30 March 2024
Concert Programme
Haydn: Trio in G Major Hob XV 15
Louise Farrenc: Trio Op.45
Interval
Stacey Garrop: Silver Dagger
Lowell Liebermann: Trio No.1 Op.83
Louise Farrenc: Trio Op.45
Interval
Stacey Garrop: Silver Dagger
Lowell Liebermann: Trio No.1 Op.83
Enigma 14 Trio
An Englishman, a German and a Canadian form an ensemble together...sounds like the start of a joke. In addition to each of them having a fabulous sense of humour, Lisa Nelsen, Julian Metzger and Paul Turner are formidable musicians with a passion for chamber music and the repertoire that’s been composed for flute, cello and piano.
They have cemented a firm friendship, uniting their individual expertise and wide experience, discovering many gems for this combination of instruments. Throughout the months of the pandemic, the trio were incredibly fortunate to continue their work together: rehearsing in person where allowed every month, leading chamber classes online and giving concerts for organisations such as the Benslow Music Trust. They are very pleased to be performing in their eighth year together, bringing exposure for these delightful works written for this versatile ensemble to places like Lyddington, Market Harborough, Oakham, London, Swindon and Aberystwyth. More recently, and to their delight, Errollyn Wallen has happily agreed to write a piece for the ensemble which may be premiered later in 2024.
“...a lively and fresh creative approach and play with great authority as an ensemble” Peter Hewitt, Past Music Director at Benslow Music Trust
“...a magical quality in communicating with an audience: a freshness and directness that instantly endears them to their listeners.” Kenneth Hesketh, Composer and Professor at the Royal College of Music
They have cemented a firm friendship, uniting their individual expertise and wide experience, discovering many gems for this combination of instruments. Throughout the months of the pandemic, the trio were incredibly fortunate to continue their work together: rehearsing in person where allowed every month, leading chamber classes online and giving concerts for organisations such as the Benslow Music Trust. They are very pleased to be performing in their eighth year together, bringing exposure for these delightful works written for this versatile ensemble to places like Lyddington, Market Harborough, Oakham, London, Swindon and Aberystwyth. More recently, and to their delight, Errollyn Wallen has happily agreed to write a piece for the ensemble which may be premiered later in 2024.
“...a lively and fresh creative approach and play with great authority as an ensemble” Peter Hewitt, Past Music Director at Benslow Music Trust
“...a magical quality in communicating with an audience: a freshness and directness that instantly endears them to their listeners.” Kenneth Hesketh, Composer and Professor at the Royal College of Music
Lisa Nelsen - Flute
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Described by The Times - London as “...a flautist and a half...”, Lisa Nelsen is internationally recognised for her versatility on the flute as a soloist, chamber and orchestra member, as well as an educator, mentor and leader in galvanising groups of musicians to work together.
Facing the challenges as a musician, teacher and the Chair of the British Flute Society recently has meant adapting everything connected to her career in music. Lisa performed in monthly online concerts to raise awareness for charities, including The Benslow Music Trust and Artists and Residents concerts for care homes, with her chamber ensembles Aquilae Duo (with Eleanor Turner harp) and Enigma14 (with Julian Metzger cello and Paul Turner piano). She has given lectures and webinars on performance and motivational practice methods for both the British Flute Society and Yamaha Classical Division, as well as adjudicated for international online events and competitions such as Tampere Flute Festival and the E-Flute Festival. Lisa contributed to hashtag ‘100 Days of Practice’ on Instagram, finishing her third ‘series’ in April, as a means to improve her own consistency in her work and inspire onlookers to ‘have a go’. She has written blogs for the Swedish Flute Association and for the British Flute Society periodical Pan, revealing her own triumphs, troughs and plateaus throughout the months of isolation, and as the emergence of live concerts began again. She continues to make many venues a stage, and, having grown up on a pig farm in Western Canada, she takes her exposure to all sorts of musical genres to audiences and students to enable them to grow beyond their limits. From her London debut at the Purcell Room to playing premieres with Continuum Ensemble and BBC Radio 3, coaching the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, the National Youth Concert Band and the National Children’s Orchestra and teaching at Wells Cathedral School and Junior Guildhall School of Music, Lisa has had and continues to have a varied life as a musician. Lisa is an Artist for Yamaha Classical Division International and plays on a 14karat 900- series flute. |
Paul Turner - Piano
