Cervo Chamber Music musicians 2012-2019 

Jamie Campbell  Violin
Laura Lutzke  Violin
Lonneke van Straalen  Violin
Carolyn Blackwell  Viola
Nicholas Bootiman  Viola
James Barralet  Violoncello
Karel Bredenhorst  Violoncello & Artistic Director
Simon Callaghan  Piano
Jonathan Stone  Violin

---

Jamie Campbell  Violin

Jamie was born in London. After reading Music at Clare College, Cambridge he continued his studies in Vienna, London and Madrid. He divides his time evenly between his work as Principal 2nd Violin of Aurora Orchestra, as a guest leader and principal of other orchestras, and as a chamber musician. In 2004 he founded the Solstice Quartet, in which he was 1st violin, and who played together until 2013. The quartet won the Royal Overseas League Ensemble Prize in 2009 and gave their debut at the Wigmore Hall debut in the same year.  He is now regularly invited to perform at chamber music festivals including Cervo- Italy, Whittington, ‘New Paths’- Beverley, Highgate and Aberystwyth.

Jamie has appeared as leader with the London Sinfonietta, City of London Sinfonia, English Chamber Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, The Dmitri Ensemble, Nevil Holt Opera and St Endellion Festival Orchestra.   Highlights of 2016 included BBC Proms performances with Aurora, with Cercle de l’Harmonie and with Multi-Story Orchestra, tours to Switzerland, France, Spain, and Germany and a return to Southwell Music Festival where he is Associate Artistic Director.

In July he premiered a new concerto ‘The Fallen Elm’ written for him by Graham Ross. He has also premiered works by composers including Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Sebastian Currier, Giles Swayne, Joseph Philbbs, Richard Blackford, Kim Ashton and John Metcalf. Jamie also performs on period instruments and this year toured with ‘Arcangelo’, ‘Solomon’s Knot’ and the French-based orchestra ‘Cercle de l’Harmonie’. Jamie plays a violin made by Stefan-Peter Greiner.
<- Go back

Laura Lutzke  Violin

Violinist Laura Lutzke enjoys a musically versatile career, with a passion for solo playing, chamber music and new ways of making music. Born and raised in New York, she served as Concertmaster of the New York Youth Symphony from 2004 to 2007. Her playing has been described as "liquid, radiant and shimmering, with beautifully played solo lines" by "The New York Times". 

As an avid chamber musician, Laura was one of the "Rising Stars" at the Caramoor International Music Festival, collaborating with artists such as Atar Arad, Pamela Frank and Arnold Steinhardt. She is a current member of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) in New York City, performing regularly in venues such as Le Poisson Rouge and Galapagos Art Space. Having regularly attended the Open Chamber Music Seminar at Prussia Cove in Cornwall, UK since 2006, she was chosen to participate in their 2010 Autumn Tour, ending with a performance at the Wigmore Hall in London. 

Laura earned a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Lewis Kaplan, and she has most recently completed a second postgraduate degree in Violin Performance with David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Laura performs on an 1822 violin made by Pierre Pacherele, on a generous loan from The Christophe Landon Rare Violins Collection.
<- Go back

Lonneke van Straalen  Violin

Dutch violinist Lonneke van Straalen performs regularly as a chambermusician during music festivals in Europe. Since 2013 she is an active member of Splendor, a new concert hall and creative pool of professional musicians in Amsterdam. Lonneke is a passionate orchestra player and is frequently invited by Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Dutch Philharmonic, the Dutch Chamber Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Lonneke is founder and artistic director of the Amersfoort chamber music festival: Amerfortissimo. Aside from playing the violin, Lonneke writes, directs and performs in her own music theatre productions for children.
<- Go back

Carolyn Blackwell  Viola

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Carolyn Blackwell has shared the stage with Geoff Nuttall, Anssi Karttnen, Martin Beaver, Alicia Weilerstein, Renaud Capuçon and Mayumi Seiler. She has been featured with the Art of Time Ensemble, Via Salzburg Chamber Orchestra and the Artists of The Royal Conservatory (ARC) and is featured on the group’s recording “Two Roads to Exile” from the RCA Sony Red Label. 

Carolyn performs regularly with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company where she was the youngest instrumentalist invited by Richard Bradshaw to participate in the inaugural Wagner Ring Cycle at the Four Season’s Centre. Carolyn completed her studies under the tutelage of Steven Dann and Nick Pulos. A great lover of chamber music, Ms. Blackwell has performed as acting violist of The Aviv Quartet, collaborated with the Vienna Piano Trio and was recently invited to trial with the Australian String Quartet. 

