Rowena Calvert, Artistic Director of the Hertford International Concert Series and former cellist of the Cavaleri String Quartet currently leads an enormously varied and enjoyable career as a soloist and chamber musician.
Rowena's wealth of chamber music experience with the Cavaleri String Quartet has included first prize at the 2012 Hamburg International Chamber Music Competition, second prize at the 2014 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition and the ‘Special Prize’ at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition.
The quartet were also winners of the 2011 Royal Over-Seas League Ensemble Competition in London, resulting in concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room, along with frequent broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. The quartet went on to tour extensively in South America, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Europe giving live radio broadcasts in each country. Rowena left the quartet in 2015, having recorded CDs under the Champs Hill label and Fonteney Classics, each met with great critical acclaim.
As a soloist, Rowena has performed in the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall and Queens Hall, as well as making appearances at both the Manchester and Kronberg Cello Festivals. 2018 engagements include performances of the Saint Saens, Vivaldi and Elgar Cello Concertos as well as the Brahms Double Concerto with her husband, Rhys Watkins.Rowena has recently enjoyed touring as part of the band for Hans Zimmer and also Nigel Kennedy.Rowena currently plays on an 1824 cello by Bernard Simon Fendt, kindly on loan to her by Nicolas Roberts.
Free recital (retiring collection)