Tutors – Deeside Cello Project

Rebecca Gilliver

Rebecca Gilliver is Principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra and plays in the European Camarata.

Early success in national and international competitions led to critically acclaimed debut recitals at the Wigmore Hall in London and Carnegie Hall, New York. Rebecca has performed in major music festivals such as Bath, Bergen, and the Manchester International Cello Festival.

A keen chamber musician, she has collaborated with international artists including Nikolai Znaider, Sarah Chang and Roger Vignoles with whom she recorded for BBC Radio 3. She is a regular participant at IMS Prussia Cove. She has appeared as a soloist with the Halle and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and is also featured on a CD of Enescu chamber music for the Naxos label.

Originally joining the LSO as Co-principal in 2001, Rebecca was promoted to Principal in 2009. She has played guest principal with orchestras all around the world, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, New Sinfonietta Amsterdam and most recently the World Orchestra for Peace. She is Professor of Cello at the Guildhall School of Music.

Alice Neary

Alice enjoys a varied performing career as a chamber musician, soloist and as principal cellist of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Familiar to listeners of Radio 3, festival performances include BBC Proms chamber series, Malboro (USA), Bath International, Santa Fe (USA) and Lofoten. Recent concerto performances include Honegger and Cheryl Frances-Hoade concertos with BBC NOW.

Alice was a member of the Gould Piano Trio from 2001-2018 – career highlights include the complete piano trios of Beethoven, Schubert and Dvorak at the Wigmore Hall, the commissioning of new works from Sir James MacMillan and Mark Simpson, regular tours of USA and over 25 CD releases.

Alice has appeared as guest cellist with numerous groups including the Nash Ensemble, Ensemble 360 and the Endellion, Elias, Bingham and Heath quartets. She collaborates with pianists Viv McLean, Benjamin Frith, Robin Green and Daniel Tong. Regular visits to International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove provide ongoing inspiration. In January 2022 Alice took part in a USA tour with Marlboro Music Festival musicians, (including performances at Carnegie Hall and Philadelphia Chamber Music Society). Future plans include Strauss Don Quixote with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the IMS 50^th anniversary concert at Wigmore Hall.

Alice studied with Ralph Kirshbaum at the RNCM and, as a Fulbright scholar, with Timothy Eddy at Stonybrook, USA. As a teacher, Alice has been tutor in cello at the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal College of Music. She is now based in her home town of Cardiff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she was awarded a Fellowship in 2015. Alice is also a mentor for ChamberStudio. She and her husband, David Adams founded the Penarth Chamber Music Festival in 2014. Alice plays a cello by Alessandro Gagliano of 1710.

Philip Higham

Philip Higham enjoys a richly varied musical life: a passionate chamber musician, equally at home in concerto, duo and unaccompanied repertoire, he especially relishes Classical and German Romantic music, in which he is frequently and happily immersed as principal cellist of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared frequently in recital at Wigmore Hall – including a notable performance of the six Bach suites there in 2017 – and at other prominent venues and festivals both at home and abroad, and is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3. His two solo recordings for Delphian Records, of the Britten and Bach solo Suites, have received considerable praise, the Britten chosen as ‘Instrumental disc of the month’ in Gramophone Magazine during 2013. He enjoys collaborations with pianists Alasdair Beatson and Susan Tomes, violinists Erich Höbarth and Alexander Janiczek, the Navarra and Benyounes string quartets, Hebrides Ensemble, and, as concerto soloist, with Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Philharmonia, the Hallé and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He also draws considerably on his musical experiences with conductors Emmanuel Krivine and Robin Ticciati.

Born in Edinburgh, Philip studied at St Mary’s Music School with Ruth Beauchamp and subsequently at the RNCM with Emma Ferrand and Ralph Kirshbaum. He also enjoyed mentoring from Steven Isserlis, and was represented by YCAT between 2009 and 2014. In 2008 he became the first UK cellist to win 1st prize at the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, and followed it with major prizes in the 2009 Lutoslawski Competition and the Grand Prix Emmanuel Feuermann 2010.

Philip plays a cello by Carlo Giuseppe Testore, made in 1697. He is grateful for continued support from Harriet’s Trust.

James Halsey

Whilst still a senior student at the R.C.M. in the early 1980’s, James joined the Auriol String Quartet and was straightaway involved in more than 40 recitals each season. This love of chamber music stayed and developed through his career and he is now cellist of the Bingham String Quartet, the Tagore String Trio and the Dartington Piano Trio. With these ensembles he has played all over the world, broadcast frequently, and made numerous recordings. At present he coaches on ten annual chamber music courses.

As a solo cellist James has performed widely in the British Isles, and has played Beethoven sonatas and unaccompanied Bach in Japan and Australia. He is much in demand as a teacher and is Professor of Cello at the North East of Scotland Music School and the Royal College of Music Junior Department, as well as being director of the Aboyne Cello Festival.

Joshua Lynch

Recipient of the Freda Dinn and Ida Marbett Award, St James Chamber Music Prize and the Musiciens Entre Guerre et Paix, Joshua Lynch is a passionate devotee of chamber music and has already enjoyed a diverse and creative career. Joshua studied with Emma Ferrand and Gillian Thoday at the Royal Northern College of Music and then continued his studies with Ursula Smith at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also enjoyed mentoring by Peter Cropper, Oliver Wille and Simon Rowland-Jones.

Joshua has performed at the Wigmore Hall, The Crucible (MitR), St Martin-in-the-Fields and Salisbury International Arts Festival. Joshua is the cellist of the Cambridge String Quartet and the Vectis Duo with his duo partner, pianist Sally Birkett. He is also the Principal cellist of the Cambridge Philharmonic and has played with the London Symphony Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia.

Away from performing Joshua is a passionate teacher and holds the position of cello tutor at the Stephen Perse Foundation and is a chamber music tutor at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is also a regular tutor at ProCorda, Aboyne Cello Festival and NLMS Summer School.