Atéa Quintet
The Atéa Wind Quintet is a UK-based ensemble formed in 2009 comprised of recent graduates from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Royal northern college of music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
The Quintet have performed throughout the UK, including Brighton, Hastings, Southend and Birmingham, in venues such as London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields and The Forge, Camden. They also performed as part of the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, Colchester Institute’s CMPAlive, and St Luke’s Church ‘Wine and dine’.
Members of the group have performed with many of the UK’s Leading Orchestras including the English National Opera, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North, London Sinfonietta, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonia, the Hallé Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia and with other Orchestras further afield such as New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of India and the Bahrain Symphony Orchestra.
In 2012 they were appointed as the Associate Ensemble in Residence at Birmingham Conservatoire, where they regularly perform and coach chamber music groups of the wind department there. The group are also involved in educational work, and have given masterclasses and workshops in schools and conservatoires across UK, most recently in Brighton.
Alongside the standard wind quintet repertoire, Atéa are also keen to promote newer and lesser heard repertoire, and have given the UK premier of Daniel McCallum’s ‘Omega Quintet’, Lansing McLoskey’s ‘Hardwood’, and world premiers of works by upcoming British composers as part of a collaboration with New:Dots. Members of the group were also involved in the UK Première of Stockhausen’s Rotary Quintet.
Upcoming performances include a recital at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, as part of winning the audition of their Manchester Midday Concert Series and a tour to the Czech Republic as part of the Young Prague Festival.
Individual Biographies:
Anna Hashimoto – Clarinet
Anna Hashimoto made her Barbican debut in December 2004 at the age of fifteen, playing Weber’s Concertino with the English Chamber Orchestra. She has since been invited regularly as a soloist with the orchestra, most recently during the 2011 English Chamber Orchestra Music Cruise. She won the 1st International Clarinet Competition in Kortrijk, the 7th International Clarinet Competition in Carlino, the Japan Clarinet Society’s ‘Young Clarinettists Competition’ where she was also awarded all three special prizes, and was a prizewinner and the youngest competitor of the Japan Clarinet Competition.
Anna was born in Japan in 1989 and moved to London six months later. She studied at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music with Charles Hine, at the Purcell School, and at the Royal Academy of Music under a full Associated Board Scholarship and as a Leverhulme Scholar. There she was awarded numerous awards including the Regency Award on graduation, and she studied with world-renowned soloist Michael Collins for six years. She has been awarded the Meaker Fellowship from September 2011. Anna plays on Peter Eaton ‘International’ clarinets and basset clarinet.
Anna has appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall in numerous occasions playing solo and chamber music. She has also played in the Cadogan Hall, South Bank Centre and Buckingham Palace, as well as France, Spain, Holland, Italy, Greece, New York and the Czech Republic (Dvorak Hall).
At the ‘International ClarinetFest 2005’ she had the honour of giving the Japan Premiere and a live broadcasting of Michael Daugherty’s new clarinet concerto ’Brooklyn Bridge’. There she also performed Tartini/Jacob’s Concertino with the British Clarinet Ensemble with whom she has also recorded a CD of the work.
She has performed concertos with orchestras such as the Brussels Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Filharmonie Hradec Kralove, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Chamber Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. She gave sold-out recitals at Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan and Kioi Hall in 2008. Her recent tour in Japan included solo and chamber music recitals, including a duo recital with Michael Collins which was broadcast on NHK TV and FM. Her solo album ‘A Touch of France’ has had many favourable reviews in the UK, Japan, and the USA. Musicians she has collaborated with include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Douglas Bostock, Michael Collins, Leon McCawley, the Solstice String Quartet, Alberni Quartet, Ciurloinis Quartet, Kodaly Quartet, and members of the Skampa Quartet and Aronowitz Ensemble. Forthcoming performances include concertos with the chamber players of NHK Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, and Brahms Trio at the opening of ‘Tsuyoshi Tsustumi Produce’ concert series in Tokyo.
