Join renowned violinists and members of Navarra Quartet Marije and Magnus Johnston for an online concert from St Edmunds Church in Southwold. The evening begins with two sonatas for two violins by Leclair and Prokofiev followed by 2 movements from Telemann's Fantasia No 1 for solo violin. The concert continues with a work written for the couple by Ivan Moseley and continues with duets by Mozart, Williamson, Bartok and Kraggerud (aged 11). The evening finishes with Wieniawski's Etudes Caprice No 4.
Marije Johnston grew up in the Netherlands where she studied at the conservatoires of Utrecht and Amsterdam before coming to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester aged 19. She graduated with distinctions in her Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Professional Performance Diploma and was awarded the Gold Medal, the RNCM’s highest accolade. She also regularly appeared as a soloist with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra and National Youth String Orchestra of the Netherlands (which she led for many years).
Marije was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra for many years with whom she toured the world and had unforgettable experiences like playing Beethoven’s ninth symphony at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus Roman Theatre in Athens for an audience of 5000 people.
It was under the guidance of the late Dr. Christopher Rowland, director of chamber music at the RNCM, that she founded the Navarra Quartet and fell in love with chamber music. The Navarra Quartet went on to win numerous top prizes in major international quartet competitions such as the Florence, Melbourne and Banff competitions and won awards such as a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship, Midem Outstanding Artist of the Year award and the Kersjes Prize of 50.000 euros in the Netherlands.
In July 2020 their newly released CD ‘Love and Death’ received critical acclaim and was praised for its imaginative programming and emotional depth. They have toured extensively throughout Europe, Australia and the Far East, playing in wonderful venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Concertgebouw and Louvre.
The Quartet are the proud artistic directors of the Weesp Chamber Music Festival in Holland.
Marije is passionate about teaching children and taught at Chetham’s School of Music for many years. With the Navarra Quartet she was quartet in residence at the Royal Northern College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire and Repton School. She also gave educational workshops at concert halls such as the Wigmore Hall and at many state and private schools around the country and abroad.
Marije is in much demand as a chamber musician and is frequently invited to perform with ensembles such as the Aronowitz, Schubert and London Bridge Ensembles and Fibonacci Sequence.
Marije plays a F Cuypers kindly loaned to her by the Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds in the Netherlands.
Magnus Johnston is recognised as one of the most distinguished chamber musicians of his generation. A member of both the Navarra String Quartet and the Aronowitz Ensemble, Magnus has been a recipient of two Borletti-Buitoni Trust Awards and a place on BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists Scheme. Aside from his dedication to chamber music, Magnus has been in demand as Guest Leader and Principal of orchestras such as the Royal Opera House, Philharmonia, Britten Sinfonia, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Scottish and Australian Chamber Orchestras.
As a chorister of the choir of King's College Cambridge, Magnus toured extensively at a young age, going on to win a scholarship to Chetham's School of Music in Manchester and later the Royal Northern College of Music.
Magnus's passion for chamber music led to the birth of the Aronowitz Ensemble, a unique chamber group of string sextet and piano. The ensemble made their debut performance to a sold out St John's Smith Square in 2004, and have since enjoyed a busy touring schedule along with frequent live broadcasts and studio recordings for BBC Radio 3.
Magnus plays a Hieronymus II Amati violin (1693), made possible by the incredible support of his parents and many other investors. In his spare time Magnus loves nothing more than to escape into the countryside on his beloved bike! He ran the London Marathon twice for his brother Rupert to raise money for the Brain Injuries Rehabilitation Trust.