concerts_archduke_biog

							        The London Archduke Trio
The London Archduke Trio collectively made their London debut at the
Royal Academy of Music in 1996 playing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. They
have toured together as far afield as Israel and Africa and made their London
South Bank debut in 1997 as part of the Festival Hall’s Eastern European
Jewish Culture Celebration. The trio regularly coaches and performs at the
Dartington International Summer School, and have given recitals in various
festivals including London’s Trafalgar Square Festival. Other engagements
have included several further performances at London’s South Bank Centre
as well as several European tours.

Nathaniel Vallois (violin) was born in Paris and gave his first solo
performance aged nine in Sion (Switzerland). Two years later he was selected
to play for Zino Francescatti. Further studies followed in Israel, then in London
at the Purcell School and at the Royal College of Music with Itzhak
Rashkovsky. He has won numerous prizes and awards, including a
Leverhulme Foundation Scholarship and a Martin Trust Scholarship to work
with Ruggiero Ricci. He performs regularly throughout Britain, in Europe,
Israel and in the USA. In 1993 he performed Bartók’s First Concerto in
Canterbury Cathedral, as part of the Festival. Most recent solo performances
include the Berg, Brahms, Dvorák, Mendelssohn and Sibelius concerti (the
latter work at the Barbican Hall). Nathaniel and Charles released a CD of
French music for violin and piano in 2003. Nathaniel has recently been
appointed to the staff of the Purcell School and the Birmingham
Conservatoire.

Gabriella Swallow (cello) was born in Belfast in 1980. In 1990 she won a
scholarship to Chethams' School of Music where she studied with Nick Jones.
In 1999 she was awarded an ABRSM Scholarship to study at the Royal
College of Music with Jerome Pernoo and composition with Timothy Salter.
She graduated and was awarded the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal in July
2003. With the Sans Souci Piano Trio she won the 2001 West Belfast
Chamber Music Bursary Award and the Bernard Stevens Prize. In July 2003
she performed in the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, which was
broadcasted by Lyric FM. Recently she took part in a concert as part of
Kettles Yard New Music Series in Cambridge. Forthcoming performances
include Xenakis's 'Kottos' alongside the dancer Eva Recacha for the Zaragoza
Festival in Spain, Tango Concerts in Switzerland and performing in both the
Henze and Carlisle Festivals. She plays a cello made by Charles Harris Snr.
in 1820.

Charles Wiffen (piano) studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in
Johannesburg and at the Royal College of Music in London. He has studied
the piano with Pauline Nossel, Maria Curcio, Yonty Solomon and Emanuel Ax,
and participated in chamber music classes with Yo-Yo Ma and the late Isaac
Stern. Among his numerous prizes is the Percival Kirby Gold Medal. As well
as recording and broadcasting extensively for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and
the SABC, Charles has also released several CDs of solo piano and chamber
music. In 1998 he was appointed the Grove Junior Research Fellow at the
Royal College of Music where he now lectures; he also teaches at Trinity
College of Music. He is a member of Contemporary Consort and has
performed in the BBC Proms (2003), the Arundel, Brighton, Buckingham,
Grahamstown and Johannesburg Spring Festivals as well as being invited by
Isaac Stern to take part in ‘Jerusalem Encounters’. Recent venues have
included Harvard University, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and London’s
Wigmore Hall.

These performers are highly persuasive advocates and perform with real
verve and flair (Joanne Talbot, The Strad)
The brilliant music had 19th century certainty, twentieth century doubt: an
expressive mixture of both (Rick Jones, Evening Standard)
This performance was convincing and vital (Elspeth Jack, Cape Times)