LMP Play Bach’s Brandenburgs

biographies

Michael Cox
flute

Michael Cox is one of Britain’s foremost flute-players. Although born in England he spent his childhood in Africa. He studied music at the Zimbabwe College of Music and then the Royal College of Music in London. Early competitive successes led directly to a solo career that has included concerts and recordings in all continents and performances with major orchestras and conductors.

As a chamber musician he has performed with many well known British quartets, quintets and ensembles (and worked alongside musicians of the ilk of James Galway and Murray Perahia) as well as being a member, at various times, of the Haffner and Albion wind ensembles, London Symphony Chamber Players and London Sinfonietta.

An interest in a wider repertoire led to a concurrent orchestral career, first as co-principal with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and then as principal flute of the London Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Britten Sinfonia. He now holds what he considers an ideal portfolio of tenures combining the principal flute chairs of a symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra and a contemporary music ensemble – namely the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of St Martin’s in the Fields and the London Sinfonietta. Through this work he has worked with a great raft of the world’s greatest conductors and soloists. Also, his particular interest in contemporary music has meant that he has also worked, often closely, with composers such as Messiaen, Takemitsu, Dutilleux, Berio, Boulez, Tippett, Birtwistle, Stockhausen, Henze, Adams, Carter, Penderecki, Lutosławski.

A passionate and highly dedicated teacher Michael Cox is professor of flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London and is sought after as a visiting consultant and by students worldwide.

Gareth Hulse
oboe

Gareth Hulse

After reading music at Cambridge, Gareth Hulse studied with Janet Craxton at the Royal Academy of Music, and with Heinz Holliger at the Freiburg Hochschule fur MusikOn his return to England he was appointed principal oboe with the Northern Sinfonia, a position he has since held with English National Opera and the London Philharmonic. As well as with the London Mozart Players he is principal oboe with the London Sinfonietta, and with them has performed concertos by some of the world’s leading composers, such as Berio, Ligeti, Penderecki and Carter. Gareth is also a founder member of London Winds, with whom he recorded the award winning discs of the complete wind music of Richard Strauss, and the wind serenades of Mozart. He has been a member of the Nash Ensemble for many years, and with them has played in many countries both the classical repertoire and contemporary chamber music. Gareth Hulse teaches at the Royal College of Music, and is now principal oboist of the BBC Concert Orchestra. 

Simon Blendis
leader

Simon Blendis enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestra leader. He was a member of the Schubert Ensemble for twenty-three years, with whom he has performed in over thirty different countries, recorded over twenty CDs, made frequent broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and appeared regularly at Europe’s major venues. 

In 2014 Simon was appointed leader of the London Mozart Players, and since 1999 has been one of the leaders of Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan, with whom he has recorded Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for the Warner label. He is also in demand as a guest-leader and guest-director and has appeared in this role with most of the UK’s major orchestras. As a soloist he has made recent appearances with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. 

Simon is a keen exponent of new music. He has given over 50 first performances and has had new works written for him by, amongst others, John Woolrich, Tansy Davies and jazz legend Dave Brubeck.  

Simon is increasingly sought after as a teacher and is Professor of Violin at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

David Blackadder
trumpet

David took up the trumpet aged nine following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a bandmaster in the North East. He joined the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and went on to study at the Royal College of Music with Michael Laird.

After a season as guest principal trumpet with Scottish Opera he joined the English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique as principal trumpet under Sir John Eliot Gardiner and also became principal trumpet with the Academy of Ancient Music with Christopher Hogwood.

During this time he performed extensively at major concert venues throughout the world and took part in numerous recordings for CD, radio, TV and video.

In 1993 he formed the groundbreaking group Blackadder Brass which quickly became the resident educational ensemble at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, playing to over 40,000 children in its first three years. He is also a professor at Birmingham Conservatoire.

David is also principal trumpet with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and is renowned as a soloist having performed and recorded many of the great trumpet masterpieces with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Roger Norrington, Franz Brüggen, Vladimir Jurowski and Stephen Cleobury. He has performed the Haydn Trumpet Concerto to great acclaim at major venues across Europe including at the Edinburgh festival, Kings College Chapel and the Esterhazy Palace in Hungary.

His recordings of Handel arias with singers such as Reneé Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa and Elin Manahan -Thomas have received particular critical acclaim and he has also recorded the second Brandenburg Concerto three times, most notably with Trevor Pinnock, in a recording that received the best Baroque instrumental award at the 2008 Gramophone Awards.

David Wight
harpsichord

David took up the trumpet aged nine following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a bandmaster in the North East. He joined the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and went on to study at the Royal College of Music with Michael Laird.

After a season as guest principal trumpet with Scottish Opera he joined the English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique as principal trumpet under Sir John Eliot Gardiner and also became principal trumpet with the Academy of Ancient Music with Christopher Hogwood.

During this time he performed extensively at major concert venues throughout the world and took part in numerous recordings for CD, radio, TV and video.

In 1993 he formed the groundbreaking group Blackadder Brass which quickly became the resident educational ensemble at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, playing to over 40,000 children in its first three years. He is also a professor at Birmingham Conservatoire.

David is also principal trumpet with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and is renowned as a soloist having performed and recorded many of the great trumpet masterpieces with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Roger Norrington, Franz Brüggen, Vladimir Jurowski and Stephen Cleobury. He has performed the Haydn Trumpet Concerto to great acclaim at major venues across Europe including at the Edinburgh festival, Kings College Chapel and the Esterhazy Palace in Hungary.

His recordings of Handel arias with singers such as Reneé Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa and Elin Manahan -Thomas have received particular critical acclaim and he has also recorded the second Brandenburg Concerto three times, most notably with Trevor Pinnock, in a recording that received the best Baroque instrumental award at the 2008 Gramophone Awards.