Annelies is a renowned cellist and teacher in Surrey and Oxfordshire. She was a string finalist in 1986 BBC Young Musician of the Year and a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was awarded the Dip.RAM, the Academy’s highest post-graduate qualification, whilst still an undergraduate. She was later awarded the ARAM for achieving distinction in the profession. She was a member of the European Soloists Ensemble for 10 years before retiring from professional performance due to injury.
She was a course director at Pro Corda for 11 years and has held the posts of Head of Strings at Guildford High School and Associate Lecturer at Surrey University.
Annelies’s approach both to teaching and running courses, is to encourage students to fulfil their potential in as stress-free an environment as possible. She has taught a significant number of cellists who have become professionals (she was, for example, the first teacher of the current star cellist Sophie Kauer, featured on the film Tår with Cate Blanchett) and has equally valued the students who have gone on to non-musical careers but in whom Annelies has helped develop a life-long love of music.
Emma Blanco will be joining us this year to run Violin Dynamites.
Emma studied at the Royal College of Music with Yossi Zivoni and Rodney Friend and has enjoyed a varied career since, with a busy schedule in London, the UK and around the world.
Emma was leader of the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra and has regularly performed as soloist at St Martin-in-the-Fields. She has been leader of Docklands Sinfonia since 2013, leading them in their eclectic schedule at Buckingham Palace, the House of Lords, London Coliseum, the Barbican and Cadogan Hall. Emma has also led the orchestra in recordings at all the major London studios, including Abbey Road.
Emma held teaching posts at Westminster Cathedral Choir School and the Junior Department of Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and is currently Head of Strings at Tonbridge School.
Skye Morris is a graduate of Celloakademie Hamburg where she studied with Andrank Sargsyan, and the Hochschule für Kunste in Bremen studying with Alexander Baillie. Since Alexander Baillie’s retirement she has been continuing post-graduate study with Kilian Frölich.
Skye has a broad ranging repertoire and extensive concert experience, including solo performances in Armenia, Germany and the UK. She has taken part in masterclasses with cellists from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Maggini Quartet and the Kuss quartet.
Margaret Roberts studied at the Junior Department of the RNCM, winning the Associated Board’s Gold medal for piano grade 8. She graduated with first class honours from Brasenose College, Oxford before pursuing postgraduate study at the Royal College of Music.From early on in her career she has specialised as an accompanist, playing for some of the first BBC Young Musician of the Year competitions, and working with choirs and vocal and instrumental soloists.
As pianist in a number of ensembles Margaret has made many recordings and has performed at major venues including London’s South Bank and the Wigmore Hall. She has toured for the British Council and recorded for the ABRSM graded examinations.
Cello Dynamites is an annual residential course for cello pupils aged 8-18 and from Grades 3-8.
For those who are Grade 8+ and aged over 14, please contact our sister course Cello Dynamo at cellodynamo.co.uk
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