Jennifer Pike & Peter Limonov
Biographie Jennifer Pike & Peter Limonov
Jennifer Pike
first came to prominence in 2002 after her acclaimed performance of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in the Barbican with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis, winning the title of BBC Young Musician of the Year at the age of just 12. Earlier that year she became the youngest prizewinner in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition in Boulogne. Recognized for her "dazzling interpretative flair and exemplary technique" (Classic FM), she became a BBC New Generation Artist in 2008 and the only classical artist ever to win the South Bank Show/Times Breakthrough Award. The following year she was presented with the first International London Music Masters Award.
Jennifer made her BBC Proms début in the Royal Albert Hall at the age of 15 and gave her Wigmore Hall début recital the same year. In recent seasons she has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the LPO, Royal Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Nagoya Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and Vienna Symphony. Current engagements include performances of the Beethoven and Bruch concertos with the Philharmonia and Hallé orchestras, the Sibelius concerto with the Bergen Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony, and Mozart concertos with the Singapore Symphony and Rheinische Philharmonie. She also makes her début with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, performing Haflidi Hallgrimsson's Violin Concerto, a work composed especially for her, having given its world première with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 2011. The Herald described it as a "luminous, gleaming and massively-assured performance from violinist Jennifer Pike...not long ago a wunderkind, now a seasoned artist whose maturity was reflected at every level of her understanding of Hallgrimsson's concerto." Her enthusiasm for promoting new music also led to the première recording of Andrew Schultz's Violin Concerto with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, released in 2011 by ABC Classics in Australia. She has worked with eminent conductors worldwide, including Andris Nelsons, Richard Hickox, Sir Mark Elder, Christopher Hogwood, John Wilson, Leif Segerstam and Martyn Brabbins.
Her first recording on the Chandos label comprising the Debussy, Ravel and Franck sonatas with pianist Martin Roscoe was hailed as "one of the most outstanding début albums of recent years" (Classic FM Magazine). Subsequent recordings include Rózsa's Violin Concerto and Variations on a Hungarian Peasant Song with the BBC Philharmonic and Rumon Gamba, which was Editor's Choice in the Gramophone, Chausson's Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet and sonatas by Brahms and Schumann with pianist Tom Poster. Forthcoming releases on Chandos will include the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Bergen Philharmonic and Sir Andrew Davis and a disc of the complete works for violin and piano by Janácek.
Jennifer was born and brought up in Stockport. Grateful for the financial support she has received for her musical education, she is passionate about helping other young people from humble backgrounds achieve enjoyment through music. She takes an active role in the innovative Bridge Project which brings music to primary schools all over London. She is a patron of the Wellspring, a charity that supports homeless people in Stockport, and a patron of the Richard Ely Trust assisting aspiring young musicians.
At the age of 16 Jennifer was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, subsequently continuing her studies at Oxford University where she graduated with First Class Honours. She plays a 1708 Matteo Goffriller violin made available by the Stradivari Trust for which she is seeking further sponsorship.
Martin Roscoe
is a versatile pianist, equally at home in concerto, recital and chamber performances. In an ever more distinguished career, his enduring popularity and the respect in which he is universally held are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship allied to an easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike.
With a repertoire of over 100 concertos performed or recorded Martin works regularly with most UK orchestras, having especially close links with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Hallé, Manchester Camerata, Northern Chamber Orchestra and with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, where he has had over ninety performances. Martin has worked regularly with eminent conductors, including performances with Simon Rattle, Mark Elder and Christoph von Dohnányi.
One of Britain's most prolific recitalists, Martin has also performed regularly across Europe, the Far East, Australasia and South Africa. His chamber music partnerships include long-standing associations with Peter Donohoe, Tasmin Little and the Endellion and Maggini Quartets as well as more recent collaborations with such artists as Jennifer Pike, Ashley Wass, Matthew Trusler and the Vertavo Quartet. One of his most important chamber music collaborations has developed in recent years: the Cropper Welsh Roscoe Trio. Together the trio have performed many times across the UK, most notably with several series of concerts at London's newest venue, Kings Place.
Recent and future engagements include appearances with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Symphony Orchestra, as well as recital performances at the Bridgewater Hall, Musée d'Orsay and Wigmore Hall. Martin is also Artistic Director of Ribble Valley International Piano Week and Beverley Chamber Music Festival.
Having had over 500 broadcasts, including seven BBC Prom appearances, Martin is one of the most regularly played pianists on BBC Radio 3. Martin has also made many commercial recordings for labels such as Hyperion, Chandos and Naxos. He has recorded the complete piano music of Nielsen and Szymanowski, as well as four discs in the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series. Martin is in the process of recording the complete Beethoven piano sonatas for the Deux-Elles label. The first two discs have been released to unanimous critical acclaim. The Independent described the sonatas as being “all delivered with Roscoe's typically scrupulous attention to detail and emotional truth”. The second disc includes the Waldstein Sonata, and was proclaimed on BBC Radio 3 as “one of the truly great recordings of the Waldstein Sonata … perfect musical judgement and a formidable technique from Martin Roscoe”.
Teaching has always been an important part of Martin's life and the development of young talent helps him to constantly re-examine and re-evaluate his own playing. He is currently a Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music in London.
Martin lives with his family in the beautiful English Lake District with his wife and their two boys. Being in this wonderful place provides inspiration and relaxation, and also enables him to indulge his passions for the countryside and hill-walking.