For more information please visit www.annahashimoto.com
‘Styling phrasing and a lovely, liquid tone’ – New York Times
Ashley Myall – Bassoon
Born in Surrey, Ashley began learning the bassoon aged 10, and soon began studies at the Royal College of Music Junior Department.
He recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded a masters degree in 2011. Prior to this he completed a B.Mus. at the University of Leeds, graduating in 2009. In 2007 he was awarded a place at the Hochschule für Musik Köln where he studied with Georg Klütsch.
During his studies he was actively involved in many of the projects taking place inside and around these institutions. Highlights include, working with Sir Simon Rattle for a performance of Bruckner’s ‘Ninth Symphony mov1.’ in March of 2011, and taking part in the LSO scheme, as principal bassoon looking at Stravinsky’s ‘Petrushka’ in February 2010, and working with Joost Bosdijk and Gareth Davies.
Ashley has taken part in a number of masterclasses with eminent bassoonists including Julie Price; Marco Lugaresi, Graham Sheen, Robin O’Neill
Andrea de Flammenis, Daniel Jemison and Meyrick Alexander.
Ashley also performs with the up and coming Azalea and Size Zero Opera Company, who specialise in performances of contemporary music for chamber ensemble. Ashley recently performed the premier of Blair Foley’s – ‘We’re All Mad Here’, at the Tête à Tête opera festival in Hammersmith with Size Zero, and is taking part in upcoming performances of several new works and other contemporary works at Kings Place and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with Azalea.
Ashley has also performed regularly as a soloist, with solo performances at the Leeds Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, The David Josefowitz Recital Hall – RAM, Ripon Cathedral, and the Leeds General Infirmary Chapel, in July this year, he is making his debut orchestral concerto appearance, performing the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with the Redhill Sinfonia.
Ashley is orchestral manager of the University of London Symphony Orchestra, and regularly performs with them in concerts in central London.
Christopher Beagles – Horn
Chris first began to play the horn at the age of 12 and won a scholarship to attend the Junior Royal Northern College of Music where he studied with Tom Redmond and Laurence Rogers. Whilst there he won the Zochonis Scholarship and the Brass playing Prize.
He won an entrance scholarship in 2006 to the Royal Academy of music where he studied with Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins. In his time there he won the Nicholas Blake Prize and was Very Highly Commended in the Dennis Brain Horn Prize. Whilst at the Academy he performed a solo recital tour with the Royal Academy of Music’s Harp Ensemble.
Upon graduating, Chris gained a place in the Southbank Sinfonia, Britain’s leading Orchestral Academy, for their 2011-12 season.
He has recently performed in venues throughout the United Kingdom such as the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Wigmore Hall, the Cadogan Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, the Sage, Birmingham Symphony Hall and LSO St Luke’s. He also has performed in such exotic locations as Zimbabwe and Bahrain.
Chris has played with many orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Contemporary Orchestra, Britten Pears Orchestra, Royal Academy Soloists and Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra.
He has participated in side by side scheme’s with orchestra’s including the LPO, ENO, BBC Philharmonic and the Hallé. He also participated in the Academy’s prestigious side by side scheme with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Chris is a keen modern music enthusiast and has premiered many new works including a piece by Matthew King commissioned by the Wigmore Trust. He gave the UK premiere of a piece for wind quintet by Stockhausen. He also played 1st solo horn in a piece by Robert Peate with the Royal Academy of Music Concert Orchestra.
He has worked in commercial recordings for television for companies including McDonalds, Sony and Lighterlife and played in numerous recordings for both BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.
Chris has performed several recitals throughout the UK and also recently participated in a performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass with the West London Bach Players. He has performed Strauss’s 1st horn Concerto with both the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra and the Tallis Chamber Orchestra. He has also played Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the Birmingham Conservatoire String Orchestra. In 2014, he will be returning as a soloist to the Tallis Chamber Orchestra to perform Britten’s Serenade once again.
