DAVID ADAMS (Bassoon)

Born in Australia, David played Principal Bassoon with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Australian opera and ballet orchestras, and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Perth.

In 1985 David came to England as a result of a European study scholarship. He was a freelance player with London orchestras, studied with leading European bassoonists, and was Principal Bassoonist with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway before moving to Bristol.

David now performs most frequently as a chamber musician - he runs his own Bristol ensemble Café Ganache, performing a wide range of music from reduced opera to cabaret with attitude. David has a great in interest in traditional and non-Western musics. He plays saxophone and Renaissance winds, and hopes in time to develop his Arabic ud playing to a good standard.

David works mainly as a media and arts administrator - he is orchestra manager for Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and administrator of the chamber music group Florilegium.

PAUL ARDEN TAYLOR (Oboe / Recorder)

Paul works with a number of London and provincial orchestras, is principal oboe of the English Symphony Orchestra, Director of the English Wind Ensemble and a member of several early music groups, including the Praetorius Consort, the London Baroque Trio and the pop group, King Henry's Consort. He plays frequently for RSC productions at Stratford and coaches for the Ernest Read Music Association. Paul has recorded music for film, TV and radio, given recitals for BBC 3 and features as soloist on Radio 2.

ROGER ARMSTRONG (Flute)

Roger was born in Northern Ireland and emigrated to Australia at the age of 11. He began his flute studies at 15, and after graduating from the Sydney Conservatoire of Music with first class honours spent two years freelancing in Sydney before joining the West Australian SymphonyOrchestra in 1971. Shortly after returning to Britain, he took up the post of sub-principal flute with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra in 1974, a position he held until 1991.

Roger now pursues a varied freelance career, both as a performer and as a teacher. He is principal flute with the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales and teaches at Cardiff University and the Welsh College of Music and Drama. He enjoys musical challenges which are 'off the beaten track'. He has built his own harpsichord, and is currently engaged in a study of music by an autistic composer.

Roger plays a wooden Powell flute made in 1998.

LINDA BEGBIE (Bassoon)

Linda Begbie studied bassoon with Russian soloist and former principal of Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Arnold Irchai. She was educated in Warwickshire and New College, Oxford, where she read Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. After graduating she worked as a writer, researcher, and producer for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. She worked editorially both in news and current affairs, for The World at One; and in the production of investigative documentaries, drama, arts, history and literary features.

After a break of ten years, she returned to music in 2005, taking private lessons in the U.K with Martin Gatt, Sarah Burnett, and Julie Price; and in Italy with international soloist Stefano Canuti. In 2006 she won 1st Prize in the Recital Competition of the North London Festival of Music, and was appointed full member of Southbank Sinfonia 2007. She has performed as a soloist in London's Bishopsgate Hall, and recorded for BBC Radio 4.

In 2008 she was awarded full scholarship by the Royal Northern College of Music to complete her studies with Stefano Canuti. Since taking up her place she has won the student apprenticeships for both the BBC Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras and given further public solo performances.

Linda lives in Bristol and is raising two daughters.

DONALD CLIST (French Horn)

Donald spent ten years touring with the European Union Chamber Orchestra and more recently with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Switzerland and Spain. At present he is a member of the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. His playing features in the Wild Boar programme of the Wildlife on One TV series and alSo in The Madness of King George III'. He is a regular soloist with the Bristol Ensemble.

JUB DAVIS (Double Bass)

Jub's career has covered a wide range of musical styles. He's worked in avant-garde theatre with Station House Opera, been a member the Indie pop group The Band of Holy Joy, as well as working with more conventional groups like English National Opera, London Contemporary Dance Theatre and the London Chamber Orchestra. He also co-founded the prize winning Kreisler String Orchestra which went on to win the 1986 Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Belgrade. Jub has been a longstanding member of the well known Carnival Band whose un-intentional aim has been to subvert the notion of authentic performance when it comes to their repertoire of Medieval, Renaissance, folk/world music, music hall, bluegrass, cajun and soul music. He can often be seen playing and singing with them and their long-time collaborator Maddy Prior. Over the years he has worked with many notable artists including Youssou N'Dour, Tanita Tikaram, Abdullah Ibrahim, Brian Eno, Sting, Joss Pook, DJ Krust, Zero 7,the Brodsky and Duke string quartets. He gets a great deal of pleasure playing small ensemble works with the Adderbury Ensemble and the Bristol Ensemble, with which he has recently been featured as a soloist in performances of Bottesini's Grand Duo for Violin, Bass and orchestra. He has taken up the challenge of contemporary music with groups such as Opus 20, Lontano and Ixion. However, to take time out he really enjoys a good forty-mile bike ride!

