Press Release November 2020

City Music Foundation Announces the 2020 CMF Artists

19th November 2020

City Music Foundation is pleased to announce the ten artists joining the CMF Artist Programme as ‘2020 CMF Artists’

Antoine Préat (), Elina Buksha (violin), George Fu (piano), Margarita Balanas (cello), Nishla Smith (jazz singer), Reylon Yount (Yangqin), Richard Robbins (tenor), Richard Scholfield (classical saxophone), Rozanna Madylus (mezzo-soprano), Sian Dicker (soprano).

Chosen from over 140 applicants, these ten successful artists were selected through a series of stages culminating in a final live audition to be part of the 8th consecutive intake joining CMF's innovative two-year programme. The judges included Ian Ritchie (Chairman), Simon Haram, James Gilchrist, Tasmin Little, Julius Drake, Jeremy Summerly & Howard Williams. The live auditions were originally due to take place in June 2020, however due to COVID restrictions, the second round auditions were pushed back to September and took place over two days in the elegant surroundings of 22, Mansfield Street, famous for wonderful salon concerts, with plenty of space to comply with government Covid-19 guidance in place at the time.

Managing Director of CMF, Clare Taylor says: 'We are thrilled to announce this exceptional group of emerging professional musicians to become 2020 CMF Artists. At a time that is so challenging for performers, we are pleased to be in a position to take more artists than in any previous year – a testament to the outstanding calibre of applicants, as well as the current need to help musicians perhaps more than ever before. We very much look forward to working with them and welcoming them to the CMF family'

Current and previous CMF artists include pianist Tsoy, Ligeti Quartet, violinist Emily Sun, guitarist Andrey Lebedev, pianist Iyad Sughayer, mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, jazz double-bassist Misha Mullov Abbado and accordionist Bartosz Glowacki.

www.citymusicfoundation.org @CityMusicF Registered Charity No. 1148641 Antoine Préat, Piano Described as ‘one of the most talented artists of his generation’ (), the Franco-Belgian pianist Antoine Preat is in great demand as a soloist and chamber musician. In his early twenties, he regularly performs in European venues including , , Paris Beaux Arts Museum and Frederik Chopin Institute. He also appeared on BBC Radio 3 and France Musique. Prize winner at the New York Debut Piano Competition, Antoine has received numerous awards including the Philip and Dorothy Green, the Munster Butler, Hattori Foundation and Winifred Christie Trust Awards. After graduating from the Ecole Normale in Paris, Antoine completed his studies at the under the tutelage of Tatiana Sarkissova and Christopher Elton. He has received guidance from Carole Cesari, Andreas Staier, , Robert www.antoinepreat.com Levin, Richard Goode and Imogen Cooper. Antoine is releasing his debut-album “Polyphony” with Ulysses Arts in Autumn 2020.

“Highly persuasive in technical agility and individuality”, Elina Buksha possesses “capacity Elina Buksha, Violin for fantasy and storytelling” The Strad Magazine - Winner of the 2012 Latvian Great Music Award, Elina has regularly performed across Europe: Festival de Wallonie, International Music Festival in Yaroslavl, Rheingau Musik Festival, Rencontres Musicales d’Évian and Marvao International Music Festival. An active chamber musician, Elina has collaborated with artists such as Maria João Pires, Midori, , Frank Braley, Gary Hoffman, , Gérard Caussé, Roby Lakatos, the and Calidore . As a concerto soloist, she has appeared with international including I Virtuosi del Teatro alla Scala, Latvian National Symphony , Sinfonietta Riga, Sinfonia Varsovia, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, Musica Viva Chamber Orchestra and Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra. Graduated from the Hochschule für Musik in München and the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel, Elina is currently studying with the violinist Midori and plays a 1723 Domenico Montagnana violin, on loan to her by the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel.

George Fu, Piano Described by the Boston Music Intelligencer as a “heroic piano soloist” with “stunning virtuosity”, George Xiaoyuan Fu is establishing a reputation as a captivating, versatile performer with distinctive intelligence and sensitivity. He has performed as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Music Center Orchestra and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with conductors such as , Stefan Asbury, Kensho Watanabe, and Vinay Parameswaran. As an active composer and performer of contemporary music, George has collaborated with eminent composers including Krzysztof Penderecki, Harrison Birtwistle, Tansy Davies, Philip Cashian, George Lewis, Unsuk Chin, Matthew Aucoin, and Freya Waley-Cohen. He is also regularly invited to conduct various projects and is an active chamber musician. He studied at Harvard www.georgefupiano.com University, the Curtis Institute of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, where he is currently the Hodgson Piano Fellow

