BerkeleyEnsemble
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Welcome to the website of the Berkeley Ensemble, an exciting new chamber group formed in March 2008 by eight members of London's orchestral academy, Southbank Sinfonia. The ensemble aims to explore a wide range of repertoire for combined wind and string instruments, and has a particular interest in British music. It takes its name from two prominent English composers, Sir Lennox Berkeley and his son, Michael Berkeley, with the kind permission of Sir Lennox’s widow, Lady Berkeley, and of Michael Berkeley.

The members of the Berkeley Ensemble have studied at some of the UK’s top universities and colleges, including Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester and York Universities, the Royal College of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. During their time with Southbank Sinfonia they have worked with musicians from ensembles such as the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, London Sinfonietta, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

The Berkeley Ensemble gave its first concert in April at Regent Hall in London with a programme of Mozart, Baermann and Sir Lennox Berkeley, and has since performed at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at Brentwood Cathedral. They recently gave the London premiere of John Casken’s Blue Medusa for bassoon and ensemble at St. John’s Church, Waterloo. Future plans include performances of works by Howard Ferguson, Schubert and Berwald and the premiere of a piece written for the ensemble by the Swedish composer Karl Nicklas Gustavsson. Concerts are planned in Manchester, Sheffield, Cambridge and St George’s, Hanover Square, London.

 

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Welcome Biographies Concerts Repertoire News Contact