GEORGE CLIFFORD  violin

George Clifford graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a BMus (First Class Honours) in Performance (violin) in 2009 and went on to study for an MA in baroque violin, achieving a distinction and the prestigious DipRAM for an outstanding final recital.

 

Whilst at the RAM George studied with Igor Petrushevski (modern violin), Simon Standage and Matthew Truscott (baroque violin). He also worked alongside various leading performers in the field of early music including Rachel Podger, Laurence Cummings and Margaret Faultless and notable conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Trevor Pinnock and the Late Sir Charles Mackerras. George took part in the RAM/Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata series from its inception in 2009, playing 2-3 cantatas once a month under the direction of Iain Ledingham. In his final term at the RAM George won the Nancy Nuttall Early Music Prize, playing the trio sonata from Bach’s Musical Offering.

 

Having participated in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s ‘OAE Experience’ scheme in 2011 George continues to perform with the orchestra. For the last four summers he has played at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, this year in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Other recent highlights have included the first ever period instrument performance of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony under Vladimir Jurowski, Weber's Der Freischütz with Sir Mark Elder to celebrate the orchestra's 30th birthday and a tour of South Korea and China performing Handel and Telemann with tenor Ian Bostridge.

 

George has also worked with the Gabrieli Consort and Players (appearing in the BBC documentary ‘Messiah at the Foundling Hospital), Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, English Concert, Early Opera Company and plays regularly with the Hanover Band, Classical Opera and La Nuova Musica.

 

George is concertmaster of the Amadè Players, an ensemble of young musicians dedicated to exploring forgotten repertoire from the 18th Century. He has twice featured with the ensemble on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, most recently in 2015 playing Ditters’ Concerto in C for two violins and first in 2012 giving the broadcast premiere of Vivaldi’s Sonata for violin and basso continuo RV.815. He also gave the London premiere of the Vivaldi sonata at the Foundling Museum, where the manuscript was discovered.

 

George’s enthusiasm and dedication to period performance have led him to establish himself as leader and fixer of Meridian Ensemble, a period instrument orchestra which performs with choirs in London and the South East of England. Repertoire includes Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C minor, Bach’s St John Passion, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Haydn’s Creation.

 

In 2013 George released the album ‘Ravishing Sweetenesse’ with record label Veterum Musica, featuring solo violin music by Baltzar, Biber, Westhoff, Telemann and Pisendel. Veterum Musica is the label of chamber ensemble Poeticall Musicke, of which George is a member. George also features on many of Poeticall Musicke’s albums, including as a singer in Monteverdi’s 'Il Ballo delle Ingrate'.

 

George also appears as a soloist on the Amadè Players' recently released debut album 'Forgotten Vienna', playing Waṅhal's violin concerto in Bb major and Ditters' Concerto in C for two violins.

 

George is a versatile musician, actively supporting local music. He is Deputy Organist at St Swithun’s parish church in East Grinstead and Musical Director of vocal ensemble Cantu Amici. He also sings various voice parts in choirs both national and local, including In Spiritu, London Orpheus Choir and Meridian Voices.

 

George is looking forward to returning to China with the Hanover Band in May 2017, and his first tour of the United States with the English concert in April.

 

George is extremely grateful to Ms. Hilary Weston for her generous financial support during his Masters course, and for the purchase of his baroque violin and period bows.

 

You can visit his website here: www.georgecliffordviolin.com