Hear the coaching of ChamberStudio’s Artistic Director, Donald Grant, in action as the Telyn String Quartet and Astatine Trio perform in the concert hall at Lavethan in North Cornwall.
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Comprised of students from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Telyn Quartet has a rich musical background, having met at the esteemed music course 'MusicWorks' and receiving coaching from renowned musicians such as Krysia Osostowicz, Robin Ireland, Daniel Tong, and Robin Michael during their participation in the Wye Valley Festival Summer Residency.
Their dedication and passion for their craft have been further fueled by the invaluable coaching they received from members of the London Haydn Quartet at 'MusicWorks Sundays'.
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Formed in 2021 at the Royal College of Music, the award-winning Astatine Trio has since emerged as one of the UK’s most exciting young ensembles. Their accolades include first prizes at the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition, the Virtuoso&Belcanto International Chamber Competition (Lucca, Italy) and the Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition in 2022, and they have performed extensively across the UK and abroad, including at Wigmore Hall, St George’s Bristol, Aldeburgh’s Jubilee Hall and the Harrogate Sunday Series. As Britten Pears Young Artists for the 2023/24 season, the trio made their debut appearance on BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’ in February 2024.
Since 2022 the trio has benefited from the mentorship of legendary pianist Alfred Brendel at his invitation. They have undertaken residencies at Snape Maltings and at the University of Cambridge, as part of ChamberStudio’s inaugural Hans Keller Forum, and from 2024 onwards will take part in masterclasses across Europe as part of the European Chamber Music Academy. The trio are also grateful for the mentorship of Richard Ireland, John Myerscough, Prach Boondiskulchok, Michał Kaznowski, Luc-Marie Aguera and Riccardo Cecchetti and have worked with Alasdair Beatson, Alina Ibragimova, David Waterman, Thomas Hoppe, Yovan Markovitch, Adrian Brendel, Peter Nagy, Krysia Osostowicz, Christoph Richter, Bruno Giuranna, Robin Ireland, the Gould Trio and the Busch Trio among others.
Passionate about new music, the trio was awarded the SEAM Prize for contemporary music at the 2023 Lyon International Chamber Competition, in which they were the youngest finalists. Upcoming projects include the premiere of a new piano trio by Timothy Salter, which is being written especially for the group.
The trio are grateful for the support of ChamberStudio, the Piano Trio Society, Maggie Grimsdell (Music at Longhill Road), Philip Carne and the Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust.
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Donald Grant is a violinist, fiddle player, collaborator and composer based in Glasgow, Scotland. At an early age he was immersed in the folk tradition of the Highlands of Scotland, learning Gaelic songs from his father who was a singer and teacher. He has since followed a path that defies one musical genre, travelling the globe collaborating with many artists and organisations.
He founded the Elias String Quartet in 1998. As one of Europe’s leading Chamber ensembles they have toured extensively, regularly playing in concert halls including Carnegie Hall (New York), Recital Centre (Melbourne), Wigmore Hall (London), Southbank Centre (London), Musikverein (Vienna), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) Konserthaus (Berlin) and Suntory Hall (Tokyo). They also have an extensive and acclaimed recording catalogue including the Complete Beethoven Quartets for the Wigmore Hall’s “Live” label.
Donald is Artistic Director of ChamberStudio and Deputy Head of Chamber Music at the Royal Northern College of Music.
A passionate advocate for the music of his native home, Donald’s recent solo performances include the Wigmore Hall, Southwell Festival, Cucagnan Festival, RNCM Festival and the Weesp Festival. He writes and arranges music for himself and for others and can heard on his solo album “The Way Home”. In 2024 he looks forward to new collaborations and commissions from the Aurora Orchestra, Manchester Collective and Manchester Camerata.