Welcome to our website
In 2002, four students at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama were brought together as a wind quartet to participate in the Carlisle Cathedral Composition Competition. Recognising the challenge and enjoyment of the wind quartet repertoire, Katie Punter, Marian Gray, Susannah Hallas and Fraser Gordon continued to work together regularly as a chamber group, and thus The Illuminati Wind Quartet came into being.
This quartet of dynamic young players are very enthusiastic about uncovering lesser known contemporary repertoire and equally keen to introduce this to their audiences alongside more familiar works. They have aquired a reputation for energy and sparkle in their playing as well as for entertaining rapport with their audience.
The ensemble performs regularly in recital halls, festivals and music society concerts. As recent winners of the Tunnell Trust Award Scheme they will embark on a series of concerts from autumn 2008 that will see them touring many Scottish venues including the Western Isles. Please the concerts page for further details.
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NEWS
ILLUMINATI WIND QUARTET TO APPEAR AT EUROPEAN COMPOSERS CONFERENCE 2009 – ARTMUSFAIR 29th OCTOBER – 1st NOVEMBER, GLASGOW
Please see concerts page for more details
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AUGUST 2009
We have just returned from concerts at the Ryedale Festival in Yorkshire and the Petworth Festival in West Sussex. The concerts took place in great venues and with receptive audiences. The quartet gave the English Premieres of newly commissioned works A Box Of Chatter and Winds At Sea Suite as well as performances of their more familiar repertoire. If you managed to make it along we would like to thank you very much for your support.
Look out for the first Illuminati Wind Quartet Newsletter, which will have more information on what we have been up to recently, including the newly commissioned works, our Summer tour adventures as well as details of up coming concerts and events!
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JUNE 2009
A huge thank you to all of our audience who supported us at the RSAMD concert on the 8th of June – this first of two contemporary concerts was a success. It has been a pleasure working with the composers over the weeks preceding the concert and we are looking forward very much to seeing you all in Edinburgh for the premiere of Eddie McGuire’s new work; Suite:Winds at Sea in St Giles Cathedral on Sunday 28th of June. For those of you who missed the premieres of the other new works by Boyle, Williams and Searle, this also represents a chance to hear these works being performed again, in their East coast premieres!
The newly commissioned repertoire would not have been possible without the generous funding kindly given by The Scottish Arts Council and The Hope Scott Trust.
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15th MARCH 2009
The quartet have received grants from bot The Scottish Arts Council and The Hope Scott Trust towards our new works project, which is well under way. The four composers who have been commissioned are busy writing the new pieces, or infact have already finished them! The titles we have so far are:
A Box of Chatter – Rory Boyle
1 – Gossip
2 – Pub Bore
3 – Whispering Sweet Nothings
4 – Your Call Is Important To Us
Suite: Winds at Sea – Edward McGuire
1 Embarkation Breeze
2 Nautical Nocturne
3 Galeforce Galop
4 Headwind Home
How – Gareth Williams
We hope you can join us at the RSAMD on the 8th June for the premiere concert, or in Edinburgh at St Giles, June 28th, for what promises to be a very interesting and exciting concert! Please see concerts page for more details. Meanwhile the quartet themselves are busy gearing up for the concert series on the high seas! We have been organising a series of themed concerts for the Saga Rose passengers as well as carrying out other essential tasks before we go such as obtaining visas and having vaccinations! We are off at the end of the month.
FEBRUARY 2009
We have recently returned from the third and final Tunnell sponsored tour with successful performances in Gordonstoun, Inverness and Skye. The snowy countryside provided us with a picturesque journey up into the Highlands and we were lucky enough for the weather to stay clear whilst we travelled between venues. Following their performance at the Inverness town house for the Inverness Chamber Music Society, on the Monday evening show, Moray Firth Radio complemented the concert and aired a recording of the quartet playing Bozza’s Trois Pieces Pour Une Musique de Nuit. We are now preparing not only for the Concert Residency aboard the Saga Rose, but also for the World Premiere Concert at the RSAMD in June. We are looking forward to performing the new repertoire very much and we hope you can join us!
Illuminati Wind Quartet have also been busy putting together a busy few days of concerts for Summer 2009. You will be able to see us perform at both the Petworth and Ryedale Festivals.
DECEMBER 2008
Illuminati Wind Quartet, following another successful tour sponsored by the Tunnell Trust are planning ahead for a busy 2009. The somewhat snowy concerts in Perth, Newtonmore and Dundee were well attended despite the weather in all three venues and we are very grateful to the receptive audiences. The Dundee Courier said the following:
The name Illuminati could not be more apt. Katie, Susannah, Marian and Fraser gave a marvellous display in the art of woodwind. Four players who are splendid either individually or collectively and who provide a totally refreshing form of chamber music
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2009
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NOVEMBER 2008
Following a highly successful November tour, Illuminati Quartet are about to embark on the second of three tours sponsored by the Tunnell Trust. In the first week of December, you can find us in Perth, Newtonmore and Dundee.
MOFFAT MUSIC SOCIETY:Their performance demonstrated the group’s many strengths: technical command, good tone quality and range of colour, excellent ensemble, balance and instrumental interplay stemming from rapport, and obvious enjoyment. These qualities pervaded the whole recital. It was a delightful concert. The instrumentalists’ vivacity, enjoyment and enthusiasm were transmitted as surely as were their satisfying performances. The audience’s appreciative applause as they took their bow summed up a delightful evening.
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OCTOBER 2008 -The Illuminati Quartet will take concert residency aboard the Saga Rose Cruise Ship March – April 2009. Sailing from Mumbai, India to Southampton.
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Illuminati chosen to take part in the Music in Hospitals scheme.
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Two short clips for our popular repertoire can be found in our Audio section – check them out!
The site will also be continually updated to let you know the group’s news as well as regular updates on our concerts.
****************************“certainly an illuminating experience”
“meticulous attention to detail”
Cumberland News
