs.
Rebecca Thompson's chair is supported by Dr Michael Sambrook.
Simon Gilks started playing the violin at the age of three and quickly progressed through the Suzuki discipline of violin playing. At the age of eighteen Simon was awarded a place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester studying under Professor Maciej Rakowski, and graduated in 2005 with a first class honours degree.
During his studies Simon participated in masterclasses with Yair Kless, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Marat Bisengaliev and Jacqueline Ross and was a regular leader of the college orchestras. He has given many public solo performances in the UK and abroad. Perhaps the most significant to note are the concertos he has performed, these include Mozart, Bruch, Saint-Saëns, Dvorak and Mendelssohn.
Since then, Simon has freelanced with a variety of orchestras including The Hallé, Royal Northern Sinfonia and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. In 2008 he accepted a position in the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and, more recently, was invited to become a member of the Northern Chamber Orchestra.
Simon Gilks' chair is supported by Angela Losse.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Is Supported by John Bush
- Events
Tracey Redfern was born in Stirling, Scotland, and began her musical education at the Music School of Douglas Academy in Milngavie, Glasgow. In 1997 she graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a Postgraduate Diploma, Bmus (Hons) and a Professional Performers Diploma with Merit. During her time at college she was awarded a scholarship in each year of her studies and won numerous prizes including the Goronwy Evans Memorial Prize, the Cecil Kidd prize for trumpet and the Harry Mortimer Award. Tracey also achieved scholarships from the Caird Trust and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust.
As a soloist, Tracey has performed with the NCO, the London Mozart Players, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Camerata Scotland and regularly performs solo recitals with both piano and organ.
Major achievements include winning the Legget Award for Brass Playing, the Skene Award (presented at the Aberdeen International Music Festival) and also the Walter Todds Bursary awarded by the BBC in conjunction with the Young Musician of the Year competition in which Tracey was the brass finalist.
Tracey is currently a busy freelance trumpet player and is a member of the Northern Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and Viva. She also regularly performs with the Hallé Orchestra, Opera North and smaller ensembles including Psappha and the Hallé Brass Quintet - of which she is a member. She has also been guest soloist and cornet tutor with the National Youth Brass Band of Switzerland.
Tracey Redfern's chair is supported by John Bush.