| The London Chamber Ensemble - a flexible group of 3 -12 outstanding London
based musicians under the dynamic directorship of Madeleine Mitchell. LATEST NEWS Madeleine Mitchell has put together a new programme JAZZED UP for violin, saxophone and piano, with jazz inspired music including new arrangements, with Kyle Horch saxophone, including Shostakovitch Jazz Suite, Gershwin An American in Paris in ‘Madeleine Mitchell’s highly effective arrangement’ The Times; Weill Little Threepenny Music, Shulhoff Hot Sonate & Deep Purple (sax & pno), Ravel Violin Sonata (with Blues) & Howard Blake Jazz Waltz (as recorded by MM for Naxos) and Grappelli Flonville. In 2010 Madeleine Mitchell and the London Chamber Ensemble stepped in at short notice to replace the Academy of St Martins-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble in the Hall for Cornwall International Series in a programme of Mozart and Mahler piano quartets and Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet to a capacity audience. Plans are in progress for a return visit in Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf in the chamber version. The LCE was formed in 1992 by violinist Madeleine Mitchell, initially at the request of the Vale of Glamorgan Festival to perform Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time with pianist Joanna MacGregor, cellist Christopher Van Kampen and clarinettist David Campbell. Their recording became the widely recommended version, re-released on Warner at the LSO/Gergiev Barbican concerts in 2010: 'An all star team which manages to outdo all its rivals....Mitchell leads the work to its sumptuous, ethereal apotheosis with a winning blend of poise and fervour. The competition sounds almost dull in comparison' Arnold Whittall, Gramophone They also played at the BBC Proms, the South Bank Centre and many festivals, with broadcasts for the BBC Millennium Series including Ravel piano trio etc. After the death of Christopher Van Kampen, Madeleine was asked to record the first movement for television, with original footage of Stalag 8 where Messiaen composed the work, and she was joined by cellist Robert Cohen. www.youtube.com/ViolinClassics The London Chamber Ensemble has since expanded to include programmes with strings, including standing ovations at summer festivals and music clubs for performances of Vivaldi Four Seasons with Madeleine Mitchell, solo violin and Director, with solo strings and harpsichord. The rest of their programme for 7 players, includes Dvorak delightful waltzes with double bass and Mozart great string quintet in G minor K516. Other combinations have included voice (e.g. Mary King in Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire), horn (Michael Thompson/Richard Watkins), cello - Paul Watkins, Roger Chase and Ivo Van der Werff - viola and Andrew Ball and Kathryn Stott (piano). Broadcasts have included series at St George's Brandon Hill for BBC Radio 3 – including Bartok Contrasts, Stravinsky Suite from ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ and Khachaturian trio, Dochnanyi Sextet, Kodaly String trio and other works and for Spanish and Bulgarian National Radio. Many of the players are professors at the main conservatoires and are keen to offer educational work which has included master classes and workshops/introduced concerts for schools. "A landmark recording with gripping ensemble.. Madeleine Mitchell and her luscious-toned friends do each work proud". Frank Bridge viola quintet etc - Meridian The Strad Madeleine Mitchell was invited by Naxos to put together her team for an album of William Alwyn chamber music: ‘Violinist Madeleine Mitchell and a distinguished company of musical friends unlock the romantic richness of works…outstanding.’ Classic FM Magazine Madeleine Mitchell Artistic Director "One of Britain's liveliest musical forces" (Richard Morrison, The Times), 'the dynamically talented Madeleine Mitchell' (Barry Millington Evening Standard), is one of Britain's most celebrated violinists, known for her outstanding Artistic Directorship both for chamber music programmes and of the eclectic Red Violin festival www.redviolin.co.uk for which she was shortlisted for a Creative Briton Award and the series ‘Music in Quiet Places’ – chamber music in rural Buckinghamshire churches and concerts at the American Embassy, London. She has been a guest at Prussia Cove where she performed chamber music with Norbert Brainin, Zara Nelsova and Charles Owen and at many international chamber music festivals including Canberra as Artist in Residence and Leicester International Chamber Music Festival where she performed with Imogen Cooper and Natalie Clein. She led the Bridge String Quartet for seven years and has been a member of piano trios and the seminal Fires of London. |