Amongst a season's programme of top touring musicians and groups, there are three concerts featuring North West musicians who easily hold their own in any company. The first of these is the Stonebridge String Quartet, all professionally trained and highly respected for their playing abilities.
Leader, Roland Fudge was born in Bristol in 1947, firstly receiving his BMus with Theology at Bristol University in 1968, then becoming Associate of the Royal College of Music in 1971. He led the Sartori S Q, firstly based on London, then becoming Quartet in Residence at Sussex University, then Lancaster University. When the Sartori Quartet was dissolved, Roland stayed in the North-west, teaching. In the mid-1990's he decided to devote his time to composing, now having written "all kinds of music" from large-scale orchestral works to solo violin meditations on hymn tunes. Roland lives at Austwick, in the western Yorkshire Dales.
Second violin, Jane Cull, learnt to play the violin while living in America and later studied at the Royal College of Music, Junior Department. After winning a number of prizes with her violin playing, she joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and while she was at Newham College led the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra, becoming a Chamber Music Instrumental Award Holder, coached by the Endellion String Quartet. Astonishingly, Jane proved herself a polymath, as at the same time studying and graduated in Engineering.
Alison Calderbank (viola) turned professional after completing a post-graduate Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music. She plays reguarly with the Hallé, notably on one occasion at the Royal Albert Hall Proms under Mark Elder. Also, on their recent live Elgar "The apostles" CD". She also freelances with the Manchester Camerata and plays lead viola with the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra. Another polymath, she trained as an accountant with Price Waterhouse Coopers, becoming fully qualified. She now runs her own accountancy business and combines this with her music!
Not to be outdone by the ladies, Robert Buller graduated with the cello at the Royal Northern College of Music, but is also an IT consultant. Bob can turn his hand to any kind of music from chamber music, orchestral, through bluegrass to pop - and has appeared on a number of recordings. He has a very busy professional music career and is in great demand as a soloist and chamber music player all over the North West and beyond. Bob could not be more 'local', living in Clitheroe.