WILLIAM GOODCHILD (Conductor)

William composes, orchestrates and conducts music for film, television and concert performance. As a composer he specialises in Wildlife and History documentary. Recently broadcast wildlife commissions include 'Wild Japan' (National Geographic, 2010), 'Wild Russia' (National Geographic, 2009), and 'Lobo – the Wolf that Changed America' (BBC Natural World, 2008). 'Lobo' won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival 2009 and the Jury's Special Prize at the Wildscreen International Film Festival 2008. History features have included specials for Channel 4 such as 'Athens – the Truth about Democracy' (2007), and 'When the Moors Ruled in Europe' (2006).

As orchestrator and conductor William works with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Metropolitan Orchestra. He has undertaken numerous projects for the BBC with composers Barnaby Taylor, Ben Salisbury and David Poore including several major natural history series. 'Great Rift' has just been aired on BBC2, and 'Nature's Great Events', broadcast last year on BBC1, is being performed as a touring concert in the UK and abroad. 'Wild China' (2008) composed by Barnaby Taylor and orchestrated and conducted by William won an Emmy in 2009 for Music and Sound. William has collaborated on stage and in the recording studio with a wide variety of international soloists including John Williams, Andy Sheppard, Tom Jones and most recently Roni Size & Reprazent. A number of William's recordings are available on Sony Classical, Universal Classical and Jazz, and CBS Records.

Having been a Junior Exhibitioner in violin and piano at the Royal College of Music and a Music Scholar at St. Paul's School, William studied music at the University of East Anglia and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His conducting teachers included Richard Hickox, John Lubbock and George Hurst. He studied piano with Sidney Harrison and John York.

RACHEL GOUGH (Violin)

Following a music degree from the University of East Anglia, Rachel Gough studied with Frances Mason at the Royal College of Music for an MMus Degree in Advanced Performance. Rachel is regularly in demand, both as a soloist, and as an orchestral and chamber musician in the South West. She has a highly successful violin and organ duo with her husband Rupert. The Gough Duo has made many recordings and tour regularly across the United States and in Europe. Their latest disc of the complete works for violin and organ of Rheinberger is due to be released on the Molltertz label in April 2010, and they have a new recording of works composed for them by the American composer Carson Cooman recently released on the Naxos label. In 2009, the Duo performed to a capacity audience at the Svetlanov Hall for the Moscow International Organ Festival, and at venues including Birmingham Symphony Hall and Westminster Cathedral.

RUPERT GOUGH (Harpsichord)

Rupert Gough leads a busy career as choral conductor, organ recitalist, teacher and reviewer. He has been Director of Choral Music and College Organist at Royal Holloway, University of London since 2005 and previously spent 11 years as Assistant Organist at Wells Cathedral. At Wells he worked closely with the choir both as accompanist and choir trainer, appearing with the choir in concerts and broadcasts all over the world, and can be heard on many different recording labels including six discs for Hyperion. His overall discography of some 40 commercial recordings encompasses work as a choir director, organist and harpsichordist and conductor and includes the organ and choral works of Sir Percy Buck (Priory) and instrumental and choral works of Carson Cooman (Naxos).

Rupert is particularly renowned for his work in combination with the violin as a member of the Gough Duo. The Duo's many American tours have taken them all over the USA from Florida to Alaska. During 2009 they performed to a capacity audience in the Svetlanov Hall in Moscow.

Born in 1971, Rupert was a chorister at the Chapels Royal, St. James's Palace, and won a scholarship to the Purcell School of Music. He received (with distinction) a Masters degree in English Church Music from the University of East Anglia whilst Organ Scholar at Norwich Cathedral. In 2001 he won Third Prize at the St. Alban's International Organ Competition. He has performed widely and featured with many different orchestras including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2006 Hong Kong Festival.

As a conductor he has worked with a variety of professional choirs and orchestras and as well as many distinguished soloists. At Royal Holloway he has been responsible for the development of a choir of choral scholars now regarded as one of the finest mixed-voice collegiate choirs in the country. The choir undertakes a busy schedule of concerts, tours and records for Hyperion Records.

WILLIAM HILLMAN (Violin)

William Hillman began playing the violin at the age of eight via the peripatetic system, continuing his tuition with Edward Davies from Menai Bridge. He then studied his undergraduate in music performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under the tutelage of Marius Bedeschi.

During his four years as an undergraduate William has won competitions such as the Mostyn Instrumental Prize, RWCMD Cavatina Chamber Music prize, and has twice been a finalist of the RWCMD Concerto Trials. He was recently awarded the Glynne Jones Scholarship.

