Fenella Humphreys
Violin
16 May 2015 | Piotr Tchaikovsky | Violin Concerto | |
27 Nov 2021 | Max Bruch | Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor |
With playing described in the press as ‘alluring’ and ‘a wonder’, violinist Fenella Humphreys is much in demand as a chamber musician and soloist. Performances have taken her across the globe to venues including the Wigmore Hall, the South Bank Centre and the Helsinki Music Centre. She has broadcast for the BBC, Classic FM, DeutschlandRadio, WDR, ABC Classic FM (Australia) and Korean radio, and Canadian TV. Fenella performs widely as soloist. Her first concerto recording, of Christopher Wright’s Violin Concerto for Dutton Epoch with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Martin Yates was released recently to great critical acclaim, including selection as ‘Orchestral Choice CD’ in a 5-star review in the BBC Music Magazine. Regularly invited by Steven Isserlis to take part in the prestigious Open Chamber Music at IMS Prussia Cove, Fenella has collaborated with artists including Alexander Baillie, Pekka Kuusisto and Martin Lovett. Several eminent British composers have written works for Fenella both in her own right and as a former member of the Lawson Trio. During 2014/15 she premiered a set of six new solo violin works by top British composers including Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Sally Beamish and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, with performances at Aldeburgh, The Forge and Presteigne Festival as well as a recording for Champs Hill. Konzertmaster of the Deutsche Kammerakademie, Fenella also enjoys guest leading and directing. Fenella’s teachers have included Sidney Griller CBE, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Ida Bieler and David Takeno, studying at the Purcell School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Robert-Schumann-Hochschule in Düsseldorf where she was awarded the highest attainable marks both for the ‘Diplom' exam and the ‘Konzertexamen’ soloists’ diploma. Fenella plays a beautiful violin from the circle of Peter Guaneri of Venice, kindly on loan from Jonathan Sparey. www.fenellahumphreys.com (May 2015)