Directory
The Orsino String Quartet is the leading provider of live background music for the Corporate Sector. All four members enjoy a varied professional music career and decided to form this new and exciting quartet in the summer of 2004. Each individual member has gained invaluable experience from playing in other quartets for over 10 years and have all received coaching from top professional quartets in the country including the Maggini, Allegri and Alberni Quartets.
The Quartet was formed to fill the void in the South and Midlands for a quartet which concentrates on providing top quality background music for corporate events such as New Product Launches, Exhibitions, Presentations, Client Entertaining and Company Balls.
Adding the touch of class of the sound of a string quartet to your corporate function will enhance your clients or prospective clients perception of you company, enabling them to sit back and relax during a break or whilst they network after an event.
Special day rates are available for all day exibitions and presentatons.
The Quartet also regurlarly performs full length concerts in concert venues throughout the UK. Watch out for updates on this home page for upcoming concert dates.
Chris Gill (Violin)
began playing the violin at the age of seven and at the age of eleven gained a place on the Berkshire Young Musicians' Trust Scholarship Scheme where he studied with Paul de Keyser. He went on to study with Jill Thoday and Clive Lander at Birmingham Conservatoire, graduating in June 1998 with a First Class Honours Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Performance in June 2000. Chris was Leader of many orchestras at the Conservatoire including the Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia Orchestra as well as many other chamber groups. Prizes won at the Conservatoire include first prize in the Herbert Lumby String Prize and Tracey Colvin Award as well as taking part in the CBSO String Training Scheme, in which Chris rehearsed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra throughout 1999-2000.In 1997 Chris formed the Omega String Quartet of which he was leader of for 5 years. Concerts included premieres of new compositions including Bob Chilcott's 'First Letters' published by Oxford Univeristy Press and Louis Clark's 1st String Quartet as well as a performance of Schubert's String Quintet with Bruno Shrecker, cellist with the Allegri String Quartet.
As well as Quartet work, Chris is an active freelance orchestral violinist working with orchestras all over the country including, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Swan, National Symphony Orchestra, English National Orchestra, National Chamber Orchestra of Wales as well as session recordings for Chris de Burgh (Mercury), Gramophone (EMI), Delta (Mercury) and the BBC. Chris' diary is managed by Morgensterns.
Chris plays on a c1680 English violin by Edward Pamphilon.
Thomas Bott (Violin)
studied the violin at the Birmingham Conservatoire from 1997 to 2003 where he was taught by Mike Seal (CBSO) and Peter Thomas (Leader, CBSO). During his time there, he was leader of Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia, Pelleas Ensemble and the Contemporary music group. Whilst studying his Postgraduate, Thomas won a place on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra training scheme where he rehearsed with the orchestra throughout the 2002/03 season.Since finishing his studies Thomas has undertaken two orchestral job trials for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the English Symphony Orchestra. He is also a regular freelance player with various orchestras throughout the Midlands and the UK. These have included the Bath Philharmonia, Southern Pro Musica, Regency Sinfonia, ?Viva' Orchestra, Midland Sinfonia and Queens Park Sinfonia. Thomas was invited for two seasons to play with the Bad Ischl Operetta Festival Orchestra in Austria. Thomas has also performed extensively with various chamber ensembles as part of regular public concerts.
Thomas plays on a 1890 French Violin by JB Collin-Mezin.
Kate Fawcett (Viola)
was born in Leicester and began learning the viola at age 9 with Jim Walker. Following a degree in French and English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, she obtained a Postgraduate Performance Diploma from Birmingham Conservatoire, where she studied with Jim Sleigh (modern) and Annette Isserlis (Baroque and Classical) and won the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize. Kate was a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra 2001 and took part in the CBSO and Jerwood (OAE) schemes.Period instrument performance has become a particular focus for Kate and she has performed and recorded with ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert, Ex Cathedra and the Corelli Orchestra, as well as being a member of the pan-European chamber group Bizzaries. Concerto appearances have included Telemann's Viola Concerto and Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 6. She has appeared at the BBC Proms and the Wigmore Hall and performances have taken her throughout Europe as well as to the USA and China.
Kate began playing in string quartets at the age of 12 - it was at school that she first played in a quartet with cellist Sally Thompson. She has benefited from coaching with David Angel and has participated in masterclasses with members of the Alberni, the Maggini and the Allegri Quartets.
Sally Thompson (Cello)
began learning the cello at the age of 7 and worked her way up through the Leicestershire county youth orchestras. In 1996 Sally obtained a place at the Birmingham Conservatoire where she studied with Jill Heartfield (CBSO) and John Todd (Coull Quartet). During her time at the Conservatoire Sally particularly focused on chamber music and received regular coaching from David Angel (Maggini String Quartet) and took part in master classes with the Allegri and the Bochmann String Quartets. She was a finalist in the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize and was also a member of the Mid-Wales Opera festival Orchestra.Since graduating in 2000 Sally has built a successful career as a freelance cellist and has performed with The New English Concert Orchestra, The Sinfonia of Birmingham and The Queens Park Sinfonia. Sally has been passionate about chamber music since she first played in a string quartet at the age of 13. She now performs regularly with string quartets and other chamber groups throughout the Midlands. Recent performances have included Mozart's Clarinet Quintet with the Figaro Ensemble and Beethoven's "Ghost" piano trio with the Estell Trio.
Contact details and further information
Contact Chris Gill on:tel: 07970 791293
fax: 01380 818182
E-mail Orsino String Quartet or use the contact form.
For further details, see Orsino String Quartet's website