William led the Rococco String Quartet which have partaken in masterclasses with world renowned string quartets, toured to Switzerland under the tutelage of Peter Esswood, and Italy where they played at William Walton's villa in Ischia.

Having graduated with a distinction in performance, William then studied as a postgraduate in music performance at the RWCMD under the tuition of Lesley Hatfield, with whom he is still studying. William is a much sought-after orchestral and chamber musician, and has performed with Sinfonia Cymru, Welsh National Opera, was recently on trial with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

As a chamber musician, William has played with the St David's String Quartet, Bryden String Quartet, Cardiff New Music Collective, The Mavron String Quartet, Chameleon Cymru and is first violinist of the Hillman Quartet.

ROGER HUCKLE (Violin) - Founder and Leader of the Bristol Ensemble

Roger Huckle has been the inspiration and guide for Bristol Ensemble - Bristol's professional chamber orchestra, and a cherished musicians' collective of exceptional standard - since its foundation in 1994.

Born in Bristol, Roger studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire and with Frederick Grinke, was a member of Norway's Bergen Philharmonic, and now performs with leading UK orchestras - including co-leading the London Concertante and Opera Box Orchestra.

Roger appreciates Bristol Ensemble players' musical hunger and real commitment to the group's performances. He always aims for heart-felt music making, and fondly recalls the transcendent spirituality of a 2004 Emerald Messiah.

Although his favourite journey is Bergen to Oslo by road, he loves Bristol's Downs, and describes the tip of Worms Head at Rhossili in Gower as his favourite place in the world.

JONATHAN JAMES (Principal Guest Conductor)

Jonathan James studied privately with John Forster, formerly head of conducting at the Royal College of Music, before being trained in Germany's 'Franz Liszt' Music College. This was followed by international masterclasses in Vienna, Zurich and London and lessons with Sir Colin Davis and Grant Llewellyn.

He founded and directed the New Bristol Sinfonia for 6 years whilst freelancing in London and Europe, including conducting the City of Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Southbank Sinfonia. In 2002 he had a one-year conducting fellowship with the Boston Philharmonic in the States, working not only with the BPO but also players from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New England Conservatory.

In 2003 he focussed on teaching, becoming Director of Music at the South West Academy of Dramatic Arts (Filton College), and later Head of Performing Arts. He now combines freelance conducting and playing jazz with speaking on classical music, leading seminars and giving pre-concert talks at the Colston Hall and elsewhere.

BERNARD KANE (Viola / Composer)

Born and raised in Cardiff, Wales, Bernard Kane, violist and composer, holds degrees from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (Doctor of Musical Arts), Yale University (Master of Music) and the Royal College of Music, London (B. Mus. Honours). He studied viola with Roger Best, Simon Rowland-Jones, Jesse Levine and David Harding.

He has worked with the orchestras of English and Welsh National Opera, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Bristol Ensemble, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and the Quincy Jones Orchestra. A keen chamber musician, he has played in master classes with the Tokyo, Colorado and Arditti string quartets; he has also taken part at the Academy of the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland. He founded the Cardiff based chamber ensemble Chameleon Cymru in 2000 and is the violist in the Hillman Quartet.

In addition to performing, Bernard has enjoyed narrating with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and at the Norfolk Chamber Music festival. His performance of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales was broadcast nationwide throughout Canada on Christmas Day, 2005.

MARK KANE (French Horn)

Mark's interest in music began at an early age having spent his childhood in a musical household, his mother regularly playing piano at home and his father being principal horn in the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. At the age of nine Mark joined the Wessex Youth Orchestra in Poole where he continued to play until taking up a scholarship to Royal College of Music London in 1989. Mark also gained valuable musical experience by being a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. As well as performing concerts Mark also enjoys classical composition and has written several chamber pieces and orchestral works.

JEREMY LITTLE (Percussion)

Jeremy was born and grew up in Kenya. He studied Psychology and Zoology at Bristol University and studied percussion with Diggory Seacome, Jayne Obradovic, Graham Johns and Michael Skinner. He now teaches percussion at Millfield School and plays with the Bristol Ensemble and many others including Welsh National Opera, The London Gala Orchestra, English National Ballet, Bath Philharmonia and the Brunel Ensemble. Jeremy has coached many youth orchestras and has recently enjoyed a course with the National Children's Orchestra. He regularly records for film and television including a solo role on "Dog Soldiers", a werewolf horror!

CHRISTOPHER NORTHAM (Piano)

Christopher was educated at Kings' College Choir School (Cambridge) and Bryanston School (Dorset). He began playing the piano at the age of four, and later took up the violin at seven.

