members
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David Appleton is pianocircus' longest serving member! It should be noted that not only is he the ensemble's Company Secretary, but also its Librarian - a role which compliments his personality marvellously! David has also arranged several works for pianocircus, most notably Conlon Nancarrow's Study No.5 and Study No.26. David works regularly with the pianist Kate Ryder, recently broadcasting a programme 'The Comfort of Angels' for BBC Radio Three, presenting 'Three Little Scandals' at the Barbican and touring Stockhausen's two piano epic ‘Mantra’. David is currently collaborating with several composers on a project for solo piano - Bartok: Subject and Reflection, which is due to be premiered in Spring 2009. |
Paul Cassidy studied at the Royal College of Music with Irina Zaritzkaya and
Andrew Ball, graduating in 2001 as recipient of the Hopkinson Silver Medal. Since graduation Paul has been active as
a freelance pianist and contemporary music specialist. He has twice reached the semi-finals of British Contemporary
Piano Competition, and has given numerous premieres of new works, including the world premiere of Kevin Malone's
Count Me In for piano and electronics at the University of Manchester. In 2007 Paul performed in the PLG Young Artists
Concert Series at the Purcell Room, London, and later that same year he participated alongside Michael Nyman and Gavin
Bryars in a complete performance of Erik Satie's epic Vexations at the Tate Modern, London. |
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Kate Halsall trained at the Royal College of Music, studying
with Kendall Taylor and Yonty Solomon. As well as her work with Piano Circus, she performs with duoDorT and Andrew
Poppy's Sustaining Ensemble. duoDorT released their first album Triple Point, of UK commissions earlier this year,
on the Squeaky Kate Label. She is producer for Music Orbit, which runs a live series for developing
artists at the start of their careers alongside leading players in contemporary and experimental music.
Kate has been Projects Officer at spnm and is a partner of Third Ear, a new production agency for touring
experimental work.
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After studying at Chetham's School of Music, Dawn Hardwick graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2006 with a Masters degree in Advanced Performance studying under Julian Jacobson. She has performed widely as an orchestral pianist with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Southbank Sinfonia plus many large-scale student performances including works such as Andriessen's 'De Staat' and Stravinsky's 'Petrushka'. Her solo performances include concerti with the Orchestra of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, the LPO Future Firsts Ensemble, the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra, RWCMD Wind Orchestra, and she is a regular soloist with Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra. Dawn mixes her performance work with private piano tuition in West London. |
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Semra Kurutaç studied piano with Russell Brandon at the University of Wales,
Cardiff and in July 2002 graduated with a Masters in Performance Studies. Semra has worked as a Repetiteur for the Welsh
National Youth Opera and alongside Cardiff based composer Charlie Barber. Her concerto appearances have included those
with the Cardiff University Orchestra, the Aldworth Philharmonic (Reading) and the Manchester Symphonia with whom, in
July 1997, she made her concerto debut at The Bridgewater Hall. Semra and fellow pianocircus
member Kate Halsall also perform regularly together as the piano duo, duoDorT. Semra teaches Piano at Bryanston School in Blandford, Dorset and at Millfield Senior School in Street, Somerset. |
James Young studied piano and composition at the
RCM with Yonty Solomon, John Barstow, Edwin Roxburgh and Kenneth Hesketh. He is half of
the Eaton-Young piano duo who, as PLG Young Artists, have performed at the Purcell Room,
NCH Dublin, St. Martin-in-the-fields, Wigmore Hall and live on BBC R3. He also works as
an actor-musician and MD in theatre and opera, at Grimeborn and Tête-à-Tête festivals and
for Charles Court Opera's acclaimed yearly pantomime. He is founder-curator of the Rosemary
Branch Festival, manager of the Warehouse Ensemble, a member of the London Breakbeat Orchestra
and his music has been performed by the Galliard, Amphion and Warehouse Ensembles, at all the
London conservatoires, Buxton Opera House and the Purcell Room. His newest commission, from
the Phoenix Piano Trio, will be performed in 2011. |
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