THE BELL ENSEMBLE perform as part of the Inverness Town House Lunchtime Recital programme, organised by The Highland Council Education, Culture & Sport on Friday 8 December (1pm to 1.50pm) .

Admission is Free and donations are invited to Inverness Festival Association towards the running of the Inverness Music Festival.

The Bell Ensemble has been working together since 2005 after meeting as postgraduate students at the RSAMD. Since then they have performed concerts around Scotland; in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness. All three musicians Lesley Bell – clarinet, Fraser Gordon – bassoon, Fiona Macleod – piano are freelance players, based in Glasgow.

They will perform Saint Saens sonata for clarinet and piano, Poulenc’s sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon and the Glinka's ‘pathetique' trio.

Lesley Bell grew up in Fife, and was a pupil at the Junior Academy of Music in Glasgow with Alison Waller. After two years at Napier University in Edinburgh she went on to do the BA Music course at the RSAMD in 1999. She studied with Yann Ghiro, Joe Pacewicz and John Cushing, and graduated with a First Class Honours in 2003.

Lesley now combines teaching at Aberdeen City Music School and St. George's School for Girls in Edinburgh with a freelance career. She has performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Fraser Gordon was born and educated in Edinburgh, talking violin lessons at the age of nine and taking up the bassoon in secondary school. After graduating in July 2002 from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with a BA in Musical Studies with violin as his first instrument, Fraser decided to continue his bassoon studies at the Academy and is currently in his Honours year of the BMus (Performance) course studying with Janet Bloxwich, David Hubbard and Alan Warhurst.

Fraser is in demand as an Animateur for projects across Scotland including RSAMD Youthworks, Sound Inventors and Children’s Classic Concerts. In 2005 Fraser was selected to participate in the 2005/06 RSNO Apprenticeship Scheme and was successful in winning the RSAMD Mozart Concerto Competition, creating the opportunity to perform as a soloist in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the RSAMD Symphony Orchestra. He has played professionally with the RSNO .

Fiona Macleod grew up in Inverness, moving to Edinburgh in 1997 to study music at Napier University. Three years later she transferred to the RNCM in Manchester to complete a B Mus Degree. She studied with Kathryn Stott and in 2002 she won the European Piano Teachers Association Pedagogy Prize. She then stayed on for a further year and completed a postgraduate diploma in accompaniment with John Gough and won the Stella Bradshaw award in accompaniment.

In 2003 Fiona moved to Glasgow and was a Junior Fellow Accompanist at the RSAMD for two years. She studied with Fali Pavri and gained a PGDip in Advanced Accompaniment and won the accompanist prize in 2004.

Fiona is now a freelance pianist/accompanist and also teaches at the RSAMD and RSAMD Junior Academy. She is also the pianist of the Ebony Duo (clarinet and piano), which is in the ‘Live Music Now!’ scheme.


For further information please contact:

Adrian Clark

Arts Officer

Education, Culture & Sport

01463 724261


Adrian Clark
Arts Officer (Inverness Area)
Community Learning and Leisure
Education, Culture & Sport
The Highland Council
Town House
Inverness IV1 1JJ
01463 724261

adrian.clark@highland.gov.uk

http://www.highland.gov.uk/leisure/arts/


Highland 2007: the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture www.highland2007.com

Gaidhealtachd 2007: a' bhliadhna a chomharraicheas Alba cultar na Gaidhealtachd www.highland2007.com