Hannah Roberts (cello) and Simon Parkin (piano) / Thu 29 Oct

Hannah Roberts cello
Simon Parkin piano
With guest: Caroline Pether violin
Cellists from the RNCM School of Strings:
Chloe Chen, Isabella Farleigh, Lola Garcia Marquez, Teresa De Oliveira,  and Lewis Tang

Hannah Roberts is one of the outstanding ‘cellists of her generation. After a wonderful start with Susanna Roberts, then Jennifer Ward-Clarke, she was privileged to have studied extensively with William Pleeth at the Yehudi Menuhin School and Ralph Kirshbaum at the Royal Northern College of Music. Having won prizes in numerous prestigious competitions and awards such as Shell LSO, BBC Young Musician, Jacqueline Du Pre Memorial and Pierre Fournier awards, Hannah has gone on to give many concerto performances with leading orchestras, including the London Mozart Players, LSO, BBC Concert Orchestra, and the Hallé, also making broadcasts and recordings.

Internationally she enjoys an active schedule of solo and chamber music performing and has taken part in the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival in Los Angeles, International Cello Institute, Vivace Festival, Encore and Heifetz Institute in the USA , and Quingdao International Cello Festival, in addition to numerous European festivals.

UK festival appearances have included Chichester, Malvern, Beverley, ‘Beethovenfest’ and regular participation in the prestigious Manchester International Cello Festival where she was invited to lead a world premiere of a cello sextet work by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and performed on numerous occasions.

In addition to her activities as soloist, chamber musician and principal ‘cellist of award-winning chamber orchestra Manchester Camerata, Hannah is a committed and sought after mentor. Awarded the title of ‘Jacqueline Du Pré Professor of Cello’ at the RAM in London, she is also Professor of Cello at the RNCM in Manchester, Visiting Artist in Cello at RBC and Visiting Tutor for the University of Oxford. Her distinguished roster of student alumni include the cellist Sheku Kanneh Mason, South African artist Abel Selaocoe and some of the world’s most notable young soloists, chamber musicians and principal ‘cellists.

She is honoured to have been awarded both an HonRAM and an FRNCM for her work helping to nurture upcoming ‘cellists, and enjoys working with some of the world’s most gifted young musicians at leading international masterclasses each summer.

Award winning pianist, composer and arranger Simon Parkin is renowned for his exceptional duo playing and imaginative composing and arranging, and in addition to his duo with cellist Hannah Roberts has performed with artists such as Ralph Kirshbaum, Steven Isserliss, Alban Gerhardt, Sol Gabetta, Nigel Kennedy, Sandy Baillie, to name just a few.

Holding a PhD in composition (Manchester University), Simon’s works are published by Faber and feature in the commercial recordings of a number of international artists and ensembles including Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Jess Gillam, Christian Li and Nicola Benedetti (all for Decca Classics), Zurich Tonhalle, San Francisco Symphony , United Strings of Europe, Manchester Camerata, Manchester Collective and international festivals. He has twice had arrangements performed at the BBC Proms and his arrangement of ‘Scarborough Fair’ for cello and guitar has had twenty-nine million downloads on Spotify.

He is Deputy Head of Undergraduate Studies at the RNCM.

Caroline is the Leader and Artistic Curator at Manchester Camerata, often assuming the role of Soloist and Director with the orchestra. Chamber music sensibilities are at the heart of Caroline’s music-making; she enjoys regular chamber music with Camerata’s principals, and guest leads chamber music projects and chamber orchestras across the UK. Caroline was the Leader of Welsh chamber orchestra Sinfonia Cymru from 2016 until 2021. In 2022, Caroline was made an Associate Member of the RNCM (ARNCM).

From 2010 to 2019 Caroline was the first violinist of the Zelkova Quartet, winners of the 2017 St Martin’s Chamber Music Competition and the 2014 Royal Overseas League Elias Fawcett Award for Outstanding Chamber Ensemble. Through her work with chamber orchestras and her quartet, Caroline has been fortunate to study and work closely with many incredible musicians including Gábor Takács-Nagy, Ferenc Rados, Hatto Beyerle and Peter Cropper.

Caroline is passionate about enthusing and educating the next generation of musicians; she coaches and performs alongside students from the Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Chetham’s School of Music, and youth orchestras across the country. Caroline also works closely with Camerata’s 360 Scheme participants; teaching, mentoring and contributing to the design of their individual programme of study.

As a young musician, Caroline began her studies with leading violin educator Lucy Akehurst at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s esteemed Young Strings Project, and later studied at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music. Caroline plays on a violin made by the internationally acclaimed maker Stephan von Baehr.

Acclaimed in The Strad as ‘a duo of rare ensemble and musical intelligence‘, the husband-and-wife artistic partnership of Hannah Roberts and Simon Parkin has gained great critical and public success both at home and abroad.

No strangers to the RNCM, both have a long relationship with the College. Hannah Roberts is Professor of Cello, appearing recently as a soloist for Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Manchester Camerata. Simon Parkin is a sought-after composer, arranger, and pianist, alongside his role as Deputy Head of Undergraduate Programmes. He celebrates his 50th anniversary working at the College alongside his 70th birthday this year.

The duo showcases how versatile a recital can be, through more traditional works paired with arrangements of favourites we know and love by Gershwin and Clapton.

Highlights also include Parkin’s reimagined Goldberg Variations, shown here in a new light. With added jazz-inspired repeats, Parkin offers a modern take on the improvisatory baroque tradition, drawing on swing, funk and even Reggae.