Toby Hughes double bass;
Ben Powell piano
— Programme
Toby Hughes is a leading British double bassist, recognized for his exceptional talent and diverse career. Born in 1992, he began his musical journey early, studying at the universities of Lausanne, Fribourg, and Sion under Professor Božo Paradžik. By 2011, Toby received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s 'Julius Isserlis Scholarship,' further advancing his studies in Berlin with Matthew McDonald, principal bassist of the Berlin Philharmonic. He later completed his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, earning the International Artists Diploma in 2015.
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Toby has won several prestigious competitions, including the 'Young Musician of the Year' title in 2013, and became the first double bassist to win the string section of the Royal Over-Seas League Competition in 2014. He has also won top prizes at the Bromsgrove and Tunbridge Wells International Competitions.
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A dynamic performer, Toby collaborates with renowned musicians and ensembles, including cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, London's 12 Ensemble, and Manchester Camerata. He regularly performs at leading venues such as Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. Toby's debut album, released in 2020, showcases his artistry.
He has also contributed to the double bass repertoire through commissions from composers like Leo Geyer and Ian Stevenson.
Saturday 3rd May 2025
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Ben Powell since winning the British Contemporary Piano Competition in 2010 has gained a reputation for intelligent and expressive performances with a strong commitment to contemporary music. He has performed across the UK and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and song accompanist in venues including Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Snape Maltings, Bridgewater Hall, IRCAM (Paris), and Harpa (Reykjavik). In 2014 he was appointed pianist for Manchester’s leading contemporary music group, Psappha.
He has taken part in a performance of the complete solo piano music of Helmut Lachenmann at the Aldeburgh Festival and a performance of Marco Stroppa’s Traiettoria in IRCAM, Paris. Benjamin’s recording of selections from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier was used in the recent National Theatre production of ‘the Hard Problem’, Sir Tom Stoppard’s latest play. Benjamin is much in demand as a chamber musician and has collaborated with many distinguished musicians including Stefano Canuti, Leland Chen, Levon Chilingirian, Craig Ogden, Miklós Perényi, Thomas Riebl, Sophie Rosa and Eva Thorarinsdottir.
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He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Carole Presland and later (thanks to scholarships from the MBF, DAAD, and Lynn Foundation) with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Alexander Melnikov at the Hochschule für Musik Cologne and RNCM respectively. Benjamin has also attended the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove studying in the class of Thomas Adès.
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Since 2007 Benjamin has been a staff pianist at the RNCM where he now also teaches piano. His students have gone on to win prizes in major competitions, including BBC Young Musician of the Year, James Mottram International Competiton, Manchester International Piano Concerto Competition and the British Contemporary Piano Competition.