MÁTYÁS SEIBER TRUST - Key Persons

With the sad death of Hugh Wood in August, another link to Seiber & his music is broken. Hugh only studied with Mátyás for about 18 months before the latter's untimely death in 1960; often expressing regret that it was not longer, saying he had learned so much in that short time. Hugh was to go on to become one of Britain's best-known composers, eclectic in his styles like his tutor. He favoured chamber music (again like his tutor) but ventured into orchestral too, with several performances at the Proms. The young Hugh (who originally read History at Oxford) would come to the house in Caterham as did most of the Seiber pupils, ceasing abruptly with Seiber's death in 1960. Hugh wrote an obituary for Mátyás and remained in contact over the intervening years with Lilla and Julia, emerging more prominently again when the celebrations were contemplated prior to the centenary of Seiber's birth. He has also been the guiding star of the Mátyás Seiber Trust, finally granted Trust status in 2007, and busy ever since in promoting concert and CD performances of his music & studies of his work. Hugh helped in both 2005 and 2010 Morley College events, which the late Robert Hanson, arranged, and has always provided a fount of knowledge for reference for any query. He was above all a lovely person and friend, and will be greatly missed. (JSB).

Nicolas is now Librarian at the Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge, also a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Until 2015 he was a curator in the Music Collections of the British Library, looking after Mátyás Seiber's manuscripts and correspondence, alongside those of many other composers. He has published various books and articles on medieval music subjects and is a member of the editorial committee of the national collection of music, Musica Britannica. He is a syndic of the Fitzwilliam Museum and also a Trustee of several charities including the Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust and of the Gerald Coke Handel Foundation and the Musici Trust.

Originally from Edinburgh, Veronica Henderson read Music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, (with a Choral Exhibition and Instrumentalist Award). She specialised in the cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London with David Strange, continuing her studies with Joan Dickson and William Pleeth. Cambridge based she has taught cello for 35 years. Veronica also performs as a soloist and chamber musician, including many of Mátyás Seiber's works for cello and piano, and his repertoire for cello and accordion, for the Cambridge Szeged Society. Other concert repertoire extends to Carl Rütti's "Lieder der Liebe" for solo cello and choir, which she premiered and toured with Cambridge Voices. (Their recording available on the Herald label). She has performed concertos by Haydn, Boccherini, Elgar, Shostakovich and Dvořák, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, the Brahms Double and Beethoven's Triple concerto. Recital repertoire covers all mainstream duos with piano, also unaccompanied Bach, often presented with other composers for solo cello, in programmes entitled "Perspectives on the Bach Suites". Veronica is a keen rambler and photographer, evening strolls giving her practice recognising constellations - an interest triggered by a Northern Lights trip to Norway. Travels have also taken her to the Galápagos Islands and Antarctica. Back in Cambridge, Veronica enjoys reviving her vocal skills and contributes to services at St Edmund's College Chapel,