Carolyn has been a principal of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra in Verbier, Switzerland and participates in the IMS Prussia Cove Seminars in Cornwall, England. Ms. Blackwell made her American debut at the 2011 Spoleto Festival to much critical acclaim and made her Wigmore Hall debut in October of 2012. 
<- Go back

Nicholas Bootiman  Viola

Born in 1980 near Munich, Germany, Nicholas Bootiman began learning piano and violin at an early age. After attending the Purcell School he continued studies at the Royal College of Music, Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, and New England Conservatory in Boston, USA. His teachers were Kim Kashkashian, Milan Skampa, Ian Jewel, and Andriy Viytovich.

As an orchestral musician Nicholas has worked with all major symphony orchestras in London as well as orchestras nationwide. He has been guest principal viola with the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.Also an award winning composer, Nicholas was composer-in-residence at the Festival du Larzac in France for the summer 2008. He is Founder and Joint Artistic Director of the Bedford Chamber Music Festival. Since June 2008 he has been a member of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
<- Go back

James Barralet  Violoncello

When not engulfed in music, James can be found riding his electric bike around London or climbing in the alps. In his busy life as a musician, James has given recitals at many of the UK's major concert halls and festivals, and as a chamber musician at festivals throughout the world including the Zeitkunst Festival in Berlin and Rio, Graz Festival, Saronic Festival in Greece, Cervo Chamber Music, Whittington Festival (of which he is artistic director), and the Mecklenberg Festival.

He has recently recorded his second CD - a double volume disc of Brahms cello and piano music with Simon Callaghan, including his own arrangements of Brahms's Hungarian Dances.

With Wigmore Hall's Ignite Ensemble and Music For Life, James helps to give workshops for children with special needs and for dementia sufferers. This can be challenging and emotional work, but often hugely rewarding, and it has become a very important part of his life.

Since 2006, James has devoted much time to arranging and composition, and now has an extensive collection, mainly for cello ensembles. His music has been performed at important festivals all over the world. James's love for Indian music and free improvisation have led to many concerts with Indian musicians, and finding ways for western and Indian music to co-exist. James is also a passionate cello teacher and regularly teaches and gives masterclasses.
<- Go back

Karel Bredenhorst  Violoncello & Artistic Director

Karel Bredenhorst, a true veteran attendee of Accademia di Cervo, studied in Holland with Monique Bartels and with Paul Uyterlinde. In 2003 Karel came to Cervo for the first time and met his future mentor and friend Troels Svane, with whom he continued his studies at the Musikhochschule Lübeck in Germany. There he graduated from the soloist class with distinction and the highest grade in all subjects. 

In addition Karel was intensively coached by Gustav Rivinius, Gary Hoffman, Ralph Kirshbaum, Steven Isserlis, Miklos Perenyi, Anner Bylsma and David Geringas. 

As a recitalist and chambermusician Karel performed at the Cellofestival Dordrecht, the Amsterdam Cellobiënnale, the Dordrecht Cellofestival, the Orlando Festival, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana Siena, the Styrian Chamber Music festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and of course the Accademia di Cervo. In these festivals Karel worked together with musicians such as Midori, Gustav Rivinius, David Geringas, Jean Sulem, Ulf Hoelscher, Paul Rosenthal, Li-Wei Qin, Erich Oskar Huetter and Ian Fountain.

With his former string quartet "En-Accord", Karel won several prizes and was coached by quartet musicians such as Sandor Devich (Bartók Quartet), Milan Skampa (Smetana Quartet), Martin Lovett (Amadeus Quartet), Ferdinand Erblich (Parkanyi Quartet), Earl Carlyss (Juilliuard Quartet), Tim Vogler (Vogler Quartet), Alain Meunier (Conservatoire de Paris), Thomas Brandis (Brandis Quartet), Hugh Maguire (Allegri Quartet) and Valentin Berlinsky (Borodin Quartet).

Karel is a member and founder of Cuarteto Soltango,  and plays regularly with Cello8ctet Amsterdam.
<- Go back

Simon Callaghan  Piano

Steinway Artist Simon Callaghan’s recent schedule has included appearances at Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Symphony Hall, Philharmonic Hall, and St David’s Hall. His engagements have taken him all over the UK, throughout Europe and to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. He has also broadcast on BBC Radio 3, ITV and BBC Television. In September 2013 he took up the Anthony Saltmarsh Junior Fellowship at the Royal College of Music.

