Performers
Poppy Beddoe | Clarinet and Artistic Director
Working as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, Poppy performs extensively throughout the UK and internationally. Poppy studied Music at King's College London, graduating in 2014, followed by a Masters at the Royal Academy of Music in 2016.
In 2021 Poppy released her debut album, Soliloquy, with Ulysses Arts which features her own transcriptions of Bach and Hildegard of Bingen.
Her most recent recording is Matthew Taylor’s Concertino with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The Concertino was written for Poppy in 2021. The recording was broadcast on BBC Radio Three in March 2024 and released on disc by Toccata Classics in June.
In November 2022 she was a visiting artist at the University of Houston, Texas, where she gave solo recitals, lectures, masterclasses and premièred music commissioned by the university and the Texas New Music Ensemble. Poppy returned to Texas in 2024 as a Guest Artist at the Texas New Music Festival where she premiered several new clarinet works, gave masterclasses and lectures.
In 2022 she was the Artist in Residence of the Clifton International Music Festival; she is looking forward to repeat engagements there in both 2024 and 2025. Other upcoming engagements include concerts in London, Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, Nottingham, New York and various venues in the South of France. She will perform Malcolm Arnold’s Second Concerto in St John’s Smith Square in November 2024.
Poppy works regularly with MishMash Productions, a company which tours concerts targeted at younger audiences; she recently joined them at the Cheltenham Festival and the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival. Poppy teaches at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music and also works extensively with the Academy’s Widening Participation team to make classical music more accessible to all.
She is the Artistic Director of the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival and an annual concert series in the South of France.
Poppy was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2023.
Soh-Yon Kim | Violin
Soh-Yon was born in Seoul and started playing the violin at the age of four. She studied at The Yehudi Menuhin School with Susie Meszaros and Berent Korfker. She completed the Artist Diploma course at the Royal College of Music London under the guidance of Itzhak Rashkovsky, where she was a Mills Williams Junior Fellow 2014-15.
Soh-Yon has performed across the world playing in venues such as the Concertgebouw, UN Hall, Geneva, Winspear Hall, Edmonton, Tel Aviv Opera House, and Seoul Arts Centre, and has performed in festivals such as Menuhin Festival, Gstaad, Bath International Chamber Music Festival, Harrogate Festival, Lichfield Festival, and Open Chamber Music at IMS Prussia Cove. Her recent solo appearances include the Wigmore Hall, St James’s Piccadilly, Cadogan Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Purcell Room, and the Bridgewater Hall.
Soh-Yon won 1st prize in "Shabyt-Inspiration" International Competition in Astana, a finalist and Laureate of the 1st International Buenos Aires Violin Competition, and 3rd prize winner in Yampolsky International Violin Competition in Moscow. She is a recipient of Manoug Parikian Award, Help Musicians Postgraduate Award, PO/MMSF Award, Park Lane Group Artist in 2013/14 and 2015/16, Musicians Company Prize from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, Tillett Trust, and Machester Midday Society Award. She has performed with orchestras around the world including the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscovia Chamber Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, and Teatro Colon Orchestra of Buenos Aires with Shlomo Mintz conducting. During her studies at the RCM, she won the RCM Concerto Competition and performed Elgar Violin Concerto with the RCM Symphony Orchestra.
Henry Chandler | Violin
Henry Chandler recently completed his studies at the Royal College of Music, London, where he studied as a scholar under Maciej Rakowski, receiving generous support from the John Lewis Partnership, Atwell Charity and Kathleen Trust. He is now in demand as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral
player following a successful Wigmore Hall debut with the Alke Quartet in March 2017 (finalists of ROSL competition 2017). He has appeared as soloist with the European Union Chamber Orchestra, the Oxford University Philharmonic and regularly performs recitals with pianist John Paul Ekins. Henry has performed in prestigious venues around the world, such as the Mariinsky Concert Hall in St Petersburg, Banff Arts Centre in Canada, Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall and all the major UK concert halls. He has also toured extensively around China, Japan and Denmark. Henry has performed chamber music alongside musicians such as Raphael Wallfisch. He regularly plays with the Royal Opera House Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and other London orchestras. As a young musician, Henry won numerous prizes such as the Award for Young Musicians in 2009 and the Esther Coleman prize for Outstanding Musician. He has participated in masterclasses with Maxim Vengerov, Rachel Podger and Alina Ibragimova, amongst others. Henry read music at Pembroke College, Oxford University with an instrumental scholarship, and appeared as a soloist in the Sheldonian Theatre after winning the university’s concerto competition. Henry plays on a fine Italian instrument by Fernando Gagliano (Naples, 1778), and a French bow by H.C.Lamy (c. 1920).
Abby Bowen | Viola
Abby particularly enjoys performing in smaller ensembles and works with the English Chamber Orchestra, 12 ensemble, Britten Sinfonia, Sinfonia Cymru and the London Mozart Players. She also performs with larger orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the CBSO. Abby also dedicates a large amount of time to chamber music, including performances at the Stamford International Music Festival, Wye Chamber Music Festival and the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival as well as exploring contemporary music in a chamber setting with Riot Ensemble and Lontano Ensemble. She has a keen interest in theatre and currently performs on the West End production of Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, as well as recording for the Small Island Installation at the National Theatre. In March she will perform for director of The National Nick Hynter’s production of Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre in London as the viola chair holder. Abby studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Martin Outram, where she graduated with a 1st class degree and as the recipient of the Maurice Loban Viola prize. She then completed her masters as a full scholar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied with David Takeno.