Philip Haworth – Oboe
Philip was born in Lancashire and recently finished a Masters of Music at the RCM under the tutelage of Christopher Cowie and John Anderson. Prior to this he studied at the RNCM with Hansjörg Schellenberger, Melinda Maxwell and Hugh McKenna, and also took Cor Anglais lessons with Rachel Pankhurst. His pre-undergraduate education took place at Chetham’s School of Music for two years under the guidance of Rachel Clegg. He has had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses with Celia Nicklin, Stephane Rancourt and Rainer Gibbons.
As a keen chamber musician, Philip has performed with many chamber groups in venues across the North West, London and Scotland.
He is currently a member of the Atéa Wind Quintet whom have performed at venues such as Linton Parish Church, David Joesfowitz Recital Hall and Colchester University, where they also gave a masterclass to the woodwind students. In January 2008 he played an active role in the RNCM Mozart festival, performing in both Mozart wind octets. As an orchestral musician, Philip has given concerts with the RNCM/RCM Symphony Orchestra, also playing in the opera production of Eugene Onegin, The Magic Flute, The Bartered Bride and Die Fledermaus. Whilst at the RNCM Philip had the rare opportunity to record a premiere of Edwin Roxburgh’s oboe trio – Shadow Play, with the renowned oboist Paul Goodey.
In 2007 he was awarded a place on the Hallé Access Scheme which gave him an opportunity to work with the Hallé Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. 2010 saw Philip gain a place on the the LSO/BBC Symphony Orchestra Side-by-side scheme working with the players of both orchestras for a year.
In 2006 Philip was invited to tour Spain as a soloist performing Belini’s oboe concerto with the Lancashire Students Symphony Orchestra, of which he was a member for 8 years.
Philip has recently worked with such orchestras as the Orchestra of Opera North, The Beumont Ensemble playing at St Martin in the Fields and gained the Principal Oboe position in the London Musical Arts Orchestra. He was also recently appointed the second oboe of The Symphony Orchestra of India whom he tours with twice a year. He has played with charity orchestras such as the Charities Philharmonic and the CLIC Sargent Symphony Orchestras at venues around London.
Alena Lugovkina – Flute
Alena studied at the Gnesins Special Music School in Moscow, the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Her teachers were William Bennett, Patricia Morris, Philippa Davies, Sarah Newbold, Sharon Williams, Ian Clarke and Nadejda Selezneva.
Alena performed at the most prestigious UK venues including Royal Festival Hall, Buckingham Palace, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, King’s Place and is performing this summer at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. She has played concerts in Japan, UK, USA, Russia, Germany, Austria and Spain. Alena has won several prestigious awards whilst studying including the Hattori Foundation Award, The Leverhulme Trust Award, The Philharmonia MMSF Award, “Wolfson Foundation Award”, “Jo Weinberg Award”, “Elizabeth Spater Award”.
She won 1st Prize at the RAM flute competition, 1st Prize and Sebastian Bell award at the British Flute Society’s Competitions as well as 1st Prize at the 13th International Flute Competition “Friedrich Kuhlau” in Germany duetting with Kayoko Minamino – Principal Flute of Orquestra do Norte (Portugal).
As an orchestral player, Alena has recently played as a Guest Principal with the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She is currently on trial with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia and has been on trials with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and has been a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), Orpheus Sinfonia, London Mahler Orchestra and Britten-Pears Orchestra as well as taking workshops in Orchestral Academy Ossiach (Austria), where she played chamber music with soloists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a passionate chamber musician, she has a regular duo partner – pianist Pavel Timofejevsky, with whom she performs regularly in UK and Russia. She is also a member of ATÈA wind quintet that has recently been appointed the Associate Ensemble in Residence at Birmingham Conservatoire and are to be touring at the Czech Republic this September.
