Alexander is internationally known as one of the foremost cellists and teachers of his generation. He began playing the cello aged twelve inspired by the BBC film about Jacqueline du Pre. He studied at London’s Royal College of Music and then in Vienna with Andre Navarra, and later with du Pre. ••• Following his studies he played extensively as soloist with all the BBC orchestras and as a recitalist and in chamber music. ••• As a member of the London Sinfonietta and Peter Maxwell-Davies group "The Fires of London" he was involved with a many first performances of contemporary music. ••• He appeared regularly at the "Proms" and premiered cello concertos by Colin Matthews, Hans Werner Henze, Takemitsu, in addition to standard repertoire such as Schumann, Delius, Beethoven. ••• A new chapter begins now that he is moving back to the UK following the end of his time as Professor of Cello at the Hochschule für Musik in Bremen, Germany. Since 2018 he is part of the team building the successful new Dynamo cello school based in England.

Joely Koos has established herself as a versatile and compelling performer, pursuing a varied musical career as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. ••• She has appeared as soloist with several orchestras including broadcasts with the London Sinfonietta, BBC Concert Orchestra and City of London Sinfonia. In the last year she has performed the Dvorak, Elgar and Brahms Double concertos and played at several chamber music festivals. She is joint Artistic Director with Roderick Williams for the St Endellion Summer Music Festival. ••• Joely is principal cellist with the English Symphony Orchestra, co-principal with the City of London Sinfonia, and regularly appears as guest principal with many UK orchestras. ••• Enjoying an active teaching career as professor of cello at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and as teacher at Eton College, Joely is delighted to have taken on the role of Artistic Director for “Cello Dynamo”.

Currently Professor of Cello at the Guildhall School of Music, Tim has led the cello sections of all the London orchestras. He is also in demand as a soloist and chamber musician. ••• Having studied in Paris, Cambridge and London, he first drew critical acclaim for his concerts in the South Bank’s Park Lane Group Series, following which he made two CDs of music for cello and piano on the Guild label. He has since toured the world as a soloist, appearing frequently with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. Recent solo engagements include appearances at the BBC Proms, the MiTo international music festival in Turin, and “Cello Unwrapped” at Kings Place London. ••• Just before lockdown Tim recorded a new concerto written especially for him with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has recorded a further CD of cello and piano music with pianist and composer David Gompper which will be released this autumn. In addition, Tim is a member of the Fidelio piano trio and principal cellist of the London Sinfonietta, with whom he will play Ligeti’s cello concerto this October at London’s Southbank.

Known for her ‘supreme chamber-musical responsiveness’ (The Arts Desk), pianist Sophia Rahman has long championed the work of under-represented composers. ••• Sophia made the first UK recording of Florence Price’s piano concerto, for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She has made several discs of the work of female composers such as Rebecca Clarke and Dorothy Howell, her recordings of Howell’s works featuring in several episodes of BBC Radio 3’s Composer of the Week. ••• As Artistic Director of Whittington Music Festival since 2020 Sophia has worked with distinguished singers Mark Padmore and Roderick Williams and mentored some of the brightest instrumental and vocal talents of the younger generation. ••• Together with duo partner Andres Kaljuste, Sophia is committed to performing newly commissioned and undiscovered Estonian repertoire alongside the music of the celebrated Arvo Pärt, with whom the duo has enjoyed a long working association. The duo’s first disc of violin and piano music of Pärt’s composition teacher Heino Eller, recorded at the Arvo Pärt Centre, was released in 2024 to critical acclaim, and they have premiered a cluster of viola and piano works written/arranged especially for them, notably by Tõnu Kõrvits, Rasmus Puur and Mingo Rajandi. ••• Sophia played harpsichord in Chamber Domaine’s three-concert Brandenburg Project at Deal Festival in 2024, a series repeated at the Wigmore Hall in 2025. ••• Sophia has toured extensively, appearing at top festivals like Gstaad, IMS Prussia Cove, Kuhmo and Pärnu, and has collaborated with world-class musicians including Klaus Mäkelä, Augustin Hadelich and Steven Isserlis. ••• Sophia has played for Steven Isserlis’ class at IMS Prussia Cove since 2011, where she has also worked with Atar Arad, Kim Kashkashian, Thomas Riebl, Hartmut Rohde and Steven Doane. Her interest in this work originated as a class pianist for the legendary cellist and teacher William Pleeth at the Britten-Pears School. ••• After attending the Yehudi Menuhin School, Sophia took a first-class honours degree in English from King’s College, London, completing postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music and winning the Royal Overseas League’s collaborative and chamber music piano awards in consecutive years. ••• ‘the best Bartok Contrasts I ever expect to hear’ – David Nice in I’ll Think of Something Later

Emily has enjoyed an exciting, varied career to date, as both a collaborative musician and teacher. In 2018, she was the John Wilson Junior Fellow in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Northern College of Music having previously gained a Masters of Music with distinction under the tutelage of Dina Parakhina. This followed undergraduate study at the Royal College of Music, London, where, in 2011 as a major prize winner, she graduated with a first class honours degree. Emily has given many recitals at major London venues, including the Southbank Centre, Steinway Hall, and St. John’s Smith Square. She has also collaborated with orchestras in highly acclaimed performances of the Schumann, Grieg, Saint-Saëns 2nd, Mozart 24th and Beethoven 3rd and 4th piano concertos. In 2019, she was invited to perform in Moscow in a series of concerts celebrating the complete piano sonatas of Nikolai Medtner. ••• Aside from solo performance, Emily has always been extremely involved in chamber music, developing her skills under the guidance of distinguished tutors at Pro Corda, an International Chamber Music Academy for piano and strings in the UK. In 2019, Emily was also awarded a place to study as a répétiteur at the National Opera Studio on their Young Artists Training Programme, where her studies were generously supported by Help Musicians UK. ••• Emily has over fifteen years of teaching experience and in September 2022 she was delighted to be appointed as Head of Keyboard at Warwick School. Life in Warwick has so far been extremely busy and she is thoroughly enjoying the varied nature of her work, from organising fun piano days for the Junior boys, to inspiring and developing the most advanced musicians for performances. She is looking forward to taking up an additional post as Head of Music Scholars from next year.

Nicki Pearce studied cello at the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music and then taught at Westminster School, London and worked as a freelance cellist. ••• Nicki lives in North Wales and plays principal cello for Ensemble Cymru, Welsh Chamber Orchestra, Mid Wales Opera, Opra Cymru, North Wales Orchestra and Aberystwyth Choral Society. Nicki teaches all levels and ages privately, at Bangor University and at the Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias, where she also conducts the community adult orchestra and runs chamber music coaching. ••• When Nicki moved to North Wales in 2003 she decided to do her outdoor qualifications in First Aid, climbing, mountaineering, kayaking, canoeing, and gorge scrambling. Alongside her cello playing and teaching she then spent many years coaching groups of children and adults in these activities. Nicki has extensive experience looking after young people of all ages in relation to both the above activities and teaching. Nicki holds a current enhanced DBS certificate and a current First Aid certificate. ••• Nicki lives with her husband, two sons and two dogs and enjoys mountain walking, visiting castles and growing their own fruit and veg! ••• Nicki is looking forward to leading the pastoral care team on “Cello Dynamo” this year.