TOBY HUGHES, VICTOR LIM & JAMES GILBERT

~ Programme

Gabriel Fauré: Nocturne Op. 63 No. 6 in D flat (solo piano)

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14 (double bass & piano)

Adolf Mišek: "Legende" Op. 3 for (double bass and piano)

Vilmos Montag: Sonata in E minor (double bass & piano)

Interval -

Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Sonata Op. 120 No. 1 (clarinet & piano)

Gabriel Fauré: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120 (double bass, clarinet & piano)

This concert will last 1 hour and 45 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

~ VICTOR LIM is a South Korean-British pianist establishing himself as a creative and versatile young musician. Praised for his “great possibilities of nuance and perfect flexibility” (Revista Artă), he first appeared publicly in the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2012 and has since performed internationally across Europe and Asia. He is a City Music Foundation Artist, Making Music UK Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist, and winner of the 2021 RNCM Gold Medal.

His repertoire ranges from Rameau to Kapustin, and he has worked with composers including Thomas Adès, Graham Fitkin, and Stephen Hough. A committed chamber musician, Victor performs with ensembles including Manchester Collective and Manchester Camerata, and has collaborated with artists such as Karen Gomyo and Lara St. John Tomter.

He was a founding member of the Louko Piano Trio, which won all chamber music prizes at the Royal Northern College of Music, and is active in education and community work through organisations including Olympias Music Foundation and Fingertips ASBL. Victor is currently Head of Keyboard Studies at Rossall School and studies with Kathryn Stott at the RNCM.

~ TOBY HUGHES is a prominent double bassist, known for his rich and diverse career as one of the UK's leading double bass soloists. Born in 1992, Toby's musical journey began at a young age, leading him to study at the combined universities of Lausanne, Fribourg, and Sion under Professor Božo Paradžik.

He earned numerous accolades, including the 'Future Talent' Coombs Scholarship and the Royal Philharmonic Society's 'Julius Isserlis Scholarship.' Toby’s career includes significant competition wins, such as 'Young Musician of the Year' and first prizes at the Bromsgrove and Tunbridge Wells competitions.

A frequent performer with London's 12 Ensemble, Northern Ballet, and the London Symphony Orchestra, Toby has appeared at renowned venues like Wigmore Hall and St-Martin-in-the-Fields. We are thrilled to welcome Toby back to the Elmore Festival this year!

~ JAMES GILBERT is a London-based clarinettist enjoying a varied international performing career. He regularly performed with leading UK symphony orchestras and appeared as Guest Principal with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and BBC Concert Orchestra. A highlight was performing at the Philharmonie de Paris with the LSO alongside Martha Argerich and Sir Antonio Pappano.

An active chamber musician, James is a member of Wind Quintet Ensemble Renard, one of the UK’s most promising young ensembles, which recently released its debut album and toured Scotland. He also performed with ensembles including the London Chamber Ensemble, Echor Music, and the Elmore Quartet, and appeared at festivals including Stamford International and Elmore Music Festival.

A passionate advocate for contemporary music, James has premiered works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Gareth Moorcraft and performed with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Chris Richards, Mark Van de Wiel, and Ben Mellefont, supported by awards from ABRSM, Help Musicians UK, and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.