Sunday, March 1

Stile Antico

BIOGRAPHIES

Stile Antico is an ensemble of young British singers, now established as one of the most original and exciting new voices in its field.,
Working without a conductor, the members of Stile Antico rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing artistically to the musical result.
Their repertoire ranges from the glorious legacy of the English Tudor composers to the works of the Flemish and Spanish schools and the music of the early Baroque. They are passionate about the need to communicate with their audiences, combining thoughtful programming with direct, expressive performances

Performances
Stile Antico has appeared throughout the UK, including the York, City of London and Stour Festivals; the group has broadcast several times on BBC Radio 3, and led courses at the 2007 Dartington International Summer School. During 2007 they toured Europe with Sting as part of his Dowland lute song project, Songs from the Labyrinth, a collaboration they repeated in the Far East in December 2008. Notable Future engagements include debuts at the Bruges, Utrecht and Boston Early Music Festivals.

Recordings and awards
the group is much in demand in concert and records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi. Their debut disc Music for Compline drew superlative reviews, winning the Diapason d’Or de l'année, the Choc du Monde de la Musique, and attracting a nomination for the 50th GRAMMY awards. Their second release Heavenly Harmonies has received the Preis der deustchen Schallplattenkritik and the Diapason d’Or.
The group's third disc, Song of Songs, will be released early in 2009
Prizewinners at the 2005 Early Music Network International Young Artists’ Competition

Activities
They are committed to developing their educational work, for which they have received generous funding from the National Lottery through the Arts Council England.

Sopranos

Helen Ashby sings with a variety of ensembles in the UK including Oxford Camerata, the Brabant Ensemble and Philharmonia Voices. She is a member of the choir of St Bartholomew the Great, London, and appears frequently on television and film sound tracks, including The Golden Compass and the recent Vicar of Dibley Christmas special. She studies with Sue Waters.

Kate Ashby appears regularly with many professional groups, including the Brabant Ensemble, the Oxford Camerata and La Grande Chapelle, both in concert and on recordings. She is a member of the choir of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, and in addition to performing, maintains a busy schedule of singing teaching.

Rebecca Hickey enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and with some of Britain’s leading ensembles such as The Sixteen, Tonus Peregrinus, Philharmonia Voices and Chapelle du Roi. She features as a soloist on the Naxos discs, Arvo Pärt Passio and Léonin, Pérotin: Sacred Music from Notre-Dame Cathedral. She recently recorded a disc of Shakespearean lute-songs for solo tenor and soprano for Naxos.

Altos

Emma Ashby sings regularly with various ensembles in the UK, including the Brabant ensemble and Oxford Camerata. She graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2007 since when she has been teaching singing and cello both privately and for the Oxfordshire County Music Service. She also teaches at Cothill House School.

Eleanor Harries is a former Choral Exhibitioner at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she studied mathematics. She has appeared with many ensembles, including Cambridge Medieval Music Group and Cambridge Taverner Choir. Solo performances include Second Witch Dido and Aeneas, Biber's Vespers and Brahms' Liebeslieder-Walzer. She has a particular interest in the vocal and instrumental music of the early Baroque. Eleanor studies with Carys Lane.

Carris Jones is a postgraduate on the vocal studies course at the Royal Academy of Music. She has appeared regularly in recital in London and Cambridge, participated in masterclasses with Robin Bowman, Patricia McMahon and Sally Burgess, and made her operatic debut as Auntie Peter Grimes. She sings with the Gabrieli Consort, and has worked as a chorus member under Daniel Harding. She studies with Jane Highfield.

Tenors

Peter Asprey is musical Director of The Music Makers and the UBS Choral Society and joint Director of the Berkshire Youth Choir. He works as a Chorus Master, most recently with the London Symphony Chorus for Michael Tilson Thomas and with the Brighton Festival Chorus for Sir Andrew Davies. He is also a regular guest conductor for the Whitehall Choir. He teaches singing at Eton College.

Andrew Griffiths works chiefly as a conductor and répétiteur. He spent two years as a Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, and has worked at Scottish Opera, Opera North, Opera Theatre Company, Early Opera Company, Batignano and Iford. He is also a former Principal Viola of the National Youth Orchestra, and has appeared as a tenor soloist with the Britten Sinfonia.

Benedict Hymas is soon to graduate from King's College London where he combines his studies in music with professional consort and solo work. Recent engagements include the solo tenor role in Bach's Magnificat at the Cadogan Hall and concerts with Polyphony. He is also passionate about the piano and intends to devote more time to it after university as well as continuing to take on more vocal work

Basses

Will Dawes is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where he studied choral conducting and singing with Patrick Russill and David Lowe. He has conducted national premieres of works by Pärt, Penderecki, Rautavaara and Whitacre and has sung with groups ranging from the Dunedin Consort to the BBC Singers. He is now a Lay Clerk at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and studies with Giles Underwood.
Oliver Hunt got a musical degree at Trinity College, Cambridge and studied at the GSMD with Susan McCulloch, gaining a distinction in his MMus degree. He appears regularly in recital, oratorio and opera, and has participated in masterclasses with John Tomlinson, Malcolm Martineau, and Roger Vignoles. He enjoys taking his work home to such an extent that he and Carris Jones are now married.

Matthew O'Donovan holds music degrees from Oxford University and Kings College London. He teaches Academic Music and is Director of Lower Chapel Music at Eton College. Aside from teaching and singing, he is in demand as a choir trainer, arranger and writer about music. He is a Christian, with a particular interest in the link between music and theology.