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| Lunchtime concert |
12 noon St. Peter's Church |
Stephen Martin, Organ |
| Afternoon |
|
James Gilchrist, tenor & Anna Tilbrook, piano
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| Evening |
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Chilingirian Quartet
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7.30pm Temple Church
The Chilingirian Quartet
Haydn Op 77 No 2
Bartok 4
Beethoven Op 130
The Quartet is composed of Levon Chilingirian (violin), Philip De Groote (cello), Ronald Birks (violin), and Susie Mészáros (viola) – highly accomplished musicians who blend four distinct voices into a single extraordinary sound. It is a sound that critics around the world have heralded as “balanced,” “passionate,” “warm,” “subtle,” and “dynamic.”
ORIGINS
London has always been a meeting-point for the world's musicians, and it was in London in 1971 that four prizewinning musicians met and decided to dedicate themselves to chamber music. Word of the new quartet spread rapidly, and within a short time the Chilingirian Quartet was claimed by London's critics to be an ensemble that would have a major impact on the world of the string quartet.
EXCITING POTENTIAL, REALISED
BBC and World Service broadcasts of the Chilingirian Quartet were soon followed by invitations to the Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, and Bath festivals, and to the most important cities throughout Europe.
In 1976, a triumphant debut in New York made the Chilingirians a sought-after group throughout the United States. The Quartet has since made over 15 coast-to-coast tours of the USA and Canada. Extensive tours of Australia, New Zealand, South America, Africa, and the Far East make the Quartet equally well known around the world.
In 1988, the group became the first-ever Quartet-in-Residence at the Royal College of Music, where it continues to offer master classes to many of the world's most promising young musicians.
The Quartet has built an extensive and critically-acclaimed discography of works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Bartok, Dvorak, and other major composers. And, it released groundbreaking recordings of masterworks by contemporary composers such as Michael Tippett, John Tavener, Hugh Wood, and Michael Berkeley.
The Chilingirians have also appeared extensively on TV and radio programs around the world, including an ongoing series of broadcasts for the BBC.
A VITAL FORCE IN TODAY'S WORLD
Now in its fourth decade, the Chilingirian Quartet continues to tour, record, and teach, amassing one of the music world's most impressive resumés.
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Stephen Martin
Steven Martin has been Director of Music at Crediton Parish Church since April 2008. Prior to returning to Crediton—where he was previously organ scholar and assistant organist—Steven was for three years Director of Music at St Michael and All Angels, Mount Dinham, Exeter, and a Bass Choral Scholar at Exeter Cathedral.
Steven has recently completed his studies at the University of Bristol and has just handed in his PhD thesis, the subject of which is late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century British opera. During his time as a student at the University of Exeter, Steven was an organ scholar at the University's Chapel and directed the Exeter University Choral Society (from 2004–2008) and University Singers (2002–2004). Alongside his work at Crediton, Steven currently directs the Taunton-based chamber choir In Ecclesia.
His organ teachers have included Ron Downs, Dr Lorna Cowdry and Paul Morgan. Steven was awarded his LRSM in organ performance in 2003. He has given numerous organ recitals in and around Devon and Dorset, as well as Fulda (Germany) and Paris.
When not shaking his fists at some choir or other, or wondering why Stanford's operas are so seldom performed these days, Steven is usually to be found in a comfortable chair, asleep under a newspaper, a cold cup of tea at his elbow…
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