Sinfonia ViVA - Lancaster International Concert Series

Sinfonia ViVA returns to The Great Hall, Lancaster University on Thursday 25th November at 7.30pm as part of the Lancaster International Concert Series. The concert is part of the Orchestra’s highly acclaimed Bright Lights series – designed to shine the musical spotlight on up and coming talent

Three accomplished young artists - Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano), So-Ock Kim (violin) and Thomas Carroll (cello) who have performed as soloists in the Nottingham-based series - will come together for the first time as soloists with the Orchestra for the Triple Concerto tour.

ViVA’s Principal Conductor Nicholas Kok explained: “The Triple Concerto tour is the culmination of the Bright Lights series which has received wide acclaim. We are particularly pleased to have been invited back to perform at Lancaster University where we made our debut last year – an important date which will join Chelmsford Civic Hall and Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall on the three-date tour”.

Nicholas Kok conductor

Since May 1996 Nicholas Kok has been Principal Conductor of ViVA, the orchestra of the East Midlands, with which he has performed a large and varied repertoire. In both the concert hall and the opera house he has conducted numerous world and British premieres.

Nicholas Kok also works frequently with the BBC Singers and Schola Cantorum of Oxford. He has recorded regularly for radio and television and has written and arranged music for both mediums, as well as working as assistant/banda conductor on numerous recordings for Opera Rara and Chandos.

So-Ock Kim - Violin

Born in Seoul in 1982, So-Ock Kim moved to London at the age of three. At the age of 15 she won the gold medal in the prestigious Shell/LSO Competition which led to a concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican.

Over the last year So-Ock has given critically acclaimed recitals at Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room and Queen’s Hall Edinburgh along with her debut at the Aldeburgh Festival and a recital at the Royal Festival Hall. Engagements during the 2003/04 season include return visits to Wigmore Hall, both as soloist and with the Emperor Piano Trio, recital and concerto appearances at Bridgewater Hall, and concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra and ViVA.

So-0ck plays a 1666 Antonius Stradivarius kindly loaned to her by an anonymous donor

Thomas Carroll - Cello

Born in Swansea, Thomas studied with Melissa Phelps at the Yehudi Menuhin School and with Heinrich Schiff in Austria. An exceptionally gifted cellist, he is one of only two artists who have auditioned successfully for both Young Concert Artists Trust in London (2000) and Young Concert Artists, Inc. in New York (2001).

Over the last year Thomas has made his Wigmore Hall debut and New York Concerto debut at the Alice Tully Hall to critical acclaim.

In America Thomas has given debut concerts in New York, Boston, Florida and Washington DC, along with a series of recitals in La Jolla, Kalamazoo and New Jersey.

Simon Crawford-Phillips – Piano

Equally at home in the role of soloist, accompanist and chamber musician Simon has built an astonishingly varied career, working with instrumentalists and singers and appearing as guest with the Nash Ensemble. Selected, as a BBC ‘New Generation Artist’ in 2000, Simon has since recorded extensively for Radio 3.

Bach Suite No.4, Beethoven Triple Concerto, Mozart Symphony No.39,

Haydn Symphony No.103, ’Drum Roll’

Box Office 01524 594151, Tickets: £16, £13, £10 (£12.50, £10.50, £8 concs.) Young person £5. Full details for the whole season are available at: www.lancasterconcerts.co.uk