Ariella Strings

About the musicians		Each member of Ariella Strings is a highly experienced and accomplished performer in their own right, within the quartet, trio and duo and also with other professional ensembles. We all perform with professional orchestras all over the country and give formal recitals. For Ariella Strings we form various groups for concerts, functions and weddings. These include: string trio, string quartet and string duo.


		John Bass - viola John studied viola with John White and Stephen Shingles at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has played with various professional orchestras throughout the United Kingdom and internationally, as well as performing in chamber ensembles. John’s special interests are arranging music for chamber groups and conducting.

		Freddie Collarbone- 'cello Freddie studied both at the Royal Academy of Music, London and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, Glasgow. She has worked as a fulltime cellist with many of the country's orchestras such as the Ulster Orchestra, Scottish Baroque Ensemble and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Freddie now freelances across the United Kingdom and is a member of various chamber ensembles giving recitals and playing for functions.

		Cheryl Agnew-Bass- violin Cheryl studied violin with Yossi Zivoni at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. After graduating in 1989 she worked fulltime for six years with the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in Durban, South Africa. Since returning to England Cheryl has freelanced with professional orchestras across the United Kingdom and in Europe, including Ulster Orchestra, London Bach Orchestra, Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra, New Queens Hall Orchestra and Milton Keynes City Orchestra. Alongside her freelance orchestral commitments Cheryl performs with Ariella Strings, giving recitals and playing for functions.

		Mandy Britton - violin Mandy studied at the Royal Academy of Music.On leaving the Academy she joined the D'oyley Carte opera company followed by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Northern Chamber Orchestra and most recently the B.B.C. Philharmonic Orchestra. She moved to Kimpton in Hertfordshire 6 years ago with her family and now regularly freelances with various orchestras and is a member of the Laurel String quartet.

		Katy Barnes - violin Katy Barnes was brought up in Milton Keynes and started her musical training at Stantonbury Music Centre, learning with Ruth Gapp. She went on to be taught by Diana Cummings and Peter Cropper, studying music at Manchester University and then the Royal Northern College of Music. After her studies she got the job of Principal 2nd violin at Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra. She now lives in Harpenden with her family, freelancing and teaching and is a regular player with MKCO.

		Fiona Robertson - violin Fiona Robertson studied Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music with Richard Deakin going on to a freelance career in the North of England. She moved down to Bedfordshire in 1999 and has been a full time member with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia since 2001. Fiona enjoys playing in various small chamber groups in the surrounding area.

		Rachel Sanders-Hewett - 'cello Rachel Sanders-Hewett studied Music at the University of Birmingham, where she was awarded both the Barber Undergraduate Prize and the Roland Gregory Prize. She graduated with first class honours in 2003 and went on to study cello with Sally Pendlebury and baroque cello with Alison McGillivray at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She regularly leads the cello sections of both the Bartholdy Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of St Paul’s, Covent Garden, and freelances with many other orchestras and chamber ensembles.

		Rachel Stacy - viola Rachel has just completed her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she was awarded a scholarship. She was principal viola of the RWCMD Opera Orchestra, co-principal in the Symphony Orchestra, and also played in the String Ensemble and a Piano Quintet. She has been awarded placements with both the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Welsh National Opera, and is also a member of the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. She will shortly begin a postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music, where she will continue her studies with Jon Thorne.

		David Knight - 'cello David studied the ‘cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the eminent professor Stefan Popov. He graduated with Honours, was awarded the Libotton Memorial ‘cello Prize and led sections in both Symphony and Opera orchestras. David’s career has varied greatly since then from to teacher to cellist, conductor in both theatre and concert hall plus a stint in management. He is a well known and respected ‘cello teacher and can regularly be found freelancing as an orchestral player in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. David is much in demand both as chamber musician and concerto soloist having recently performed the Haydn, Saint Saens and Brahms Double concertos.

		Julie MacRae - violin Julie MacRae studied Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music with Malcolm Layfield. After Graduating in 2007 Julie spent two years as Head of strings at Kampala Music School, Uganda developing the string department. Whilst in Uganda Julie gave many solo recitals and lead the Kampala Symphony Orchestra. Julie is now based in Oxfordshire and is enjoying a busy freelance career with ensembles in the South East.

		Valerie Kirby-Ashmore - viola and violin Trained at The Guildhall School of Music and was awarded Rudolf Kempe Scholarship. Orchestral engagements include the Milton Keynes Chamber Orchestra, Brandenburg Sinfonia and Opera Orchestra, Cambridge Sinfonia, Cambridge International Opera, Bath Georgian Festival and Heart of England Opera. Solo recitals include Vaughan Williams Flos Campi for Viola Solo Choir and Orchestra, Bloch Hebraique Suite, Vivaldi Concerto for Two Violins, Brahms Songs Op. 91, Frank Bridge Songs for Voice and Viola, and Rubbra Two Sonnets. She performs with The Parlour Consort and various string quartets including the world premier of Opera by Paul Barker at the Edinburgh Festival.

		Dinah Beamish - 'cello Dinah Beamish is a freelance 'cellist living in London. She plays with many different ensembles such as the Milton Keynes City orchestra, English National Ballet orchestra and West End show work. She also enjoys string arranging, teaching 'cello, and especially playing with Ariella strings.

“I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for the wonderful music you played at our wedding a few weeks ago - it was all perfect and I know that the other guests thought so too!” — Laura Murrough