Christopher has performed as a soloist regularly in all the major venues in and around Bristol, and other solo work has included concerts in Spain, France and Germany, and a successful Wigmore Hall debut in London.

Much in demand both as a accompanist and for chamber music, Christopher is hugely experienced through years of music making with all standards of soloist. At the top he has accompanied players such as Jack Brymer, Christopher Bunting, Jürgen Hess, Crispin Steele-Perkins and Colin Sauer, but he also enjoys working with young performers at the start of their careers.

Orchestral conducting and musical directing play a large part in the yearly timetable. Regular appearances with the Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra at St George's, Bristol as well as numerous large-scale operatic and musical works, have been undertaken over a long period. Various choirs have sought his knowledge and experience, and musical companies with whom he has worked have included: Bristol Phoenix Choir, Nova Singers, Northavon Singers, Bristol Light Opera Club, Bristol Amateur Operatic Society, Northavon Children's Theatre Company and many others.

In the film Gosford Park, Christopher was involved as pianist and musical consultant.

DAVID PAGETT (Clarinet)

David Pagett studied clarinet at the Royal Northern College of Music with Sidney Fell and Janet Hilton. He has worked extensively throughout the UK with some of the countries leading orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. As well as working as an orchestral musician David has played in West End Productions of Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, 42nd Street and West Side Story. He is currently working in and around Bristol combining a busy teaching and performing schedule.

MARTIN PRING (Violin)

A regular member of the Bristol Ensemble, he gained his M.Mus in 1980 and then was appointed Head of Strings at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford and Principal Conductor of the Varese Ensemble. In 1985 he made his conducting debut with, amongsat others, the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet.

Martin has conducted the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales in contemporary Welsh works for TV galas.His debut concert with the London Schools Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in 2000 earned a Sainsbury's Award. He recently featured in 'Maestros in the Making' for Artsworld and conducted the world premiere of Sir John Taverner's Mystagogia.

For the last six years Martin has worked regularly in Switzerland. His Concerto Grosso no. 3 was premiered at the Jardins Musicaux in Cernier in 1999 (and will be pertormed again next year) and resulted in the commission for a major music drama, Au Coeur des Tenebres, which was given by Opera Decentralise Neuchatel in 2004. He also conducted at the opening of L'Expo02 in a live tv broadcast for Suisse Romande.

IMOGEN TRINER (Oboe)

Imogen studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Neil Black and Gordon Hunt, where she won many of the major prizes, including the Paddy Purcell Prize for all wind instruments. She was awarded a Countess of Munster Scholarship and then a Winston Churchill Fellowship to continue her studies with the Berlin Philharmonic's solo oboist, Lothar Koch.

Imogen Triner is one of Britain's foremost oboe soloists and performances have included major concerti with the Tivoli Festival Symphony Orchestra in Denmark, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Turku Philharmonic and Kuopio Symphony Orchestras - both in Finland, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway, the Kansas Chamber Orchestra, the National Italian Symphony Orchestra, the Belgian National Radio and Television Orchestra, the Norkoping Chamber Orchestra in Sweden and many orchestras in the UK. Many of these performances have been recorded for the radio.

As a chamber musician Imogen has performed highly acclaimed recitals in major London venues and in festivals throughout the UK. She has toured all over Scandinavia, America and Japan both as a recitalist, giving masterclasses and with her Oboe Quartet.

In the UK Imogen works regularly with chamber groups which include the Bristol Ensemble with whom she has played numerous concerti and recently recorded 2 CDs which include Vivaldi's C major oboe concerto. Imogen is the oboist in the oboe quartet 'oboeworks'.

GAVIN WELLS (Trumpet)

Gavin Wells was born in London, but studied trumpet performance in the USA at the University of Northern Colorado under William Pfund. He later received his M.Mus degree from the Florida State University, where he was also a trumpet teacher. In the USA he was a member of the Rocky Mountain Brass Quintet, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and the Disneyland Show band.

In 1986 he won the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition held in London. Settling in Gloucestershire in 1989 he now teaches Brass and enjoys a busy freelance career, performing regularly with the Bath Philharmonia, the West of England Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bristol Ensemble, the Regency Sinfonia, and the Premiere Brass Quintet. He regularly records for BBC television and radio and has recently performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Gavin has given recitals in Gloucester Cathedral and Bath Abbey with organists David Briggs and Peter King, and as part of the Guiting Festival in 1997, and the Three Choirs Festival in 1998. As a soloist he has performed the concertos of Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Hummel, Neruda, Tomasi, Arutunian, Copland's Quiet City, and Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano, Trumpet, and Strings. He has recently recorded concertos by Telemann, Mudge, and Vivaldi with the Bristol Ensemble.