Artists
The London Bridge Ensemble
Daniel Tong – piano/Festival co-director
Kate Gould – cello/Festival co-director
with guests
London Bridge Ensemble. Photo: Robert Carpenter Turner
The London Bridge Ensemble, founded by pianist Daniel Tong, made its Wigmore Hall debut in 2005, and it was not long before it had firmly established itself as one of the most exciting groups on the chamber music scene. Festival appearances include City of London Festival, the Kerry Chamber Music Festival, Leicester International Music Festival’s lunchtime series and an annual residency at the Ponte de Lima Festival of Opera and Chamber Music in Portugal. Other engagements have included a return visit to Wigmore Hall and concerts at Sheffield Music in the Round, St David’s Hall Cardiff and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
A CD of works by Frank Bridge, from whom the Ensemble takes its name, was released in spring 2008 to critical acclaim, including recommendations by both Gramophone and International Record Review. The disc is part of the Epoch series for the Dutton label. The Ensemble continues its exploration of Bridge’s early works for Dutton with a CD to be released some time in 2010. A recent Schumann recording for Sonimage Classics is also due in 2010, to be followed by a recording of works by Fauré on the same label.
The Ensemble’s name represents the group’s special ability to bring together different musical genres and styles from the fields of both chamber music and song, much to the enjoyment of audiences at the 2008 and 2009 Festivals – and you will see from the 2010 programme that we continue to develop this. The name also reflects, through Frank Bridge, an admiration for English music of the early twentieth century, which has from the outset formed an important part of the group’s varied repertoire. Last but not least, the name is an affectionate homage to the bridge and station of that name in the City of London.
In late 2007, the Ensemble was awarded start-up funding to launch a new festival – and what better city than Winchester, with which both Festival co-director Kate Gould and baritone Ivan Ludlow had musical connections in their youth, and where there is a strong appetite for chamber music. Since its inauguration in April 2008, the Festival has been recognised by audiences and funders alike as a significant event in Hampshire’s cultural calendar and the 2010 Festival builds on this support.