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“Just wonderful and so very uplifting. It calmed my busy day. A very special man who speaks with his hands!” (Sheila Harrod, Patron of the Old Town Festival)
Pianist Paul Turner is a widely experienced soloist and chamber music player renowned for his sensitive playing “...superbly partnered by Paul Turner’s sensitive and alert accompaniments...that sixth sense of timing which is the true accompanist’s particular gift” (Eastern Daily Press). He excels in a wide range of genres as demonstrated in recent events, which include: performances of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F; his National Theatre debut with Maria Ewing in a celebration for the life of Sir Peter Hall; the Ralph Vaughan Williams festival with Jack Liebeck and members of the Sacconi Quartet; Kings College Cambridge with Nicholas Daniel during Easter week; Ligeti ‘Hommage a Brahms’ with Martin Owen; recording with Miranda Dale for the Proust Society and a new collaboration with BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist, saxophonist Robert Burton. “For his part, Turner offered...intricate piano writing rendered with exemplary clarity and poise” (Richard Whitehouse). “Turner...impressed with a spectacular performance, demonstrating his astonishing abilities as an accompanist” (Surrey Advertiser) “A wise and sensitive pianist” (Gower Festival). “Thank you Paul for a truly wonderful concert! Your playing was amazing and beautiful, and it was a joy to be so close to it! I do hope we'll see you again soon!” (Lucy Hollins, conductor) |
Julian Metzger - Cello
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Cellist Julian Metzger has an exciting multifaceted career as a chamber musician, orchestral player, soloist and teacher. This career path can be traced back to his early childhood where he first developed his passion for cello playing and music making, followed by many years of study and single-minded dedication to his craft under the influence and guidance of his teachers Ioan Davies, Stefan Popov and Raphael Wallfisch, augmented by diverse masterclasses by David Strange, Steve Doan, Yfrah Neaman, Paul Roberts and Norbert Brainin.
Apart from regular appearances in the United Kingdom, concerts have taken him throughout Europe and the Far East where delighted audiences have often praised his technically and musically exciting interpretations. Drawing on a rare depth of emotions combined with a rich palate of sound colours, Julian has become a sought-after chamber musician collaborating with eminent performers such as oboist Christopher Redgate, flautist Lisa Nelsen, violist Robert Secret, violinists Charles Sewart and Giovanni Guzzo and pianists Marco Fatichenti and Paul Turner to name but a few. These collaborations have taken place on concert platforms worldwide and at festivals such as the Buckingham Summer Festival, Beaminster Festival, Malcolm Arnold Festival, Musicfest Aberystwyth and the International Casals Festival in El Vendrell. In 2018 Julian and his friend Marco Fatichenti ran their own festival, the Elysian Music Festival, for the first time. Concerto performances with conductors such as Alexander Walker, Robert Secret, Adrian Brown, Michael Rose, Anthony Weeden and Jacques Cohen have included virtually the entire standard concerto repertoire in addition to lesser known works by Tartini, Monn, Bridge, Kabalevsky, Miaskovsky and Shostakovich. Within the camaraderie of the orchestra Julian frequently enjoys concerts as principal and sub-principal cellist with orchestras such as the English Symphony Orchestra, the London Gala Orchestra, the Orchestra of Stowe Opera and Orchestra Pro Anima. Other orchestras he has worked with over the years have included the Northern Ballet, Brighton Philharmonic, Oxford Philharmonic, Oxford City Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and English String Orchestra. One important aspect of Julian’s development as a well-rounded musician has always been cello teaching and chamber music coaching, an activity that started as a teenager in his native Germany where he taught young and adult beginner students. In fact he believes that he has learned as much about cello playing from teaching as he has from practising and performing. He now teaches cello and coaches chamber music at the Purcell School, Kimbolton School, Warwick University and Bedford Girls’ School, in addition to teaching a small number of private students. For many years he has coached the cello section of the Bedfordshire County Youth Orchestra and he has given masterclasses at Wells Cathedral School, New College School, Oxford and for the Milton Keynes Music Service. Julian frequently tutors on chamber music courses at Benslow in Hitchin and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has inspired a number of his cello students to continue their studies at the Royal Northern College, Birmingham Conservatory, Leeds College and Canterbury University in order to become performers and teachers themselves. |
Enigma 14 Trio
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