Coaching Team
NYSA Staff
Andrew Baker
Andy Baker joined the NYSA coaching team for the first time on the recent Senior NYSA Easter course 2010. He worked with four young bass-players giving them the benefit of his huge experience of professional playing over many years. Andy was actually a pupil of John Gray many years ago.Andy Baker studied the double bass at the Royal Academy of Music. He joined the Bournemouth Sinfonietta in 1978. In 1995 he was appointed the Music Animateur for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
He enjoys a very varied musical career, both as a professional double bass player and a music animateur, and has led literally thousands of education projects, both in this country and abroad.
As a double bass player he has played with the LSO, Philharmonia and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. He has also recorded extensively, playing with musicians such as James Galway and was featured playing bass on the video of Westlife's Number one hit, Swear It Again.
Jonathan Barritt
Jonathan Barritt joined the NYSA coaching team in 2009.Jonathan studied the viola at the Royal Northern College of Music with Atar Arad and Mischa Geller.
On graduating he was immediately offered a position with the English Chamber Orchestra where he was appointed co-principal viola in 1988.
As a versatile artist, Jonathan has managed a varied career as a soloist and chamber musician both in the UK and abroad.
He has also been guest leader of the viola sections of LSO, Philharmonia, CBSO, London Mozart Players, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC Welsh Symphony orchestra.
From 1995 to 2001 he was a member of the Allegri String quartet. After leaving the quartet, he returned to English Chamber Orchestra as principal viola.
Leon Bosch
Leon Bosch first joined the NYSA coaching team in August 2009. He returns in 2010 to work with the basses on the Senior NYSA Summer Course 2010.Leon Bosch has an honoured place among the select group of virtuoso double bass players worldwide. Concerto engagements in many parts of the world with the likes of conductors Pinchas Zukerman, Nicolas Kraemer, Nicolae Moldoveanu and Guido Johannes Rumstadt have been matched by collaborations with a long line of leading chamber music groups - among them the Lindsay, Belcea and Brodsky string quartets, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble, the Moscow Virtuosi and the Zukerman Chamber Players. Partnerships with solo performers have embraced such pianists as Peter Donohoe, Vladimir Ovchinikov, Mikhail Rudy and Maria Joćo Pires.
Roger Garland
Roger Garland studied the violin with Manoug Parikian whilst reading Music at Cambridge.In 1969, he joined the English Chamber Orchestra, combining this with recital and solo work throughout the country. In 1973, he joined the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields with whom he has made many solo appearances and broadcasts in Europe, North America and Australia.
He has also appeared as soloist in broadcasts for the Chichester Festival and the Flanders Festival.
He has broadcast solo recitals and chamber music on B B C Radio 3 and is a keen champion of 20th century music, his latest CD being of the Trio by Michael Finnissy on Et Cetera Records with the Gagliano Trio. He also leads the Guarnerius String Quintet.
John Gray
John Gray studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music.He went on to play the double bass professionally, as sub-principal of London Symphony Orchestra and then as Principal of the Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields. He was also Professor of Bass at the Royal Academy of Music at this time. He emigrated to Australia and spent fourteen years as a lecturer in Double Bass at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. During this time, he was also the Bass-player of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
He returned to London seven years ago and now plays with the London Festival Orchestra, as well as working generally as a free-lance bass-player in classical and "period" music.
John was a founder member of the NYSA coaching staff. He worked with NYSA's young bass-players on a regular basis from 1995 to 2008. In addition to his impressive teaching style and knowledge of everything to do with the double- bass, he will be remembered for the entertaining video he made for NYSA staff in preparation for NYSA's first tour to USA on the subject of bubble-wrapping cellos for travel in the hold of an aeroplane.
Andrew McGee
Andrew McGee studied the violin with Rosemary Rapaport and David Martin at Royal Academy of Music where he won a Poulett Scholarship. He studied conducting with Sir Adrian Boult.His playing career began at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he led the orchestra for some performances. He has been co- leader of the London Symphony Orchestra ; leader of the London Sinfonietta; a member of the Nash Ensemble and sub-leader of the Menuhin Festival Orchestra. He was professor of violin at the Royal Scottish Academy for several years where he also pioneered their scheme for the teaching of very young players - from 3 to 8 years old.
He is currently a member of the Academy of St Martin-in-the-fields and teaches violin and viola at the Centre for Young Musicians, Morley College, London.
Andrew McGee was a regular member of the coaching team at NYSA from 1998 to 2007. He brought tremendous experience to the NYSA viola section as well as entertaining everyone on occasion with his exceptional research into Paganini, his Life and Works.
Stephen Orton
Stephen Orton will join the NYSA coaching team for the first time coaching the cello section on the Senior NYSA Summer course 2010 in Scotland.Stephen Orton has been principal cellist with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields since 1986. He is also a regular guest leader with the LSO and the Philharmonia Orchestra, London. Stephen was formerly principal cello with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and assistant principal in the English Chamber Orchestra, performing as soloist with both ensembles. He was a member of the Delme Quartet for 10 years.
Jonathan Strange
Jonathan Strange studied the violin at the Royal Academy of Music with Hugh Maguire and Frederick Grinke.He was the leader of The Strange String Quartet, formed at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Sidney Griller. The Strange String Quartet went on to become Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Sussex for three years. Jonathan then became a regular member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the London Sinfonietta and other chamber orchestras. For many years, he was co-leader of the London Mozart Players.
More recently, he has devoted an increasing amount of time to studio work while continuing to pursue a wide range of orchestral work and chamber music commitments.
Gillian Thoday
Gillian Thoday made her second appearance coaching the cello section at NYSA on the recent Senior Easter course 2010. Gillian has taught the cello for many years at both the Junior Guildhall and at Chethams School of Music with many of her pupils winning scholarships to the senior colleges and now finding their own place in the music profession. She is currently a professor of cello at Royal Northern College of Music.Gillian Thoday studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Florence Hooton and, in Germany,with Andre Navarra , one of the greatest cellists of his day. Her solo work has included appearances at all the major recital venues in London with first performances of works written for her and broadcasts for the BBC both on radio and television. Her work with chamber ensembles has been extensive, particularly in the contemporary field with radio broadcasts, CD recordings and tours in England, Europe and the United States. In the orchestral field she has worked with most of the major orchestras in London including the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, LSO and BBC symphony orchestras, and the English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Academy of St Martin in the Fields. She has been invited to work as guest principal cellist with the City of London Sinfonia, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, English Festival and London Festival orchestras, Radio Orchestra of Dublin and the Brussels Opera House where she was subsequently offered the position of co-principal cellist. As a studio player she has contributed to the sound tracks of many of the major films of recent years.
Dennis Vigay
Dennis Vigay studied with Cedric Sharpe at the Royal Academy of Music. He was Principal Cello and soloist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin-in the-Fields . He was a founder member of the Academy of St Martin-in the-Fields Chamber Ensemble, with whom he recorded the first complete set of Handel's chamber music works.His international solo and chamber ensemble appearances include performances at the Promenade Concerts, the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall and Berlin Philharmonic Hall. He appears regularly with Music da Camera, the Dumka Trio and London Octet.
Until 1983 he was Professor of Cello at the Royal Academy Music, having been made a Fellow of the Academy in 1972.
Denis Vigay was a founder member of the coaching staff at NYSA, working with NYSA's young cellists from 1995 to 2007. Everyone at NYSA has been inspired by his wonderful coaching and musicianship as well as his fund of stories about his life in the music profession.
