2001/02 Season's Concerts
Eighteenth Season

ALEXANDRA WOOD Violin   Click here for the Programme Programme Notes Press Review SILVIA FRASER  Accompanist

ALEXANDRA WOOD

Alexandra was born in Berkshire in 1977. At the age of 16, she won a place at the Royal College of Music and, having received her ACRM diploma, continued her education at Selwyn College, Cambridge. She graduated with first-class honours, with distinction in Music and the Donald Wort University Prize in 1998. As the President Emerita Scholar at the Royal College of Music, she received a Distinction for her Advanced Postgraduate Performance Diploma. From September 2000, she will take up the Mills Williams Junior Fellowship at the RCM. She studies with Itzhak Rashkovsky

She won 1st prizes at the Haverhill Sinfonia International Soloists Competition and the International Young Musicians Platform in 1999, and 2nd prizes at the 11 International Yampolsky Violin Competition in Russia in 1999 (also winning the Bach Diploma) and at the LASMO Staffa International Music Award 2000.  She was also a prize winner at the Lipizer International Violin Competition 1995, Thames Valley Young Musicians Platform 1999 and the Tunbridge Wells International Young Concert Artists Competition 2000.  In February 2000, she was selected for the Tillett Trust Young Artists Platform.

Alexandra has received prestigious awards from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust (receiving the coveted "Star' award), Myra Hess Trust, Martin Musical Scholarship Trust and the Allcard Grant Fund.  She was the principal prizewinner in the Harriet Cohen Memorial Music Award 1998, the Emily English Violin Award 1999 and winner of the Emanuel Hurwitz Prize for Outstanding UK String Performers 2000.

She has given solo performances at various festivals, including Cheltenham, at venues such as the Fairfield Halls and St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and has broadcast live on Classic FM and BBC Radio 3. She was the Concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestra of Gt.  Britain (1 993-94) and has led numerous other orchestras under conductors such as Lorin Maazel and Sir Colin Davis.  At the RCM, she leads the Chamber Ensemble, is a member of the prestigious Premier Ensemble and was selected for the London Symphony Orchestra Strings Scheme.

Alexandra gained scholarships for masterclasses with Grigory Zhislin, Mauricio Fuks and for intensive study at the Keshet Eilon course in 1999.  She has also participated in masterclasses with Vanya Milanova, Sylvia Rosenberg, Yfrah Neaman, Victor Danchenko, Zvi Zeitlin and Igor Oistrakh.  Alexandra plays the violin made by C.F. Landolfi of 1767, on loan from the Royal College of Music.  

SILVIA FRASER

Silvia Fraser completed her Masters of Music in Piano Accompanying & Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music, studying with Dr. Jean Barr and Dr. Russell Miller. There she was twice awarded the school's Excellence in Accompanying Award, as well as holding the Graduate Pianist's Award. Whilst at Eastman, she successfully proposed the idea of an Accompanying Internship for young musicians as they enter the professional world. She is currently in her second year of the Goodhew Scott Junior Fellowship at the Royal College of Music.

Born in Vancouver, Silvia Fraser graduated from the Vancouver Academy of Music with a BMus in Solo Piano and winning all available accompanying prizes, for both instrumental and vocal partnerships. Silvia has been a regular teaching assistant at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival and a departmental assistant to Anne Epperson at Music Academy of the West. Among the courses and societies she has played for are the Banff Centre, the Holland Music Sessions, the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, and the Vancouver Cello Club. This last organization granted her the first Colin Hampton Memorial Scholarship for her contribution to the cello community. Masterclass experience includes playing for Zara Nelsova, Yo-Yo Ma, Samuel Sanders, Cho-Liang Lin, Malcom Bilson, Natalya Gutman, Sarah Walker, and Warren Jones.

Silvia's performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio Vancouver, WXXI Rochester, BBC Radio 3 and BBC2 television. She has performed internationally, visiting Canada, the USA, Mexico, Holland, Norway, Germany, Spain, and the UK. She is accompanist to the cellist, Guy Johnston, winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2000.

As a Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music, Silvia has chosen to concentrate on giving instrumental duo coaching - a counterpart to the coaching singers receive from pianists - as well as vocal accompanying (where her fluency in French and Spanish are particularly valuable) and devising recital programmes. To this end, Silvia has been awarded a prestigious Wingate Scholarship for the year 2001-2002.

Future plans include a Masterclass in Wigmore Hall with Thomas Hampson, concerts with the Royal College's Premiere Ensemble, duo recitals throughout the UK and France, and a concert tour of Southern Spain.