John Myerscough coaches the Kleio String Quartet
Mozart: Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K. 575 “Prussian”
Limehouse Room, Kings Place
Open to Observers
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Maria Vila - 1st violin
Annabel Kidd - 2nd violin
Raphael Chinn - viola
Futo Yamane - cello
Friends joined through their love of chamber music, the Resol String Quartet formed in the Autumn of 2018 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, with a vision to make classical music making more inclusive both in the present and for the future. The Resol String Quartet aim to bring their shared ideal of honesty to all that they do.
In a constant pursuit for excellence, these young artists share their joy of music making and act as ambassadors for chamber music, keeping it alive in today’s society. The group feel just as at home in education and care settings as they do on the concert platform and strive to blend all of this together in their work. In the concert hall they approach their interpretations from a historically informed perspective, bringing a unique take on repertoire from all eras.
In 2020, the quartet were privileged to open the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Rosin Chamber Festival, alongside the world-renowned Brodsky String Quartet. In the same year, the quartet won First Prize in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Mabel Glover String Quartet Competition, were awarded the Mary D Adams prize for chamber music and placed in the Governors Chamber Music Competition.
The quartet's determination, resilience and passion for chamber music was apparent when they made the decision to continue to rehearse together during the COVID-19 pandemic, even when members were in different parts of the world, coming together online for artistic discussions and rehearsals. Following this, when the members were reunited, the ensemble hosted four online performances, with repertoire from Boccherini, to Shostakovich and Jessie Montgomery.
The ensemble were invited to perform for the Brunton Chamber Music Recital Series in March 2021 with an immediate re-invitation for August 2021.
In May of 2021, the Quartet was selected to represent the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the CAVATINA Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition, where they won both the First Prize and Audience Prize. Since then, their concert diary has included a performance at Edinburgh's avant-garde venue Pianodrome, a concert tour throughout Sussex including school workshops in local communities, and features upcoming dates at Perth Concert Hall as well as London's Conway Hall.
Future plans also include a concert tour across the islands of the West of Scotland in november and december, in a collaboration with classical saxophonist Richard Scholfield. This tour will also include education work in local schools.
The Resol String Quartet has received masterclasses and coaching from: Donald Grant, Guillaume Sutre, Peter Salaff, Shelia Browne, Greg Lawson, the Brodsky Quartet, David Watkin, Duncan Ferguson, and the Manchester Collective.
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Richard Ireland is one of the UK’s leading chamber musicians and has been a regular performer at London’s Wigmore Hall and at all of the major chamber music venues across Europe.
Richard has 25 years experience teaching violin at conservatoire level and many of his ex-students now hold principal positions in top orchestras and chamber ensembles across Europe. He is sought after as a performance coach by musicians at all stages of their careers.
Richard is a visiting professor for the Chamber Music in Residence series at Snape Maltings and is a guest professor at the Netherlands String Quartet Academy. Alongside his chamber music career Richard has been Guest Leader of orchestras such as the City of London Sinfonia, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Richard studied the violin with Sheila Nelson throughout his childhood, then with Yossi Zivoni, and finally with Eli Goren and Shmuel Ashkenasi, both eminent string quartet leaders. He was Teaching Assistant to Shmuel Ashkenasi in the USA for three years, Professor of Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music for thirteen years and also Professor of Chamber Music at the Royal College of Music.
In 2010 Richard founded and is now Artistic Director of ChamberStudio which provides high-level coaching and support to professional chamber groups in the early stages of their careers. In 2017 he launched a new organisation Offstage which provides ongoing mentorship for post-study performers.
In his free time, Richard is a keen mountain walker and wild camper together with his cellist wife and their 850 gram two-person tent! He was a passionate rock climber until he broke a knuckle on his left hand and was told in no uncertain terms by Yossi Zivoni, his violin teacher at the time, that he had to decide whether he wanted to be a climber or a violinist! He holds a first-class Pure Mathematics degree from the Open University which he studied part time in his 30’s. He has two children aged 27 and 25 who studied Physics and History and now both live and work in London.
In recognition of his teaching and his work creating ChamberStudio, Richard was awarded the 2014 Cobbett Medal by the Worshipful Company of Musicians. In 2017 he was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon ARAM) for special contribution to the institution.