An Afternoon of Viola with Mike Gerrard

Enjoy an afternoon of classical viola repertoire performed by Royal Northern Sinfonia's section leader, Mike Gerrard. Programme Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata in A minor D 821 Shostakovich: Sonata Op 147 Michael Gerrard was nine years old when he took up the violin, changing to the viola six years later. He studied with Jaqueline Leonard at Chetham’s School and then with Patrick Ireland and Nobuko Imai at the Royal Northern College of Music. In 1980 he was prizewinner in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. After a post-graduate year with Eli Goren he was appointed associate principal viola with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and on his return to England two years later became, at the age of 25, one of the youngest professors to teach at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He also taught at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. Michael has broadcast frequently for the BBC with the Matisse Piano Quartet and recorded chamber music with Divertimenti. He joined Royal Northern Sinfonia as principal viola in 1987 and has appeared as soloist on several occasions including performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 6 with the Russian violist Yuri Bashmet and performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante under the baton of Heinrich Schiff.