www.citymusicfoundation.org @CityMusicF Registered Charity No. 1148641 Margarita Balanas, cello Latvian cellist Margarita Balanas is one of the most exciting and versatile artists of her generation. Margarita made her solo debut at Wigmore Hall at age 17 and has performed on worldwide stages including , Berliner Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Foundation Louis Vuitton and Walt Disney Hall. As a concerto soloist, she has appeared with the Israel Camerata, Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Saarbrucken Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filharmonica Marchigiana, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and Lithuanian National Orchestra. Regular guest artist on Classic FM, Scala Radio and BBC Radio 3, Margarita has recently been invited by Anne-Sophie Mutter to tour with the Mutter Virtuosi across South America. Honorary Patrons of BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, Margarita and her sister Kristine have lately performed the Brahms Double Concerto at the Berliner Philharmonie. Margarita has collaborated with eminent artists including Anne-Sophie Mutter, Lynn Harrell, Trevor Pinnock, , Paul Daniel, Sir Mark Elder, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Peteris Vasks and Carlos Izcaray. She plays the www.margaritabalanas.com Charles Adolphe Gand Auguste Tolbecque 1849 cello on loan to her by the Little Butterfly Foundation.

Nishla Smith, Jazz Singer “Classic songwriting worthy of the great American songbook, suffused with a skewed, haunted quality” NorthRecognised for her imaginative storytelling and musical sensitivity, Nishla Smith is passionate about telling stories to her audiences throughout her diverse array of projects. In 2020, her show ‘What happened to Agnes’ co-produced by Opera North and created in collaboration with visual artist Luca Shaw and pianist Tom Harris toured across the UK with the support from Arts Council . After the success of ‘Agnes’, Nishla and her collaborators formed Ulita, cross-disciplinary arts collective focused on creating music-driven theatre. Awarded the ‘Developing Your Creative Practice’ grant, Ulita is working on a new show ‘Sister’ selected as part of Mercury Music Developments’ BEAM, a showcase of new British musical theatre. Nishla regular performs with the Nishla Smith Quintet, past resident at Sage Gateshead. Her recent concerts www.nishlasmith.com included Manchester, Lancaster Jazz Festivals, NQ Jazz and the Vortex. The Quintet will release their debut album in 2021.

Reylon Yount, Yangqin Reylon is an inventive yangqin performer and songwriter creating an intersection between Chinese and American cultures. As a biracial Chinese American, Reylon began learning yangqin as a way to stay connected to his heritage. In 2014, he became the first person from North America to compete professionally in China, where he won a silver prize at the Baotou International Yangqin Arts Competition. The 25-year-old Silkroad artist has performed internationally on stages including TED 2016, Lincoln Center and Xinghai Concert Hall. He was featured alongside Yo-Yo Ma on the 2016 GRAMMY Award-winning record, SING ME HOME. His EP SUN 陽, served as the soundtrack of 2019 Sundance Award- winning short film, RENEEPOPTOSIS. Having spent most of his career as a musical nomad, Reylon is beginning to build a home of his own through songwriting and improvisation. He www.reylonmusic.com co-directs Tangram – an artist collective creating new music to transcend the China-West divide. A Harvard College graduate and Marshall Scholar, Reylon hopes to inspire audiences to embrace multiplicity and discover their own nomadic paths by listening within.

www.citymusicfoundation.org @CityMusicF Registered Charity No. 1148641 Richard Robbins, Tenor

'Richard Robbins’s Madwoman broke the pattern, shaking with emotion, the effect was powerful.' Richard Bratby, The SpectatorLauded for his dramatic interpretation of the Madwoman, tenor Richard Robbins has great experience in performing and including Dove’s An Unknown Soldier, Bach’s and Haydn’s the Seasons. He was recently invited to perform Handel’s L’Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato with Leeds Baroque. Young artist for Brighton Early Music, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Lieder and Handel House, Richard has benefited from the guidance of , Laurence Cummings, Ann Murray, Sir , and Roger Vignoles. Eager collaborator, his past projects include a concert/reading commemorating the end of WW1 for the Summer Music in City Churches Festival with Guy Murgatroyd and Jo Blake-Cave and www.richardrobbinstenor.com other works involving other art forms. Lately, Richard has performed with Philharmonia Voices, Southbank Sinfonia and the . Choral Scholar of the Choir of Royal Holloway, Richard graduated from the Royal Academy of Music.

