Nicky Spence

Nicky Spence (tenor)

Nicky Spence, who hails from Dumfries has been described as 'an outstanding musical personality', and already has had considerable experience on both the operatic and dramatic stage (including Batignano, Salzburg Festival, Shakespeare's Globe&), in oratorio and recital. On leaving school, Nicky took up a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where, as a Solti Scholar, he studied under the tutelage of Ryland Davies and Rudolf Piernay.

His awards have included the Kathleen Ferrier Young Singers Bursary Award, a prize in the Patricia Routledge English Song Competition, and he was also a finalist in the GSMD Gold Medal Competition at an exceptionally young age.

In concert Nicky has performed many works including Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings , a Fauré song series with Graham Johnson, appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, and while renowned for his rendering of Scottish song, Nicky has appeared as a recitalist for the BBC and for Caledonian societies all over the world.

Future plans include the Samling Foundation Masterclasses, BBC's Friday Night is Music Night , a solo recording project with Universal Records and a recital series with the ESO in venues, which include the Barbican, the Royal Albert Hall and the Millenium Centre.

www.nickyspence.com

 

 

Andrew Matthews-Owen

Photo: Nigel Spalding

Andrew Matthews-Owen (piano)

Born in Wales, Andrew Matthews-Owen studied at the Royal Academy of Music generously supported by an RAM Trust Award, Sir Edward Heath, Coutts Bank and S4CWales Television Scholarships. Before this he gained an MMus from Trinity College of Music and a BMus from University of Wales, Cardiff. He has since studied privately with Eugene Asti, Christine Croshaw and Roger Vignoles.

Specialising in song accompaniment, Andrew has partnered some of the outstanding singers of his generation in recitals at major venues including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, St Martins-in-the-Fields, Brangwyn Hall, St David’s Hall, Hever Castle, Draper’s Hall, Bath Pump Rooms, Duke’s Hall and the National Portrait Gallery as well as many music club appearances throughout the UK. He has also performed on the Versailles estate, as far afield as the Middle East and on BBC Television and Radio.

Competition successes include the coveted Sir Henry Richardson Award for Accompanists (Musician’s Benevolent Fund), John Ireland Trust Prize, Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Award, Ryan Davies Memorial Trust Award and a Rayne Foundation Prize.

Andrew recently received an award from the Arts Council of Wales and PRS Foundation for New Music and commissioned the distinguished Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott to write Towy Landscape, a scena for soprano, baritone and piano duet. The World Premiere was given in Swansea in the Crwth Chamber Music Series.

As well as being in demand as a vocal coach, forthcoming performances include recitals with Claire Booth, Helen Field, Nicky Spence, Jeremy Huw Williams and John Lofthouse. Andrew is developing a reputation as an exponent of contemporary music. As one of the bmic’s Cutting Edge Series artists for 2007, he will give the London Premiere of Hoddinott’s Towy Landscape alongside song cycles by Oliver Knussen, Colin Matthews, Mark Anthony Turnage, Howard Skempton and the World Premiere of a new cycle being written for him and Claire Booth by Robert Fokkens.