Nigel Blomiley – cello
Richard Shaw – piano

The Programme

Nigel Blomiley – cello

Richard Shaw – piano

Twelve variations on ‘See the conqu’ring hero comes’ from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus, WoO45

Sonata in G minor for piano and cello, Op 5 no 2
1 Adagio sostenuto e espressivo – Allegro molto più tosto presto
2 Rondo – Allegro

The Artists

Nigel Blomiley was largely self-taught. However he did study privately and performed in Masterclasses with Pierre Fournier, who described his playing as ‘very musical’ and ‘creating a marvellous atmosphere’. Elsewhere, on hearing his playing, Bernard Greenhouse described him as a ‘damn fine cellist’.

He has spent a large part of his career as a Principal player in both the BBC Philharmonic and Concert Orchestras, touring widely with both groups. With the Concert Orchestra, he appeared as a featured soloist in many of the country’s major concert halls, for both Radio and Television.

Since 2005 he has devoted most of his time to chamber music, teaching and solo work – activities which have always been part of his life. In 2014, with two younger colleagues, he formed the Anern Trio.

Richard Shaw enjoys giving concerts and broadcasting with a wide range of instrumentalists and singers. His many broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 include duo performances with violinists such as James Ehnes, Viviane Hagner, Leonidas Kavakos, So-Ock Kim, Pekka Kuusisto, Vadim Repin, Ittai Shapira and Nikolaj Znaider; cellists Matthew Barley, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Richard Harwood and Li Wei, as well as Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Martin Fröst (clarinet) and singers Nicole Cabelle, Jennifer Smith, Ailish Tynan, Alice Coote, Ruby Philogene, Jean Rigby, Anna Larsson, Robin Blaze, Michael Chance, Paul Agnew, Hal Cazalet, Kurt Streit, Matthew Rose, Jonathan Veira and Robert Pomakov.

He is staff accompanist at the Royal Academy of Music, London and is currently writing biographies of the British pianist Ronald Smith (1922-2004), and of the distinguished Russian mezzo soprano, Maria Karinskaya (1882-1942). His music album, Malcolm Arnold: Songs and Arias, is published by Novello & Co/Music Sales. Recent CDs for the Deux-Elles label include music by Phillipe Gaubert, with Kathryn Thomas (flute), the chamber works and piano solos of Sir Harrison Birtwistle, ‘Piper’s Dream’ (with Ensemble Lumière) featuring the piano solos and chamber works of Cecilia McDowall, and ‘Fauré and his circle’.
photo: Amy Ryan, MSSF