Players
Maxine Willis flute
A wind finalist in the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year competition, Maxine read English at Brasenose College Oxford, followed by two years of postgraduate study at the Royal College of Music having received an award from the Countess of Munster Musical trust. She has given recitals at St James Piccadilly, Union Chapel Islington, and the October Gallery WC1, and performed concertos both in England and France. Maxine plays with Welsh National Opera and Kokoro (contemporary ensemble of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) and has appeared with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic. Maxine is the ensemble's resident sci-fi geek.
Gwenllian Davies oboe
Gwenllian Davies is currently the 2nd oboe/cor anglais of Teatro Marrucino Opera Orchestra Italy. She has worked with the BBC Concert Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, Wicked!, Opera Theatre Company, Kwazulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Octave, Guildford Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Wales, and the Fine Arts Sinfonia.
Andrew Mason clarinet
Andrew studied at the Royal College of Music as a Foundation Scholar with Colin Bradbury, Janet Hilton, Robert Hill and Michael Harris, winning the Frederick Thurston Clarinet Prize and the Roger Fallows Memorial Prize. He has performed on Radio Three for the BBC Proms Composer Portrait series and in 2002 made his Purcell Room debut for the Park Lane Group’s New Year series. In March 2003 he made his debut at the Wigmore Hall. Andrew has played for the Northern Sinfonia, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the International Bachakademie Festival Orchestra.
Whilst driving home from a performance, Andrew is most likely to be singing loudly to rather cheap 80’s pop music.
Helen Shillito horn
Helen studied at the Royal College of Music with Julian Baker, Tim Brown and natural horn with Susan Dent winning the Arthur Somervell prize and Manns prize and graduating with a BMus(Hons) degree and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Performance - Solo and Ensemble Recitalist. She also attended the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, studying with Adam Friedrich. As a freelance orchestral musician she plays regularly on both modern and period instruments for the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, the Northern Sinfonia, English Philharmonic, L'Orchestra des Champs Elysees, and Europa Galante. Helen recently completed a two year course in Saintes, France, receiving a Masters’ Degree with Distinction in the Interpretation of Classical and Romantic repertoire on the natural horn.
Constance Tanner bassoon
Connie joined the already well-established Auroras in 2002. She enjoys a varied freelance career, regularly appearing with orchestras such as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and Grange Park Opera. Connie is also involved with the contemporary dance company, Walker Dance Park Music, resident at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, working closely with the composer on new sounds and different techniques, tending to throw her years of classical training at the Royal Academy of Music out of the window! She regularly travels to Mumbai, India, to coach and perform with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of India.
Life on the road has led her to an acute knitting habit, which her friends seem very pleased about, especially when it comes to Christmas and Birthdays...
Joanna Smith piano
Joanna studied at the RCM with Ruth Gerald, David Ward, Chris Wellington and clarinet with Colin Courtney. She graduated in 1997 with a First Class Honours degree, after which an award from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, and a Senior Exhibition allowed her to continue studying at the R.C.M. for two further years, leading to Postgraduate Diplomas which she passed with Distinction. Joanna specialises as an accompanist and has worked in this role for master classes with Roger Vignoles, Steven Isserlis, Gervase de Peyer, Philip Langridge, Benjamin Zander, Nicholas Daniel, David Theodore and Sarah Walker. Some of her recent performances include concerts in Chicago, Vancouver, Bologna, Paris, Edinburgh, Isle of Wight and many venues around England.
Eleri Darkins harp
Eleri has won numerous prizes at the National Eisteddfod and the Nansi Richards and John Weston Thomas Scholarships. She studied with Elinor Bennett before going to Trinity College of Music, London to study with Sioned Williams. Recently Eleri has performed with BBCNOW and ESO. She also plays the Welsh Triple Harp.
