Instrumental 

Katy Bircher is established as a specialist of early flutes and, as such, has worked with most of the UK based early music groups in repertoire ranging from Dowland to Wagner.

She has enjoyed a busy touring career playing in the world’s most prestigious concert halls and visiting wonderful and exotic places across Europe, the Far East and the Americas.

Katy teaches baroque flute, both as a principal study and as an ensemble option. The flute is not only a beautiful instrument (more mellow and soulful than its modern counterpart), but gives us very clear information about how to approach 18^th century repertoire.

Alison Crum is one of the best-known British exponents of the viol. As teacher, performer, and moving spirit behind several well-known early music groups, she has travelled all over the world giving recitals and lectures and teaching on summer schools and workshops.

She has made over a hundred recordings with some of Britain's finest ensembles, notably with the Rose Consort of Viols.

Alison is the author of two highly acclaimed books on playing the viol, as well as a series of graded music books, and has been called the doyenne of British viol teachers.

She has a vast experience of teaching people at all levels, and will explain all the basics of playing in the first session so that you can play together in a consort from the very first day.

Hetti Price is quickly earning a reputation as an outstanding soloist, chamber musician and continuo player.  After studying at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where she won every available competition, she now performs regularly with period ensembles (including leading the Armonico Consort cellos).  She regularly performs in differing venues across the UK, which include intimate chamber music society venues, and larger establishments such as The Southbank Centre in London, and Birmingham Town Hall, and the Royal Albert Hall.

She plays a wide variety of period instruments including the baroque, classical and modern cello, the bass violin, the viola da gamba and the arpeggione and is involved in researching the bass violin and its role in England.  Hetti currently teaches at the University of Birmingham where she tutors students on the baroque cello, both on an individual level and in the university’s baroque-classical orchestra. 

Martyn Sanderson is a Birmingham based trombone player specialising in historical performance and working with many of the country’s leading early music ensembles. Highlights include US tours with The English Baroque Soloists playing in venues such as Carnegie Hall and a European tour with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment performing Bruckner’s 6th Symphony with Sir Simon Rattle.

As well as modern trombone tuition at UoB Martyn teaches individual sackbut lessons and runs the sackbut ensemble. Sessions explore instrumental and vocal music of the 16th and 17th centuries focusing on historical practices relating to articulation, ornamentation and interpretation of text.

One of Europe’s leading lutenists, Lynda appears on more than 100 commercial recordings, is principal lutenist with La Serenissima, Ex Cathedra, and the King’s Consort, directs the lute ensemble Chordophony, and works worldwide as a theorbo continuo player.  She holds a PhD for her work on continuo lutes, and has written for the New Grove, Early Music and Apollo, plus numerous pedagogic articles for the UK lute society. 

Lynda teaches lute, theorbo and baroque guitar, and runs continuo club, an informal class where we explore continuo playing - the key to two centuries of music! We start with simple harmony and bass lines, and learn to improvise in a stress-free fun way. Sessions are open to all, whether you sing or play a treble or bass instrument. Participants can bring music with a continuo part, or just bring your instrument and learn to play a continuo part, or improvise above it. 

Anneke Scott is a leading exponent of historical horn playing.  She is principal horn of a number of internationally renowned period instrument ensembles most notably Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and The English Baroque Soloists, ensemble Pygmalion, Dunedin Consort and the Irish Baroque Orchestra. She is artistic director of The Prince Regent’s Band and a member of harmoniemusik ensemble Boxwood and Brass. Anneke is the historical horn tutor at the Centre for Early Music Performance Research at the University of Birmingham, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music. www.annekescott.com.

After having musical education in Japan, Canada and in Germany, Miki has won the first prizes at two prestigious early music international competitions and started her career as a soloist/chamber musician.

Miki is currently the leader of Feinstein Ensemble, St. James’s Baroque and performs with her own ensemble, 2 to Link (Violin & Viola Duo) and Turini Ensemble. (More info at www.mikitakahashiviolin.com)

In the baroque violin group lessons and through the chamber orchestra coaching, I’d like you to expand your view of how to approach early music. We’ll learn how to play the baroque violin and the “language” of early music, which is vital for anyone who wishes to become an accomplished musician. This will help you to understand not only the baroque music but also the musical style which came after the baroque era.

Richard has played with the major UK period instrument ensembles and regularly tours to Europe and beyond. Highlights have included touring the three Monteverdi operas with Sir John Elliot Gardiner and Beethoven Ninth Symphony with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. 

Richard teaches natural trumpet and cornetto at the Royal College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Repertoire covered includes 17th century solos through to orchestral works of Bach and Handel. This repertoire can be studied using period or modern instruments, as requested, and mixed instrumentation chamber coaching in period performance is also available.

Yeo Yat-Soon studied Music and Historical Musicology at King’s College London, and Harpsichord and Conducting at the Guildhall School of Music, where he won the Raymond Russell Prize for Harpsichord.

He performs widely across the UK, France, Germany and the Far East. He has broadcast for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM radio and BBC1, BBC4 and Channel 4 television.

At the University of Birmingham, Yat-Soon teaches harpsichord, coaches chamber music, lectures on historical performance practice and leads a course on basso continuo.

He also holds regular informal classes giving opportunities for all students, regardless of subject or specialism, to perform on the wide variety of early keyboard instruments owned by the university.