Tim Lowe | Cello
Following his recent Wigmore Hall recital Tim’s playing was described as “... compelling in every respect: probing, virtuosic and yielding by turns – a true example of outstanding musicianship.” (Musical Opinion)
Tim spends much of his time playing solo and Chamber recitals throughout the UK and Europe and has played recitals many times in major London venues including Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, QEH, Cadogan Hall and Purcell Room. He has played most of the major cello concertos in recent seasons.
Tim is the cellist of the Rossetti Ensemble and he enjoys many other collaborations, for example, in contemporary chamber operas. He played in the world premiere of Philp Glass’s opera The Trial with Music Theatre Wales and during the 2020 lockdown in OperaGlass Work’s much praised production of Britten’s Turn of the Screw conducted by John Wilson.
He has recorded chamber music CDs for various labels, including recently for Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, and Champs Hill. The recently released recording of Walton’s Piano Quartet with the Rossetti Ensemble (Naxos) has been widely praised. “A lovely flow and interaction between the players…” Andrew McGregor BBC CD Review (30 January 2021) The Rossetti’s CD for Toccata Classics of Robert Fürstenthal’s music was also very well received, including Tim’s account of the Cello Sonata (“…cellist Tim Lowe offers up especially exquisite beauty in the Cello Sonata and the Lento of the String Quartet.” (Fanfare Magazine).
Tim has played live on TV and radio in the UK and across Europe including regularly on BBC Radio 3.
As an orchestral player Tim is Guest Principal Cello with many major UK orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and the John Wilson Orchestra.
Tim is a Cello Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he has a large class and also coaches chamber music. He teaches and coaches regularly on courses and festivals throughout the UK and Europe. He is the Artistic Director of York Chamber Music Festival. He plays a cello made by Carolus Tononi in Bologna in 1716.
Connaught Brass | Visiting Artists
A “thrilling young ensemble at the start of what is sure to be a major international career” (Great Birmingham Brass Fest), Connaught Brass are quickly making a name for themselves as a fresh talent in the chamber music world. Having already made their debut at the Lucerne Festival and London’s Wigmore Hall, the ensemble’s ability to manipulate and unify sound earned them 1st Prize in the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition (2019) and the Royal Overseas League Mixed Ensemble Competition (2022). Vibrant, spirited and bold, Connaught Brass place emphasis on their friendship with one another to showcase their individual musical personalities within a unique collective sound. Prior to their Philip Jones Competition win, the group won the Worshipful Company of Musicians Brass Ensemble Prize in 2018, and travelled to France shortly after to participate in the music festival Ferrandou Musique. They returned to the same festival in 2019 and 2021. More recently, the quintet have become Artists of the Tillett Trust, City Music Foundation and Kirckman Concert Society, and attended the prestigious Britten Pears Chamber Music Residency in March 2022. Recent notable engagements include a tour of Switzerland in 2021, recitals at Societá Filarmonica Trento (Italy), St Martin-in-the-Fields, St George’s Bristol, The Great Birmingham Brass Fest, where they performed a new commission alongside Onyx Brass, St James’ Piccadilly, Investec International Music Festival and Lake District Summer Music Festival, as well as performing live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune programme. Their ever-growing repertoire spans 500 years, from renaissance to contemporary works, across a large range of genres. The ensemble also take great pride in undertaking and building their outreach work, including that supported by the Worshipful Company of Musicians and Cavatina Trust. Having been principal players in the European Union Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestras of Great Britain, Scotland, and Wales, members are now appearing on the professional circuit. This includes freelancing with the London Symphony, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, English National Opera, Opera North, Welsh National Opera and Ulster Orchestras, as well as recording with and supporting artists such as Bruno Mars, Stormzy, Jamie Cullum, Rag‘n’Bone Man, Hazel Iris and Gregory Porter. Connaught Brass’ ambition is to explore and share the broadest range of musical repertoire with as wide an audience as possible, bringing brass chamber music to the forefront of today’s musical world.
Antonia Lazenby | Bassoon
Antonia Lazenby studied at the Royal College of Music for her Bachelors Degree, and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for her Masters’. After graduating she participated in the London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts scheme and Southbank Sinfonia. She currently enjoys playing with many of the UK orchestras and has most recently been on tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Roelof Temmingh | Piano
South African pianist Roelof Temmingh enjoys a multi-faceted career including solo work, chamber music, arrangement, working with composers and collaborating with singers. He is a Young Artist of the Musicians’ Company, who also supported his Constant/Kit Lambert Fellowship at the Royal College of Music. Fellowship project highlights include Schönberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, the Warm-blooded Hindemith series, and the Atrium Experiment, whereby 6 new compositions were commissioned. His past piano teachers include Dina Parakhina, Nigel Clayton and Paul Gulda.
Actively engaging in chamber music, he has performed at the Royal Albert Hall’s Classical Coffee Morning Series, the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, and as part of the Delphine Trio has recorded at Abbey Road Studios, as well as recording their debut album with the Dutch label TRPTK, and they reached the final round of the ROSL Music Competition. Performances include recitals in South Africa, UK, US, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Slovenia.