Angélique Lihou
Born in Guernsey, Angélique Lihou entered the Purcell School in 2003 where she studied with Michal Kaznowski, and is a pupil of Alice Neary at the Royal College of Music. She has appeared as concerto soloist with the Guernsey Youth Orchestra in 2003, performing Haydn's Concerto in Guernsey and on tour in Sydney, Australia. In 2007 Angélique performed Saint-Saens' Concerto No.1 with the St. James Sinfonia. She has performed at The Purcell Room as part of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' birthday celebration concerts and premiered a piano trio by Isa Khan at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. She has performed at St John's Smith Square, Dukes Hall and the Barbican. With Channel Island Orchestras she has performed at the Royal Festival Hall as well as touring the USA and Sydney. Angélique has been principal cello of the RCM Sinfonietta, and is currently principal cello of the London Irish Symphony Orchestra, which recently performed at the Cadogan Hall. Angélique enjoys collaborating with composers, having premiered pieces by Edward Southall at The Warehouse for the Park Lane Group and with Natalie Clein in an RCM composer/cellist project. She also plays the electric cello for pop singer Karen Bishko. In December, they supported Take That at the O2 Arena and MEN Arena on their 'Beautiful World' Tour.
Daniel Burrowes
Daniel began playing the cello at the age of 5 at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. During his time at St Olave's Grammar School, Orpington, he sang in the choir of the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy, while continuing his instrumental studies at the Kent Centre for Young Instrumentalists in Maidstone, the county's specialist music school, where his father is Head of Strings. He was a member of the Kent County Youth Orchestra from 2001-2007. This youth orchestra is widely regarded as being one of the finest in England, and Daniel was Principal Cello in his last 2 years. Since July 2007, he has been a regular deputy in the London production of Phantom of the Opera, and he is now beginning to build up his professional freelance work. In June 2007, he was awarded a 2:1 degree in Music at Leeds University, which included a first in his final cello performance. During his 3 years at Leeds, his cello teachers were Anna Shuttleworth and Sue Lowe. Whilst at Leeds, he played the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto with the Leeds University Chamber Orchestra and he was principal cello for the Leeds University Philharmonia, and co-principal of the Leeds University Union Chamber Orchestra. He also played chamber music with many ensembles including Piano Trios and String Quartets. Both his parents are professional cellists and Daniel has played on a number of professional dates with his father in the past 2 years. At one of these, they appeared as the soloists in the Vivaldi Double Concerto. He is currently in his second year as a postgraduate student at Trinity College of Music where he is studying for a Masters degree in Cello. His cello teacher is Joely Koos. This course also includes modules related to teaching. His most recent concerto performance was as soloist in the Haydn C major concerto in November 2008. This was recorded, and the CD will be available shortly. Daniel has recently been accepted on to the Artists Certificate Course at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, where he will study from September 2009 with Andres Diaz. Daniel plays on a fine old Scottish cello, made by Matthew Hardie in Edinburgh 1810.
Maral Mohammadi
Maral Mohammadi was born and grew up in Tehran, Iran. She started music at the age of 5 playing the Violin but at 11 she changed her instrument to cello under the guidance of Davood Djafari at Tehran's Music School (for girls). She was the youngest member of Tehran's Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16 and Tehran's Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 15. She soon started to discover her passion about composition and started having lessons at the age of 13 with Alireza Mashayekhi, one of the masters of Iranian contemporary music. Her pieces were played at seminars in music universities and colleges soon after that as an example of a young composer's music. Maral came to London for further study and she finished her BMus degree with Honors at Trinity College of music under guidance of David Kenedy for cello and Dr Stephen Montague for composition. During her four years at TCM she was active in many different projects, as well as performing with musicians all over the UK. She formed the free improvisation band 'Book of Play' on her 2nd year at college and performed in number of events inside and outside the college. Collaborating with dancers as a cellist and as a composer is another side of her projects. At the moment she is playing with various bands and ensembles from classical music to steam punk. She is also organising performances for her own compositions.
Charlie Francis - Associate Member
Charlie Francis' musical education began at the age of 10 when she began studying the Clarinet. At the age of 13 she decided to change instruments and began learning the Double Bass with John Summerfield through Kent Music School. During her time at the Dartford Girls Grammar School, Charlie was highly active in the school's music scene, performing as part of the orchestra and baroque ensemble as well as the Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Dartford Symphony Orchestra, the Darenth Valley Wind Band and the Phoenix Jazz Group based in Eynesford. During her sixth-form studies, she began to take part in some double bass teaching, assisting on the Red Rooster String Project at the Dartford Grammar School, a string project bringing free instrumental lessons and general musicianship to underprivileged children in the Dartford area, funded by Sir Mick Jagger. She also began to teach privately. Charlie is currently taking a gap year, after which she intends to apply to music colleges.