Daniel Grimwood (born 1976) studied at the Kent Music School before being awarded a scholarship to The Purcell School in 1987 where he studied piano under Graham Fitch; violin and viola under Sybil Copland and Elspeth Iliff; and composition under the late Tim Stevenson. In 1994/95 he studied with Vladimir Ovchinnikov and later finished his education under the tuition of Peter Feuchtwanger.He has since performed in most nations of the EU, the USA, the Middle East, the former USSR, and China.

In 2000 Daniel was elected as a member of the ROYAL SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS OF GREAT BRITAIN and, following a performance in the presence of HRH the Prince of Wales to celebrate the Prince's honorary admission to the freedom of the WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF MUSICIANS in 2003, Daniel was himself invited to be elected to the Freedom of the Company and of the City of London.

Following the success of his recent recording of Russian Sonatas for SOMM Records with his great friend the cellist Jamie Walton, he has recently recorded a solo disc of works by Scriabin to great acclaim. Together with Walton he was invited by Maestro Lorin Maazel to perform at the private theatre on his ranch in Virginia, USA, in June 2005. He is also the first European musician to record for a Chinese company, with a series of solo CDs for Foshan Tianyi Audio and Visual Production in Guangzhou, China. Daniel will make the world premier recording of the complete Sonatas of Algernon Ashton, the romantic British composer, later this year.

danielgrimwood.co.uk

James Baillieu, one of South Africa’s top young pianists and accompanists graduated with distinction and a class medal from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2004. He studied piano under Graham Fitch and François du Toit, and the clarinet under Jimmy Reinders. Before enrolling at UCT he completed an Individualised Programme of Study in piano and accompaniment at Trinity College of Music, London. As a distinguished music student at UCT he was awarded all the piano prizes. He also won the first Laura Searle Piano Competition and the Eric Chisholm Centenary Competition in Cape Town, as well as the Rachmaninov Piano Competition at Stellenbosch Conservatoire.

In 2004 he participated in the International Russian Music Piano Competition in California at which as a laureate he was awarded a scholarship to study in Vienna. At the Vienna International Pianists Academy James was awarded the Rosario Marciano prize for an eminent artistic personality.
James has received a full scholarship, the Avery Picker award, from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he is completing his postgraduate studies with Michael Dussek, Malcolm Martineau and Kathryn Stott. James has won the Flora Nielsen, Ludmilla Andrews, Major V Someren-Godfrey, Helen Eames and Brenda Webb prizes at the Academy. He recently was a participant at the European Liedforum in Berlin, and also attended the 2006 George Solti Accademmia di Bel Canto in Italy working with Mirella Freni.

James was awarded the Elisa Fawcett award at the Royal Overseas League Competition and the prestigious MBF accompanist’s prize at the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, which took place at the Wigmore Hall.

Kathleen Tagg is a South African pianist based in New York City.

Since moving to New York from Cape Town in 2001, pianist Kathleen Tagg has reveled in the diversity and energy of New York's musical life. Recent years have seen her performing often at New York’s Carnegie Hall and venues such as Lincoln Center, the South Orange Performing Arts Center Opening Gala, the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C., Symphony Space and the Goethe Institute.

Outside of the United States, Kathleen’s activities include recitals all over South Africa as well as performances in Finland, Austria, Portugal and Zimbabwe. Concerto performances have been with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, CAPAB Orchestra, Cape Baroque Ensemble and the University of Cape Town Orchestra. With her interest in new music, Kathleen has premiered more than twenty new works, many written for her, including works for piano and electronics.

Kathleen studied at the University of Cape Town with Graham Fitch, Mannes College of Music, New York, and the Manhattan School of Music. Kathleen teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, and at Great Neck Conservatory in Long Island.

This season includes the direction of the New York South African Music Day, a 5-part celebration of the music of South Africa in New York, including an evening of all-US premieres of South African chamber music. Other venues include performances at Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Trinity Church Wall Street with flutist John Romeri, a tour to mid America, South Street Seaport Cultural District gallery and multiple solo and chamber music concerts in South Africa.

Kathleen collaborates with musicians and artists on a wide variety of instruments, and a wide array of styles. She is an avid chamber musician and collaborative pianist with an enormous repertoire, and has has also appeared on recordings of South African and Angolan hip hop, folk rock, gospel and pop music on piano, cello and keyboards. She also has many arrangements to her credit, from string quartet to works for six-voice choir.

She gratefully acknowledges her current support from the Ernst Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, and her previous support from the National Arts Council of South Africa, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the South African Music Rights Organisation and the New York Performing Arts Foundation and scholarships from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes and the University of Cape Town amongst others.

kathleentagg.com

Gemma Webster studied at the Purcell School with Graham FItch, then at the Royal College of Music, Royal Northern college of Music and Sibelius Academy (Finland), receiving generous financial support from the Tillett Trust, Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, Kendall-Taylor Award (RCM), Pro Musica Ltd. Award (RCM), Tunnell Trust, Ruth Hewitt Scholarship (RNCM), Else & Leonard Cross Trust (RNCM) and the Favre-Gilly Foundation.

Gemma has performed at St. James’ Piccadilly, St. Martin-in the-field’s, Buckingham Palace, Ribble Valley International Piano Festival, Rolston Hall (Canada), Martinu Hall (Czech Republic), U.K. Music clubs (including Halifax and Oxted) and the Universities of Sheffield, York, Lancaster, Cambridge and Oxford. Gemma has performed Concerti by Chopin, Shostakovich, Schumann, Ravel and Franck in the U.K. under Darrell Davison, David Blake and Martyn Brabbins (Lancaster International Series).

Competition prizes include 1st prize in the National Toshiba Chamber music Awards, 1st prize in the National Derby Piano concerto competition and 1st prize in RNCM’s Concerto competition.

Gemma’s chamber music experience includes collaborations with Daniel Bates (Gold Medal, Royal over-seas league competition) and Marie Macleod (Strings section prize winner, BBC Young Musicians).

Gemma has attended the Banff Centre (as a resident-Artist) and the International Musicians’ Seminar at Prussia Cove.

Berta Brozgul was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1989. Berta started piano lessons with her mother at the age of 8 and also received tuition from professor Graham Fitch at the University of Cape Town. She took part in competitions in South Africa and won numerous first prizes for piano as well as violin.

At the age of 12 the family moved to Australia, where Berta was awarded a full scholarship to the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. She has been a student of Dr. Donna Coleman, Head of Keyboard at the VCA, ever since.

Berta has won several prizes in Australia, including the inaugural Bill Borthwick prize at the Dandenong Ranges Music Council and Salzer Foundation award for the best junior music student at the VCA.

She was selected for the Master Program at the Australian National Academy in 2003 where she took part in masterclasses by professors Mamika Suda, Frank Wibaut and Max Olding. Berta has performed as soloist and in chamber music ensembles at the VCA, Melbourne Town Hall and Iwaki auditorium. She gave her debut Solo Recital in the Federation Hall of the VCA in December 2004.