Simon Callaghan’s collaboration with SOMM Recordings began in 2012 with two volumes of Delius Orchestral Music in arrangements for two pianos, with Hiroaki Takenouchi. Receiving great critical acclaim, the BBC Music Magazine commented that “Simon Callaghan and Hiroaki Takenouchi… play with such love, panache and exact sychronisation.” Simon’s burgeoning relationship with SOMM has led to two further volumes of Brahms chamber music with award-winning cellist James Barralet.

Callaghan’s busy performing schedule has included two residencies at the Banff Centre (Canada), performances of Michael Tippett’s Piano Concerto and the Third Concerto of Nikolay Medtner (the first in the UK since 1946). He has also collaborated with Prunella Scales, Ilona Domnich, Timothy West, Jack Liebeck, Thomas Gould, Raphael Wallfisch and the Maggini, Sacconi, Carducci and Coull Quartets in a broad range of repertoire. Simon is a founder member of the Werther Ensemble, brought together at the inaugural Whittington International Chamber Music Festival. Together with pianist Hiroaki Takenouchi, Simon is also part of the Parnassius Piano Duo, which has a particular interest in championing lesser-known English works, particularly those of Parry and Sterndale Bennett.

As a teacher, Simon is Head of Piano of the Ingenium Music Academy (Winchester), a member of the faculty at Harrow School, and has given masterclasses around the world, most recently in Malaysia and Thailand. He is also Artistic Director of the renowned Conway Hall Sunday Concerts (London), the longest-running chamber music series in Europe.
<- Go back

Johnathan Stone Violin

Jonathan Stone is a member of the Doric String Quartet, with whom he regularly performs at major festivals and venues throughout the UK and abroad. In 2008 they won 1st prize in the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, 2nd prize in the Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy, where they also received a special mention for their performance of Haydn, and the Ensemble Prize in the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Jonathan is also the violinist of the Phoenix Piano Trio, with Sholto Kynoch and cellist Marie Macleod. He is Co-Artistic Director of the Bedford Chamber Music Festival and is a committed teacher, frequently giving master classes around Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
<- Go back

Ruth Nelson Violin/Viola 

Ruth Nelson was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1990 and studied at the City of Belfast School of Music until the age of 18. Whilst living in Northern Ireland, Ruth led the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra and played in both the Ulster Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Ireland.

Ruth read Music at the University of Bristol and graduated with first class honours in 2013. Whilst studying, she led all of the major university ensembles and won the University concerto competition to appear as a soloist with the University of Bristol chamber orchestra. She was awarded the performance prize on graduating for achieving the highest final recital mark.

Recent highlights have included playing with the Dmitri Ensemble, Bristol Ensemble, St. Endellion Festival Orchestra, Orion Orchestra and playing viola on a tour of the Middle East with the Choir of London. In addition, Ruth is the leader of the newly formed London Graduate Orchestra. This summer, Ruth is looking forward to performing at Musicfest Aberystwyth and Southwell Festival. Ruth currently studies with Stephanie Gonley.
<- Go back

Merel Junge Violin

Merel Junge studied with Coosje Wijzenbeek and Vera Beths and graduated her Bachelor (2005) and Master (cum laude 2007) diploma at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Holland.

In 2001 Merel won the Davina van Wely competition and as a soloist performed concertos by Max Bruch, Mendelssohn, “The lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams, and the Kurt Weill concerto for violin and wind ensemble. After her Masters she went abroad to play in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and in La Verdi in Milan, Italy. Currently she is frequently playing in orchestras and ensembles in Holland. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, The Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Asko Shönberg ensemble and the Le Cercle de l’Harmonie in Paris.

<- Go back

Bogdan Božović Violin 

Bogdan Božović was born in 1985 in Belgrade, where he had his first lessons in violin and piano at the age of six. He continued his violin studies with Vesna Stanković in Belgrade, Klara Flieder in Salzburg, and Rainer Schmidt at the Music Academy in Basel, where he received his master’s degree with distinction. In the course of his studies he discovered his love of chamber music, leading to engagements at numerous European festivals, such as Prussia Cove (England), where he has appeared annually since 2008, including the Open Chamber Music Tour in 2011; Chamber Music Connects the World (Germany); and the Diabelli Summer (Austria). 

Bogdan has received important artistic input from collaborating with chamber music partners such as Lukas Hagen, Steven Isserlis, and Christian Tetzlaff, and from master classes with Ferenc Rados, Pamela Frank, and Igor Ozim. An enthusiastic interpreter of contemporary music, he has also worked with composers such as Heinz Holliger and Georg Friedrich Haas. 