Richard Scholfield, Classical Saxophone

“Its highlight being Richard Scholfield’s silken saxophone solo in The Old Castle.” Ken Walton The ScotsmanWinner of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland concerto competition, the Scottish saxophonist Richard Scholfield shows the quality of a rising star. His exploration of the sound, repertoire and his genuine connection with his audiences make him the most exciting saxophonist of his generation. While rooted into the European traditions of the saxophone, Richard enjoys playing with the contemporary edge of the British and American musical styles. Multi-awards winner, he received the Governors’ Recital Prizes for woodwind and and the Sibelius Essay Prize. Skilled arranger, Richard always finds opportunities to enrich the saxophone repertoire. As a soloist, Richard has appeared with the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, the Kelvin Ensemble and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has received guidance from Claude Delangle, Vincent Davide, Christian Wirth, Daniel Gauthier, Mariano Garcia and Joonatan Rautiola. Graduated from the Royal Conservatoire under the tutelage of Josef Pacewicsz and Arno Bornkamp, Richard is an active chamber musician

Rozanna Madylus, Mezzo-Soprano

Described as having “an engaging stage presence” (The Daily Telegraph) and giving “compelling performances, offering fluid line and gripping conviction” (Opera Magazine), British-Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Rozanna Madylus has appeared on international stages including Garsington Opera, Birmingham Opera Company, Wexford Festival Opera, Waterperry Opera Festival and Festival d’Aix en Provence. Active recitalist, she performed at Wolfson Hall, The Holywell Music Room, Kings Place, The Mendelssohn-Remise Berlin, The Prokofiev Hall in the Mariinsky Theatre and the St Petersburg Philharmonic. Graduated from the Royal Academy Opera Course and young artist of the Berlin Opera Academy, Accademia and Oxford Lieder Festival, Rozanna’s future engagements include Forester’s Wife - Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen for Longborough Festival Opera and Cordelia/The www.rozannamadylus.com Fool in John Casken’s world premiere of The Shackled King. Her recording of Kokoschka’s Doll with Sir John Tomlinson and Counterpoise is available on Champs Hill Records.

www.citymusicfoundation.org @CityMusicF Registered Charity No. 1148641 Siân Dicker, Soprano Recent winner of the Singers Prize at the 68th ROSL Annual competition, soprano Siân Dicker has been praised for her colourful interpretations. Graduated from the opera course at GSMD, she won numerous competitions including the 2017 Voice of the Future competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, the 2018 Hurn Court Opera singing competition, the 2019 Patricia Routledge English National Song (second prize) and the 2020 Clonter Opera Prize (runner up). Winner of the Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform, she has recently appeared with Krystal Tunnicliffe at the 2020 Oxford Lieder Festival. Recent operatic roles have included: Amaranta/Diana (La fedeltà premiata) and Venus (Venus and Adonis) for Guildhall Opera and Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte) for Hurn Court Opera. Siân premiered the role of Observer 1 in a new commission, The Angel Esmeralda, written by Lliam Paterson (Guildhall Opera -Scottish Opera). 2020 Alvarez Young Artist, Siân was invited to cover the www.siandicker.com role of the Foreign Princess at Garsington Opera this summer. She is a Live Music Now musician and a Help Musicians UK Sybil Tutton Award holder.

www.citymusicfoundation.org @CityMusicF Registered Charity No. 1148641 About City Music Foundation

CMF’s mission is ‘turning talent into success’. We select exceptional professional musicians at the start of their careers, when managing ‘the business of music’ can be a challenge, and support them with a comprehensive career development programme. We arrange mentoring, run workshops, do agency and management, make CDs, videos and websites, commission new music, secure airtime on BBC Radio 3 and promotion online, in print and on social media, and put on recitals and concerts.

CMF Alumni tell us of the many ways CMF has helped them become visible, develop networks and gain recognition during the very fragile early stages of their professional careers. Our aim is that CMF artists are ready for four decades or more of contributing to society’s culture and wellbeing – reaching hundreds of thousands of people through live performance, CDs, streaming, broadcasts, teaching and mentoring - giving back a thousand fold what CMF has given them.

During Covid-19 CMF has continued to deliver the CMF Artists programme delivering 14 workshops on Zoom with music industry leaders, commissioning music, websites and CDs, setting up a Hardship Fund, and curating and producing 13 live-streamed recitals from St Pancras Clock Tower.

CMF is committed to developing its artists and securing future of high quality live and recorded music. We want to engage and excite new, diverse audiences with multi-arts performances, newly commissioned works paired with older music, and unusual venues.

Applications to become a 2021 CMF artist will open in February 2021, please go to www.citymusicfoundation.org/apply for further details

www.citymusicfoundation.org @CityMusicF Registered Charity No. 1148641