The Fews Ensemble

The Fews Ensemble

The Fews Ensemble is comprised of some of the most highly respected musicians from throughout Europe. We created the ensemble in 2016 under the umbrella of Newry Chamber Music with the intention of offering our audiences the opportunity of hearing a wide range of chamber music featuring a variety of instrumentalists and singers.

Principal players:

Jonathan Aasgaard cello

Norwegian cellist Jonathan Aasgaard is one of UK’s most versatile cellists, as soloist, chamber musician, studio musician, orchestral principal and explorer of new music. He was appointed Principal Cello of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999 and has since performed more than 35 works for cello and orchestra with the RLPO.

He is regularly invited as a guest principal with several leading British and European orchestras and is principal cello of the John Wilson Orchestra.

Chamber music performances have taken him around Europe, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea and the USA including a range of leading festivals collaborating with artists such as violinists Nigel Kennedy, Henning Kraggerud and Julian Rachlin, violist Laurence Power, cellists Yo Yo Ma and Giovanni Sollima, pianists Simon Trpceski, Boris Giltberg, Joanna Mac Gregor and clarinetist Martin Fröst. He’s a member of the exiting UK based Pixels Ensemble and the Ulster based chamber group The Fews Ensemble.

His recordings include an album of transcriptions for cello and piano with Ian Buckle (MSR Classics), the CD ‘From Jewish Life’ (Avie) with the RLPO and Gerard Schwarz, which includes music for cello and orchestra by Bloch, Bruch, Schwarz and David Diamond, an album of music by Carl Davis for cello and orchestra with the Philharmonia, and a recording of Brahms’ cello sonatas with Martin Roscoe (Avie) which was ‘editors choice’ for chamber music in the Gramaphone Magazine. A recording of the 3 Debussy Sonatas with the Pixels Ensemble and the Korngold Sextet with Andrew Haveron and Friends are forthcoming.

He has given numerous premieres, including the world premiere of Carl Davis’ Ballade for cello and orchestra, the European premiere of Giovanni Sollima’s double cello concerto, the UK premiere of Weinberg’s cello concerto, the US premiere of concertos by Franz Neruda and Emil Hartmann and world premieres of dozens of solo pieces of which many are written for him.

Jonathan studied at the Barratt Due’s institute in Oslo and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with the late Prof. Leonard Stehn where he won all the cello and chamber music prizes and was a gold medal finalist. Jonathan plays a cello by Celeste Farotti, made in Milan in 1926.

 

Doninic DudleyDominic Dudley double bass

Dominic Dudley was born in Dundee, Scotland, and began playing the Double Bass at the age of thirteen with Ronald Large. Dominic continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Thomas Martin and Kevin Rundell. 

After 25 years, Dominic stepped down as Section Leader (Principal/Solo) Double Bass with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. In recent seasons he has also been Guest Principal  with the RPO, CBSO, Oxford Philharmonic, Hallé , Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Swan and the Ulster Orchestra. 

As a concerto soloist, he has worked with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, as well as the Hiberian Orchestra, Dublin City Chamber orchestra and the Royal Irish Academy Symphony Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Dominic has played with many leading International musicians, including Nicola Benedetti, Philip Cassard, john O'Conor, the Vanburgh Quartet, the Con Tempo Quartet, the Danish Quartet,  Jorg Widmann, as well as numerous chamber concerts with members of the NSOI. He also performs regularly at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival.

Dominic also enjoys playing in a crossover group called meascan (meaning mixture in Irish), featuring the bluegrass music of Mark o Connor.

Dominic is also leader of Contraband, an Irish based double bass quartet, and is exploring the contemporary bass repertoire, both solo and group works.

In 2018, Dominic gave a recital at the Bass Europe Conference in Lucca, Italy, where he explored the links between Beethoven, Dragonetti and Ireland.

In 1996, Dominic was appointed Double Bass professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Since then, Dominic has become increasingly interested in Music Education. He was a Music Facilitator for the NSOI, involving School visits and Workshops. 

Dominic plays on an English Double Bass by Lott 1820, as well as an instrument by his teacher Thomas Martin.

 

