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The Rivoli Quartet was formed at the Manchester University
Music Department in 1999 where the players met, having been awarded 'McMyn' scholarships to study both individually and as an ensemble with the Lindsay Quartet.
The name derives from the converted 'Rivoli' Theatre in which the
music department was housed.
They entered the Royal Northern College of Music in 2002 to study
for postgraduate diplomas in performance. While at the RNCM, they
were coached by the Head of Chamber Music, Dr Christopher Rowland, and
also had lessons and masterclasses with members of the Endellion,
Sorrel and Johnston Quartets. Marianne Yeomans joined the quartet in
September 2003 when she arrived at RNCM, having previously graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium.
The Rivoli Quartet gave a performance of Beethoven Op.135 in the
RNCM Quartetfest 2004, and achieved second prize in the 2003 RNCM
Terence Weil Prize (playing Haydn Op.74 no.3 'The Rider' and
Shostakovich 8th Quartet), and the 2004 RNCM Hirsch Prize for
Beethoven.
This summer, they toured Normandy, playing music by Haydn,
Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Barber and Bacewicz. They
followed this with a concert in the Loire valley, France (where they
regularly play in a young professionals concert series), and a
performance at the Ross-on-Wye International Festival. In September,
the Rivoli Quartet were invited to participate in the 28th
International �Masterclasses for String Quartets' course at the
Britten-Pears School, Suffolk, where they received private coaching
and public masterclasses from Margaret Faultless, Alasdair Tait and
Simon Rowland-Jones.
The members of the quartet all play on instruments by English makers: Emma Wragg plays a William Hill of 1912 and Helen Tonge a George Pyne dating
from 1888. Marianne Yeomans' viola is of the Panormo School, 1848,
and Helen Downham's 'cello is a copy of a Ruggieri made by Melvin
Goldsmith in 2000.
Click here to find out more about the players.
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