He has played with Ensemble Phoenix and Camerata Variabile, both of Basel, and with OENM (the Austrian Ensemble for Contemporary Music) in Salzburg. He appeared as concertmaster of Basel’s Ensemble Diagonal at the Lucerne Festival in 2011 and has also taken part in the Klangspuren (Austria) and Zeitkunst (Berlin and Paris) festivals. He has been a member of the Leondari Ensemble since its founding in 2011. With the 2012-13 season, Bogdan Božović became the violinist of the Vienna Piano Trio.
<- Go back

Alma-Sophie Starke Violoncello 

Alma-Sophie Starke was born 1986 in Hannover/Germany and started playing the Violoncello at the age of five. From 2002 to 2009 she studied with Troels Svane at the Musikhochschule in Lübeck. Since 2009 Alma-Sophie has studied with Reinhard Latzko at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and recently finished her diploma with top marks. 

She is now based in Berlin and is mentored by Peter Bruns. She attended master classes given by Jens Peter Maintz, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Peter Hörr, Michael Sanderling, Gustav Rivinius, Heinrich Schiff and Walter Levin. As a soloist and as a chamber musician with her string quartet, she has won numerous first prizes and special prizes at the national youth competition Jugend musiziert. 

She was also awarded the Mayor of Hamburg’s Special Prize for Outstanding Performance and she is laureate of the 16th Competition of the German Music Instrument Fund in 2008. Alma-Sophie has appeared in numerous radio broadcasts on North German Radio (NDR) and has given chamber music and solo concerts in Germany an abroad (including performances at the Musikverein Vienna, the Radialsystem Berlin and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg). She has performed as a soloist with the Orchestra of the Musikhochschule Lübeck, the Hamburger Orchestergemeinschaft and the Orchestra of the International Summer Academy Cervo. 

As a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Germany she has given concerts under renowned conductors in Germany and abroad. She was academist at the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Hamburg and plays regulary at the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Munich and the Kammerakademie Potsdam. 

Alma-Sophie has been supported at various times by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben (German Music Foundation) and the Marie-Luise Imbusch-Foundation. She has also been a scholarship holder of the Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz, giving her the opportunity to have performed chamber music with the likes of Patrick Demenga, Hariolf Schlichtig, Martin Ostertag, Ulf Rodenhäuser, Bernd Glemser and Tanja Becker-Bender. She plays a Violoncello built by Ricardo Antoniazzi generously loaned to her by the Oscar und Vera Ritter-Foundation.
<- Go back

Florian Peelman Viola 

Florian has played the violin since the age of five, and after absorbing the sound of gamelan in Indonesia, started formal training in Helsinki. At the age of 14 he continued his studies at Chethams School of Music in Manchester. Returning to his Belgian roots at the age of 18, he enrolled at the Antwerp Conservatorium and switched to the viola. He completed his Masters under Walter Küssner at the world leading 'Hans Eisler' Hochschule für Musik Berlin achieving the highest distinction and has since continued to work there as Assistant Professor. 

As a soloist he has performed the Kancheli concerto, the Mozart and Bruch double concertos and most recently, Pierre Charvet’s ‘And death’. During his time in Belgium he toured with the Production ‘Wanja’ fusing the roles of Musician, Actor and Puppeteer. The groundbreaking production for young children won the 2009 'Jungen Ohren Preis' for Best Children's Music Theatre.  

As a dedicated chamber musician, he has been a member of the Arsis4 Quartet, the Boccherini String Trio, alumni of the Chapelle Musical “Reine Elizabeth” and the European Chamber Music Academy Performing across Europe Canada and Australia.  

During the last few years he has been Principal Viola of the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, Principal Viola of the Gürzenich Orchester Köln, a regular guest with the Berliner Philharmoniker and a guest principle with the Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Staatsoper, the Northern Sinfonia and the Australian Chamber Orchestra amongst others.
<- Go back

Esther Torrenga Violoncello 

Esther Torrenga studied with Monique Bartels and Michel Strauss at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and in Paris at the Conservatoire National de Région Boulogne-Billancourt, finishing her studies in both institutions with top marks. Esther is a member of Cello8ctet Amsterdam and enjoys playing chamber music in different ensembles. As a soloist she performed the cello concertos of Saint-Saëns and Dvorak , the Rococo Variations of Tschaikovsky and the Brahms Double Concerto. She is also an enthusiastic orchestra player, she was a member of the Orchestre Ostinato in Paris and is a regular substitute in the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. As a student Esther attended the International Summer Academy Cervo in 2004 and 2005, she is very excited to be back in this beautiful town after all those years.
<- Go back

Nocole Fiselier Soprano 

Soprano Nicole Fiselier studied at Codarts University of Music under tuition of Roberta Alexander. At the moment she’s being coached by Ira Siff. As much as she loves singing, her first love was the violin, starting lessons at the age of four. Nicole still feels very much at home working with ensembles and orchestras and is enjoying the mixture of opera, oratorio and lied projects that she’s invited for.

