Teachers (2010)

Allan Neave is the senior lecturer in guitar at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and widely regarded as one of Europe’s foremost educators and promoters of the instrument. He has broadcast widely both in the UK and abroad, including Radio 3 and 4 broadcasts at the Edinburgh International Festival, performances of Schoenberg’s Serenade with the Hebrides Contemporary Music Ensemble for BBC Radio 3, the isle is full of noises on KFZAZ Radio USA, RadioSodre Uruguay and BBC Radio 3. He also gave the world’s 1st live Internet guitar concert broadcast in 1997.He has worked with many influential musicians, including Nikita Koshkin, Edward McGuire, Hans Werner Henze, Gordon McPherson and Stephen Dodgson, many of whose works he has premiered.

Matthew McAllister is amongst Europes’ finest young guitarists. Since graduating with honours from RSAMD in 2003 he has been delighting audiences across the world with his thoughtful performances and effortless presentation. In addition to having toured extensively throughout North & South America, Europe and Asia both as soloist and chamber musician, Matthew has also produced an extensive discography with Natural Studio Records. Matthew’s live concert performances alongside his recordings with Natural Studio Records have appeared on British, Spanish, Malaysian, Turkish, Peruvian & Chilean TV and have featured on numerous radio broadcasts worldwide. Matthew holds the post of Classical Guitar Lecturer in the Music Faculty of the Unversity of St Andrews on the east coast of Scotland.

James Akers studied at the Royal College of Music with Jakob Lindberg and at Trinity College of Music with Jacob Heringman and David Miller, with additional lessons from Paul O’Dette. Since graduating he has performed throughout Europe and North America with many leading ensembles and soloists including Fretwork, The Parley of Instruments, the Scottish, English and Irish Chamber Orchestras, The King’s Consort, The Hanover Band, The London Handel Orchestra, The Armonico Consort, The Scottish Ensemble, The Musicians of the Globe, Ex Cathedra, Emma Kirkby, James Bowman and Michael Chance.
As the first ever associate artist with the renowned Scottish Ensemble, James has performed, directed workshops and masterclasses throughout Scotland to raise the profile of plucked string instruments and their repertoire.

Peter Stewart is one of Scotland’s most highly respected forces in Classical Guitar. Studies with Carlos Bonell and John W. Duarte provided the bedrock for a lifelong career with the Classical Guitar. From 1990 Peter performed in the guitar ensemble Duo Stewart. Duo Stewart edited a series of works, written by John Duarte, for Mel Bay and also directed the Oatridge International Guitar Festival. Currently Peter lectures in guitar at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and the Aberdeen College of Muisc and Performing Arts.

Douglas Whates studied composition with Dr. Gordon McPherson at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, receiving the Patron’s Fund Prize (Royal College of Music) for Composition in 2003, and graduated in 2004 with a 1st class honours. He has had major works performed by the London Sinfonietta; RSAMD Sinfonietta; the Hebrides Ensemble; the Paragon Ensemble; the National Youth Guitar Ensemble with Allan Neave; he was commissioned to write the theme music for Nemesis Inferno—one of the UK’s most advanced roller coasters. Whilst at RSAMD his formal instrumental training was in classical guitar, towards the end of his studies, focus shifted to bass—the instrument with which he is now most readily associated. In this capacity he has performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Scottish Ballet Orchestra; appeared as a sideman for London session ace Hugh Burns (Scott Walker, Gerry Rafferty, Paul McCartney) and celtic/crossover guitarist John Goldie; has undertaken theatre pit work—including touring with Sunshine on Leith and has featured on BBC Radio as composer or performer on numerous occasions. He is currently a member of the string faculty at RSAMD, teaching bass guitar.

Aisling Agnew was born and raised in Belfast. She regularly performs around the UK and Ireland and has appeared in concert across Europe and America. Aisling’s performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio, RTE Lyric FM and Resonance FM and include many high profile concerts such as a Wigmore Hall chamber music recital. As concerto soloist she has appeared with various orchestras including the Ulster Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She recently released her acclaimed debut album Recital with Natural Studio Records. Aisling studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with Richard Blake and David Nicholson where she followed masterclasses with players such as Jacques Zoon, Robert Dick, Wissam Boustany and Wilbert Hazelzet. In her third year she won a scholarship to the Lake Placid Institute for Arts in New York and in her final year she was selected to perform the Penderecki Concerto with the RSNO at the Henry Wood Hall in Glasgow; the first performance of this work given in Scotland. Aisling also holds a Masters degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where her studies were generously funded by awards from the Belfast Classical Music Bursaries and the BELB. Aisling has a keen interest in performing new music and working with composers. She has premièred works written specifically for her by Douglas Whates, Matt Rogers, Greg Caffrey and David Flynn and has enjoyed working with other composers such as Edward McGuire and David Fennessy.

Feargus Hetherington, completed his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music in the USA having received batchelor and post-graduate awards from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland, the city of his birth. His teachers have included Angus Ramsay, Elizabeth Layton, David Russell, Peter Salaff and Jerre Gibson. His viola studies have been with Catherine Marwood and Michael Beeston. He has also worked with distinguished soloists Ilya Kaler, James Buswell and Ivan Straus at summer academies in Canada and Austria. As an invited participant of the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival for six consecutive years, Feargus has performed alongside leading musicians in chamber and string orchestra repertoire. Whilst a student, Feargus led the Sonoré String Quartet for five years. The group premiered quartets by Eddie McGuire and David Fennessey, and performed in the RNCM’s Quartetfest, RSAMD’s Summerfest & ‘Academy Now’ series and the Halifax Young Musicians Festival. Feargus has worked extensively in the medium of violin with guitar, through which he has uncovered some interesting and varied repertoire, from Italian classical to traditional music and tango. His group ‘Maelasta’ with Matthew McAllister, guitar, perform throughout the UK and Europe. An experienced orchestral leader, Feargus has led under conductors such as Joseph Swensen, Sian Edwards and Takuo Yuasa. He has been leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, and numerous freelance ensembles. Feargus is the violinist for the Glasgow based new music ensemble, Symposia, and has worked extensively in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

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Teachers (2010)

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