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 Daniel Roberts / violin
Dorin Tuca / violin
Ruth Gibson / viola
Paul Grennan / cello
Programme for 5 October 2008
The Roberts String Quartet was founded in September 2005 by undergraduate students at the RNCM. Under the guidance of Christopher Rowland and Alasdair Tait, it has already performed in concerts across the north of England and Wales and in masterclasses with such eminent musicians as Thomas Riebl, Catherine Yates, Andrew Watkinson, and the Danel and New Zealand String Quartets. Having made its public debut at the 2006 Sovietfest (performing Shostakovich’s Thirteenth String Quartet), the quartet will perform Dvorak’s “American” Quartet at the 2007 festival. The following summer they have been invited by Hugh Maguire to attend the 10th International Course for Young String Players in Italy. Solo accolades include many competition victories in Romania and Ireland, as well as recitals and concertos in such venues as Hong Kong City Hall and the National Concert Hall in Dublin. In a chamber music capacity, between them the ensemble has amassed concerts at the Wigmore and Conway halls, and St. John’s, Smith Square, as well as classes with Mstislav Rostropovich. In December 2006, the quartet was awarded the prestigious RNCM Nossek prize.
Daniel Llewellyn Roberts, 20, is currently a second year undergraduate student at the RNCM, where he studies violin with Jan Repko and chamber music with Christopher Rowland and Alasdair Tait. Having began his music studies at Lochaber Music School he attended St. Mary's Music School from 2001-2005, studying with Nigel Murray. He has given chamber music recitals in St. John's, Smith Square, and the Conway and Duke's Halls in London as well as across the UK and the Czech Republic with Pro Corda and the award-winning Howarth and Roberts Quartets.
With orchestra, he has appeared as soloist in the concerti of Bruch (G minor), Prokofiev (G minor) and Beethoven, as well as numerous performances of double concerti by Bach and Vivaldi. He was also a finalist in this year’s RNCM concerto award. In 2006 he made his debut in the Far East, giving a solo recital in Hong Kong City Hall. Daniel has appeared to critical acclaim in the last four RNCM chamber music festivals, as well as with the Edinburgh Quartet in the 2006 Loch Shiel Festival. He is also a keen director, both with violin and baton, and has appeared in this capacity in venues such as the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh. Daniel has recently been invited to lead the RNCM Chamber Orchestra and the Chester Philharmonic Orchestra, and will appear as soloist with the RNCM Baroque ensemble.
Dorin Gheorghe Tuca began studying the violin at the age of 7 in his native Romania, where he has won many prestigious competitions. He also attended the Pro Corda chamber music courses from the age of 10, and performed the Bach Concerto for Two Violins with Daniel aged 15. For his final two years of school he studied at London’s Purcell School. He is currently taught by Yuri Torchinsky, leader of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ruth Gibson, 20 began her musical studies in her native Ireland at the age of 5, studying the violin with Maria Kelemen. At 12 she started learning the viola and it soon became her principal instrument, studying with Prof. Ronald Masin. Ruth has won many solo and chamber cups in the Irish Feis Ceoil including the repertoire, concerto, viola solo and chamber competitions. In December 2003 and 2004 she performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Young European Strings Chamber Orchestra in Dublin's National Concert Hall. In the summer of 2004, Ruth came runner-up at the European String Teachers Association Young Musician of the Year in Rotterdam.
Ruth started her BMus studies at the RNCM in September 2005. She is currently studying with Predrag Katanic and receives lessons from the visiting tutor Thomas Riebl every term. Ruth is an active chamber musician, playing and performing in many orchestras and chamber groups throughout the year. As a member of the Roberts String Quartet, she has taken part in many masterclasses with the Endellion, New Zealand and Australian String quartets.
Paul Grennan, also from the Republic of Ireland, started the cello aged 10, learning with Ashling Drury Byrne. Last year he won the prestigious Senior Concerto Competition in Ireland. Both he and Ruth have, for the past few years, attended the Xenia Ensemble course in Italy where they received tuition from Mstislav Rostropovich. They have also won the Senior Chamber Music Prize in Ireland. Paul studies with the eminent soloist Karine Georgian.
The Roberts Quartet appears by kind permission of the RoyalNorthernCollege of Music, www.rncm.ac.uk
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