Maire FlavinMaire Flavin soprano

Born in Dublin, Máire Flavin represented Ireland at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2011, reaching the Song Prize final. Máire recently made the move into lyric soprano repertoire receiving critical acclaim in her role and company debut as Fiordiligi in Opera North’s Cosí fan tutte. She is due to make another role debut as Mimi with Opera Theatre Company in the Spring. Soprano roles have included Agrippina, Irish Youth Opera and Northern Ireland Opera; Second Lady, Welsh National Opera; Emmy (Der Vampyr), Everyman Theatre Cork and Musetta for Lyric Opera Ireland. Máire has worked as a mezzo with companies such as Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera and Glyndebourne. Roles include Tisbe, Scottish Opera; Nancy (Albert Herring), Mid Wales Opera; Dido, Theatre Champs Elysées; Dorabella, Welsh National Opera; Mercedes (Carmen), Regents Opera; Jacinthe (Gretry’s L’amant jaloux), Bampton Classical Opera; Public Opinion (Orpheus in the Underworld), Scottish Opera; cover Beatrice, Welsh National Opera; cover Nerone (L’Incoronazione di Poppea), Glyndebourne on Tour. Whilst a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama her roles included title role in Massenet’s Chérubin; Aurelio (Donizetti’s L’Assedio di Calais); The Queen of England (Sallinen’s The King goes forth to France) and Clarina (Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio) as well as Venus (Oliver/Peri’s Euridice) for British Youth Opera. Máire is an alumna of both the Opera Theatre Company Young Artist and Britten Pears Young Artist programmes. More at maireflavin.co.uk

 

Francesco Paolo ScolaFrancesco Paolo Scola clarinet

Francesco Paolo Scola is Principal Clarinet-Section Leader of the Ulster Orchestra, in Belfast, having joined in 2009.

He graduated with full marks “summa cum laude”, aged just 18 from the V. Bellini conservatory in Palermo.

Whilst a student he won many major international competitions, including members of the international federation of Geneva.

After completing his studies, he started working with the Orchestra of the Opera House in Rome at the age of 19, alongside many leading conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Placido Domingo, Zoltan Pesko, Hubert Soudant amongst others.

A keen soloist, Francesco has performed most of the repertoire for clarinet and orchestra.  He has toured worldwide and performed in some of the finest concert halls including the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, Suntory Hall Tokyo, the Royal Albert Hall London and many others.

Francesco frequently broadcast live concerts on radio and television for Mezzo, RAI International, Yle Finnish radio, BBC radio 3, BBC radio Ulster, NPO Radio 4 and has recorded several CDs for labels such as Chandos, Naxos, Hyperon.

Very passionate about musical pedagogy, Francesco is professor of music performance at Queen’s University Belfast, as well as visiting professor for the ARCS Clarinet Academy at Liverpool Hope University. He is frequently invited to give Masterclasses worldwide, including the Hochschule Für Musik in Karlsruhe, Germany, under the invitation of Wolfgang Meyer and Eduard Brunner, Associazione Stupor Mundi, Soni Ventorum, and Associazione Eliodoro Sollima.

Francesco regulary performs as Guest Principal Clarinet with many other orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Helsinki, Orchestre Les Dissonances Paris, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and The John Wilson Orchestra.

Most recently Francesco was invited to present and record some new works written for him by the renowned Italian cellist/composer Giovanni Sollima on the BBC programme “Classical Connections”.

 

David QuigleyDavid Quigley piano

Since his early successes in major competitions including BBC Young Musician of the Year, the Royal Over-Seas League music competition and his selection as the UK’s representative for the ECHO Rising Stars concert series, Irish pianist David Quigley now enjoys a varied international career as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician.

David has performed throughout Europe, USA and Asia in many of the world’s greatest concert halls including the Philharmonie Köln, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Musikverein Vienn , Mozarteum Salzburg, Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, National Concert Hall Athens, Wigmore Hall London, Konserthaus Stockholm and Carnegie Hall New York.
 
As a concerto soloist he has appeared with many orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, Southern Sinfonia and Cairo Symphony Orchestra.
 
David broadcasts regularly on BBC radio 3, Classic FM and RTE Lyric FM. He has an extensive discography including his latest worldwide release with Avie Records ‘Piano Nocturnes’, described by Classic FM as ‘Just divine’

 

Joanne Quigley McParlandJoanne Quigley-McParland violin

Joanne has appeared as guest leader of the Ulster Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She is the former co-leader of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra (2006-2008) and acting leader of that ensemble (2011-2012). Joanne has performed across Europe, the Far East and the US as a principal player of Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, the English Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic. She has performed on multiple occasions at Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein in Vienna and annually at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

In constant demand as a chamber musician recitalist and soloist, Joanne has performed and broadcast throughout the UK, Ireland and abroad to critical acclaim with her brother, pianist David Quigley. She is the violinist of the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble and leader of the Giordani Quartet who perform classical and romantic repertoire on gut strings.

Joanne is on the faculty of The Royal Irish Academy of Music. She is passionate about outreach work and in 2010 had the great privilege of traveling to Iraq to coach the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. She regularly coaches the Ulster Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland.

 

Rose RedgraveRose Redgrave viola

The daughter of a violist and artist Rose Redgrave grew up in Norfolk in a creative household where art and music were the focus of daily life. She studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and at the Royal Academy with Yossi Zivoni, Vicci Wardman and the late John White. Her love of chamber music was nurtured through studying with the late Christopher Rowland and at the Academy where her quartet held the Leverhulme scholarship. Rose enjoys a busy and varied career made up of performing chamber music, contemporary music, early music on the baroque viola, commercial recording, teaching and chamber music coaching.