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 Oliver Coates attained the highest degree result in the Royal Academy of Music’s history and is currently undertaking an MPhil at New College, Oxford. He studies the cello with Colin Carr. Whilst at the Royal Academy, Oliver won the Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Prize, the Douglas Cameron Cello Prize, the May Mukle Cello Competition for his Elgar Concerto, the Montefiore Prize, the S & M Eyres Scholarship, the Louise Child Prize, a Foundation Award and a Vice-Principal’s Special Award. He has twice been awarded a ‘Star’ award by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, in addition to a Myra Hess Trust award and an Oxford Philomusica Research Grant, to which private organisations he is deeply indebted for their continued support.
Oliver made his London debut at the age of 15, with the Haydn C Major Concerto in St. John’s, Smith Square. Since then, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician around the world, including two solo tours of Japan. Olly is frequently invited to take part during international music festivals, such as the Manchester Cello Festival, the Chopin Festival in Paris, the Apeldoorn Chamber Music in the Netherlands and the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra Cello Festival. He was invited to take up a place on the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme by the Finnish cellist Anssi Kartunnen, working on Contemporary Performance and Composition under Magnus Lindberg and Diego Masson. He has given world premieres of works for solo cello written for him by Elena Firsova, Graham Williams and Stèphane Altier, and gave the UK premiere of Changing Light by Kaija Saariaho. Oliver is also member of a piano trio with Alexander Sitkovetsky and Danny Driver.
 Jakob Fichert is a sought after performer playing solo and chamber music recitals in the UK, Germany, Italy and other European countries. Jakob has performed in venues such as the Purcell Room and the Wigmore Hall. Some of his concerts have been live broadcast by various radio stations. Future chamber music recitals include performances in the Queen Elisabeth Hall and the Gasteig in Munich.
He studied at the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe with Wolfgang Manz, graduating with distinction before undertaking a postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music (RCM), studying with Yonty Solomon. He obtained a Masters Degree in Chamber Music and stayed on as a Junior Fellow at the RCM until 2003.
Jakob has won numerous prizes at international competitions both as a soloist and chamber musician. These include the Valentino Bucchi International Piano Competition for 20th century music in Rome, the Liza Fuchsowa Memorial Prize at the Royal-Overeas-League – best chamber music pianist, and the International Taneev Chamber Music Competition in Kaluga and Moscow – with Trio Belle Epoque.
Jakob’s wide ranging experience in educational work includes ‘Live Music Now!’ a scheme founded by Yehudi Menuhin, and workshops for GCSE and A-level students.
Oliver Coates and Jakob Fichert are appearing with the support of the Countess of Munster Musical Fund
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