String Programme

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Tuition in all string instruments from a team of tutors that includes members of Royal Northern Sinfonia.

In addition to their individual instrumental lesson and music language tuition, all string students rehearse weekly in small ensembles, working closely with the keyboard team. Current groups include quartets and trios, often working with the first study piano students. Most students enter for Associated Board music exams up to diploma level.

Our string students are often invited to form larger ensembles for special projects, such as a performance and recording project with renowned artist Lake Poets in a sold out gig in Sage Two.

More advanced students normally join Young Sinfonia. String players who enjoy folk music may also be interested in Folkestra.

Many string players also take a second study instrument (usually piano) and we strongly recommend this.

Workshops over recent years have included sessions with Simon Wallfisch (cello); Ruth Killius (violist with the Zehetmair Quartet); Robert Cohen (international cello soloist and member of the Fine Arts Quartet), together with his quartet violinist colleague Ralph Evans (a former prize winner in the Moscow Tchaikovsky competition). Violinist Alexandra Soumm, violist Lise Berthaud and cellist Jakob Koranyi combined a visit to Sage that included BBC broadcast solo performances with Royal Northern Sinfonia with classes for CAT string students. We also regularly hold workshops with soloists from the ECHO Rising Stars programme, and those involved in the Brundibar Arts Festival.

Other workshops have ranged from chances to play electronic string instruments exploring the worlds of rock and contemporary music, through to folk, improvisation and recording techniques.

Key Information

String Team

Study Leader: James Craig (Cello)
Alana Tonetti-Tieppo (Violin)
Iona Brown (Violin)
Ed Cross (Violin / Viola)
Chrissie Slater (Viola)
Deborah Thorne (Cello)

‘I enjoyed meeting the four talented and serious students. They were all very focused and responded quickly to new ideas and concepts, and there was a lovely supportive atmosphere in the class, which was wonderful to see.’

Tamsin Waley Cohen, ECHO Rising Star Violinist

Information for Students

Timetables, auditions, and other useful information for current and prospective CAT students to help make the most of your learning experience.

More info

Meet the team

Study Leader: James Craig (Principal Study Leader & Cello)
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James joined the cello section of Royal Northern Sinfonia on completing post-graduate studies at the Royal College of Music. In 1995 a Northern Arts scholarship enabled him to study in Israel, Finland, France, Italy and England. Since returning, James has also taught extensively. For many years, he wrote and presented workshops in schools, including string quartet and composition coaching to A level standard. James has additionally given cello masterclasses in the Baccarelli Institute, Sao Paolo Brasil and as part of ‘Awards for Young Musicians’.

Iona Brown (Violin)
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Iona received her early musical education in Leicestershire where she was a member of the Leicestershire Schools Youth Orchestras for seven years. She won a scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music under Christopher Rowland, Lydia Mordkovitch and Wen Zhou Li. Whilst in Manchester she helped found Ps- appha with whom she appeared live on Radio 3 and in various series nationwide. She was also a member of Manchester Camerata performing regularly with their Chamber En- semble and as soloist in Bach’s Concerto for 2 Violins. Iona joined Royal Northern Sinfonia in 1995 where she is now a principal first violin.

In 2003 Iona was awarded an Arts Council grant for a sabbatical in Paris where she studied with Jean-Jacques Kantorow. Iona is also extremely dedicated to music education, and was invited to adjudicate the preliminary rounds of Young Musician of the Year in Manchester in 2017 and 2015 . As well as private teaching, Iona teaches for Durham University and has recently been appointed Head of Strings at Newcastle University.

Ed Cross (Violin)
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Ed completed his undergraduate degree in music at the University of Birmingham before returning to his home city of Newcastle upon Tyne where he was awarded a distinction for his MMus degree in performance at Newcastle University; he is currently working part-time towards a doctorate in 20th century performance practice, focusing on the use of rubato in late-Romantic solo violin repertoire. He currently performs regularly as a violinist with a variety of ensembles and gives concerto and recital performances around the North East.

Alana Tonetti-Tieppo (Violin)
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Alanna Tonetti-Tieppo, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, has been living in the UK since 2008 when she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, in London. There she studied under Professors Lydia Mordkovitch, and Remus Azoitei and in 2014, Alanna completed her Master’s of Music degree with distinction at the Royal College of Music in London, as a Leverhulme Scholar, under Professor Jan Repko. She has performed as a soloist, and chamber musician across the country, as well as France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, and Spain. In 2015, Alanna was appointed Sub-Principal 2nd Violin in the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

In 2010, she joined the Jubilee String Quartet, prize winners at the 2013 Trondheim International String Quartet Competition, and recipients of the Park Lane Group Artists Award, the Hattori Foundation Award, Tillet Trust Award, and the Worship Company of Musicians Maisie Lewis Award. They are also winners of the Val Tidone International Chamber Music Competition (2011), the Philharmonia Orchestra MMSF Charles Henderson Ensemble Award (2012), and the St Martin in the Fields Chamber Music Competition (2013) as well as Leverhulme Fellows at the Royal Academy of Music from 2012-13.