2015 Latin Spirit Fundraising Concert
About the musicians
Grace Chen, Cellist
Grace Chen, violoncello, formally known as Wen-Jeng Chen, is winner of the Anglo-Czechoslovak Trust Competition 2001. She was born in Taiwan and began playing the cello at the age of nine. By the age of twelve, she had won prizes in Taiwanese music competitions. In 1991, she was awarded the Wendy Hall Scholarship to study at the Purcell School, London. In 1995, Grace won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music where she received a first class BMus degree, a Distinction in Postgraduate Diploma and Advanced Diploma, and won prizes include the Anna Shuttleworth, Ivor James and John Ireland Prizes. In April 2001, Grace won the Anglo-Czechoslovak Trust Competition in both String and Ensemble categories (Weber Quartet) and gave a concert in Prague in December 2001. Since then, Grace has perform in major concert halls throughout the UK and Europe. Apart from freelancing with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Grace is in much demand as a chamber musician and teacher.
Hui Ti Wang, Violinist
Taiwanese-British Violinist Hui-Ti Wang (Eric) is considered one the most promising violinists of his generation and receiving increasing international attention. Recently, he debuted Paul Carroll Violin Concerto No.2 in front of Her Majesty The Queen at the Buckingham Palace. Eric is now serving as the Concertmaster of the Commonwealth Orchestra and is also the leader of the London Chamber Players. He has performed solo at venues such as the Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall and Royal Festival Hall. Eric came to England in 1996 and studied at The Purcell School and Royal College with the aid of a scholarship and bursary under Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky. Eric earned top marks in his class and awarded the Martin scholarship during his studies. As the Guildhall Artist Fellowship, Eric received the Master’s Degree with Distinction under The Former Head of String Professor Jacqueline Ross at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has won many awards and competitions include the Tai Tsui-Lun Foundation Violin Competition in Taiwan (2001), the Outstanding Merit Diploma at the International Sion-Valais Violin Competition in 2003 and The Ricci Foundation’s inaugural Annual Award in February 2004 In the Early January 2007, Eric toured with Maestro Paolo Olmi to Italy and played Mozart Concerto No.5. Recently, he played recitals in Ipoh, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and also performed Carman Fantasy by Waxman with the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra in Taipei National Concert Hall, which received great responses from the local audiences and presses. Eric currently plays on a Nicolaus Gagliano, 1756 generously on loan by the Chi-Mei Foundation in Taiwan.
Miloš Milivojević,Classical Accordionist
Serbian born accordionist Miloš Milivojević is a first prize winner at the International Competitions in Germany, France, Italy and Denmark. Miloš studied in Serbia with Professor Vojin Vasović, moved to London in 2002, and has been awarded full scholarship from the Royal Academy of Music for BMus, PGDip and Master Degree with Professor Owen Murray. In 2007 Miloš became the first accordionist ever to win the RAM Club Prize at the Academy open to all instrumentalists and in 2008 was the Winner of the prestigious Derek Butler London Prize at the Wigmore Hall - contested by students from all four of the London conservatories. Miloš has performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Sidney Opera House, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Purcell Room, and in front of HRH The Princess Royal and internationally in Serbia, Montenegro, Russia, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Canary Iceland, Malta, Iceland, UK, Australia and New Zealand. In 2014 has been elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of his contribution to music. His debut solo CD will be released on Nimbus label in 2016. "A hurricane of imaginative invention" Hilary Finch, The Times. www.milosmilivojevic.com
Elias Sibley, Guitarist
Elias Sibley, BMus (Hons), MMus, is a recent graduate of the Royal College of Music where he studied the classical guitar with Gary Ryan and Charles Ramirez. He was previously a Department of Education scholarship student at the Purcell School of Music from 1998 to 2004 where he studied with Roland Gallery.Elias frequently gives solo and ensemble recitals, as well as writing and arranging music for the instrument. Elias has participated in masterclasses with many internationally renowned artists including: Roland Dyens, Ricardo Iznaola, Craig Ogden, David Russell, Gary Ryan, lutenist Jakob Lindberg and the Eden Stell Guitar Duo.In addition to his work as a guitarist, Elias has established himself s a leading performer of the 5-string, classic banjo and regularly performs on the instrument, both solo and as a duo, with classic banjo legend, Chris Sands, most recently at Cecil Sharp House, London.Elias has performed in many of London’s leading venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall. He has worked with various British contemporary composers, including Simon Speare, Edwin Hillier and Elis Czerniak.Elias teaches advanced guitar for Berkshire Maestros (Berkshire Young Musicians Trust) and has taught regular workshops and summer schools for the British BMG Federation.
Lysianne Chen, Pianist
Lysianne was born in Taiwan. She has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician and is regularly invited to perform at numerous festivals : International Piano Festival " The Fire and Rose " in Lisbon, Festival de Musica de Coimbra with a Debussy Cycle, and 2nd cycle of Internacional Piano Festival on Wagner and Verdi's transcriptions. Recent engagements include concerts at many distinguished venues : the Royal Overseas League, Lauderdale House in London, Thatro Nacional Sao Carlos in Lisbon, Teatro Académico Gil Vicente in Coimbra and Rekstensamlingene in Bergen. Her recordings have been broadcast on national radio pt5 in Portugal. Lysianne studied piano at the Conservatoire of Caen and Montpellier in France with Christian David and Pascal Jourdan, and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Carole Presland, where she obtained a Master Degree in Piano Performance. During her studies, Lysianne had the opportunity to participate in masterclasses with eminent musicians as Christopher Elton, Rolf Hind, Denis Pascal, Yvan Fedele, Maciej Pikulski, Pascal Nemirovski, in Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and United Kingdom.Besides performing as a solist, Lysianne is passionate about chamber music. In this capacity, she has worked with various instrumental ensembles and performs regularly a vast range of repertoire, appearing on international concert platforms. www.lysiannechen.com
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