 She worked as a soloist in opera at Nederlandse Reis and Holland Opera. As a choir member she’s part of Rotterdam Symphony Chorus, De Nederlandse Opera and Groot OmroepKoor (National Radio Choir). This summer she’ll be performing a role in an arranged and translated version of the opera ‘Il mondo alla rovescia’ by Salieri with Opera Nijetrijne and she’ll be performing in Belgium and Japan the opera ‘Il Canterina’ with La Petite Bande. 
<- Go back

Annerien Stuker Violin 

Annerien Stuker started playing the violin at the age of 6 and started her studies at age 17 at the  Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen with with Sonja van Beek. After her bachelor’s degree in 2010 she continued her studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels With Phillipe Graffin. In 2013 she graduated her master’s degree with distinction.

Annerien is a much requested freelance orchestra player. For four years she was a fixed member of the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, while playing as a replacement in many other ensembles. At the moment she works as a freelancer with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the Ballet Orchestra in Amsterdam and the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague. In addition Annerien loves to make chamber music, plays in a string quartet and performs with many other chamber music groups.. Annerien plays a Grancino violin, on loan from the the Dutch National Music Instruments Foundation.
<- Go back

Katya Woloshyn Viola 

Katya Woloshyn began her musical education on the piano at the age of two, and began the viola at the age of five. Inspired by her older brother who was involved in the world of Canadian fiddle music, she also started playing fiddle (violin) at the age of eight.

She has studied viola performance at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto (Performance Diploma), the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (B.Mus), and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in Amsterdam (M.Mus). Currently a freelance violist based in the Netherlands, in addition to playing as principal violist of The String Soloists and Sinfonia Rotterdam she performs regularly with a wide range of ensembles including the Dutch String Collective, the Gelders Orkest, and the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest.  
<- Go back

Hannah Dawson Violin 

Hannah was very fortunate to be born into a house full of music. At that time, her mother was a violinist in the LPO, and her father an opera singer. Her passion for playing music with others was ignited by violin duets with her mother, and later on by becoming a member of a chamber orchestra ‘National Isis String Academy’, and the Kent County Youth Orchestra where she met Ben and Robin

She started violin lessons with Howard Davis at the age of 14. He was a very inspirational teacher, and encouraged her to be less inhibited and to really communicate with her playing. She then studied with Ani Schnarch at the Royal College of Music, and it was there that she joined the Sacconi Quartet in her 2nd year

Outside quartet, other musical pursuits include; John Wilson Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra. Hannah had a violin study guide published by Sanctuary in 1995. Recently she travelled to Mumbai on behalf of the charity ‘Songbound’, and helped choir leaders prepare their children’s choirs for Christmas concerts. She hopes to return someday with the quartet. 

Hannah loves going to Prussia Cove, Cornwall and taking part in the International Musicians Seminar and playing chamber music with musicians from around the world.

She adores living in South East London in a big house full of lovely friends.
<- Go back

Kasten Kleijer  Viola

Karsten Kleijer had his first violin lessons at the age of five and switched to viola in 1999. He is co-founder of the Matangi Quartet, which has had a lively international career since its inception. His own training took place at the conservatoires in Groningen, Rotterdam, The Hague, and with the Dutch String Quartet Academy.
<- Go back

Hadewijch Hofland  Violin

Dutch violinist Lonneke van Straalen performs regularly as a chambermusician during music festivals in Europe. Since 2013 she is an active member of Splendor, a new concert hall and creative pool of professional musicians in Amsterdam. Lonneke is a passionate orchestra player and is frequently invited by Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Dutch Philharmonic, the Dutch Chamber Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

<- Go back

Arno Stoffelsma  Clarinet

Arno Stoffelsma started playing the clarinet at the age of seven. He graduated cum laude from the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2007. After working for 14 years with the Arnhem Philharmonic, Arno has been principal clarinetist with the Residentie Orkest in The Hague since 2020. Apart from being a musician, Arno also holds a law degree and practices law.
<- Go back

Nanna Ikutomi Sørli  Viola

Nanna completed her master's degree at the Norwegian Academy of Music and is an active chamber musician. Next to her job at the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra she is a permanent member of Ensemble Allegria and performs at chamber music festivals such as the Risør Chamber Music Festival, Oslo Quartet series, Trondheim Chamber Music Festival and Pacific Music Festival in Japan.
<- Go back