Key People

 Executive Artistic Director & Trustee

Violist, educator, researcher and philanthropist Louise Lansdown is currently Assistant Head of Strings (viola) at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and Professor of viola and chamber music at the Yehudi Menuhin School (YMS).

Prior to this, Louise was Head of Strings at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (2012-2023) after holding the position of Senior Lecturer at the RNCM (2001-2012). Louise is the founder and Artistic Director of the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition and Festival, launched at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in October 2014. In 2024 Louise directed the merging of the Lionel Tertis and Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competitions culminating in a major festival and double iteration of the competitions at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music with the Royal Sinfonia from 19-25 January 2025. The new double-bill competitions are a registered charity in the UK and have begun their work across the length and breadth of the UK running Viola days and courses for adults, students and scholars. www.tertisaronowitz.co.uk

Louise is also the founder and President of the British Viola Society https://www.britishviolasociety.co.uk/

Along with her viola students, Louise is the founder of a major distance learning education project that was initiated at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in collaboration with the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music in Soweto, South Africa called “ARCO”. The project was launched in July 2015 and was nominated for a guardian internationalization award in 2018 and a BASA22 Award in 2019 (Business and Arts South Africa). Louise Launched ARCO India in 2021, in collaboration with KM Music Conservatory, AR Rahman Foundation and the Sunshine Orchestra and ARCO Prince Albert in 2023. ARCO is a recognised non-profit organisation in South Africa. The project is currently supported by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Prince Albert Community Trust, Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, RNCM, Friends of Orchestral Music, D’Addario Foundation. Louise initiated the Kaleidoscope Chamber Music Festival in Prince Albert in 2025, the first solely South African music festival entirely with its raison d’etre to support the ARCO Project. The project currently teaches 80 young learners between the ages of 4-13 violin, viola, cello and double bass. ARCO Teaching and Learning Manager Elliot Tingley is based on the ground in Prince Albert alongside his role facilitating the ARCO module at the RNCM. www.arco-project.org

Louise is a trustee of the Quartet of Peace.

She plays on a French Viola c.1750, 1890 Sartory bow, both previously belonging to the South African violist Cecil Aronowitz. She has recently commissioned Antoine Gourdon to make a copy of her Aronowitz viola. Louise plays mostly chamber music and solo concerts, collaborating with violists and other musicians across the world. She commissions new music for the viola and concocts hair brain schemes to perform music by Paul Hindemith and much unknown viola music, bringing the viola to many unsuspecting and innocent people. Louise has a publishing contract from Schott and is working on a book “Hindemith and the Viola”.

She is a member of the South African “Ubuntu Ensemble” who headline the African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall. She is also Principal Violist of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Louise has recently released her first solo album on Meridian Records of unpublished, unknown music for viola by South African composers. She is soon recording her second solo album on the Meridian Label. As a result of recording this music Louise has recently started her own publishing company and has begun the process of editing and bringing this music into the published domain “Mzansi Publishing” will soon be introducing Monthati Masebe’s ‘Trials that trail”, a set of 10 pieces for solo viola to the world.

Artistic Director & Trustee

We're committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all of our attendees. From our rigorous security measures to our comprehensive Since her debut with the Philharmonia in 1992 and at the Wigmore Hall in 1997, Sarah-Jane has established a distinguished international reputation as a soloist and chamber musician.

Sarah-Jane has performed and recorded as a soloist with major orchestras such as the Philharmonia, Hallé, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and City of London Sinfonia, including live broadcasts on radio 3.

Sarah-Jane is a pioneer of new works and has premiered and recorded a number of new concertos written for her, including those by David Matthews, Paul Patterson and Matthew Taylor. Her extensive discography of acclaimed solo recordings includes 9 CDs of viola concertos and 4 recital discs as well as several dozen chamber recordings for Hyperion, Chandos, Dutton, Naxos, Nimbus and Toccata.

Sarah-Jane is in high demand as a recitalist and chamber musician; she regularly plays in recital with pianist John Lenehan as well as Martin Roscoe. She is also a founder member of the Rossetti Ensemble and Karolos and a frequent guest with other chamber groups including I Musicanti. A founder member of the Leopold String Trio, Sarah-Jane has also been a member of the Sorrel Quartet, Fidelio Piano Quartet, London Soloists Ensemble and Co-Artistic Director of Sound Collective. She has toured widely as well as making frequent broadcasts on radio 3 as both soloist and chamber musician. Her work as a chamber musician has taken her around the world to festivals such as Kuhmo, Marlboro and West Cork where she performed with pianists Marc-Andre Hamelin and Richard Goode.

Sarah-Jane has worked as guest principal viola with the Philharmonia, London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, City of London Sinfonia and Orchestra of the Swan.

Following studies at the Royal Academy of Music with John White, and the Mozarteum Salzburg with Thomas Riebl, Sarah-Jane won an array of awards, and in 1995 was first prizewinner at Capellades and St. Joan de Vilatorrada. A prizewinner at the 1994 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, Sarah-Jane was on the jury in 2013 and is on the executive committee of the Competition.

Sarah-Jane is Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and also teaches viola at the Royal College of Music Junior Department and The Purcell School.

She plays on a G.A Chanot viola of Manchester, 1896.

www.sarahjanebradley.com

“Exceptional...Bradley is an adventurous artist...every whisper of the bow was loaded with insight and intelligence...Is there a better British Violist than Sarah-Jane Bradley?” The Strad

“Sarah-Jane Bradley is that rare kind of viola player who can make you blush with shame for ever having told a viola joke. In her hands the instrument is passionate, eloquent and wide-ranging in its colours and moods. I would happily put this at the top of any list of recommended recording.”

BBC Music Magazine, June 2007 on “British Viola Music” (5* for performance and sound)

"Sarah-Jane Bradley: ardent, affecting soloist" The Daily Telegraph August 2009

“Sarah-Jane Bradley impresses..a virtuosic recital” The Guardian July 2018health and safety protocols, we take every step necessary to ensure that everyone who attends Tertis Aronowitz International Viola Competitions can focus on enjoying the music and having a great time.

Artistic Director & Trustee

Martin enjoys a wide-ranging career as chamber musician, soloist and teacher. He studied at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music. He is a member of the internationally renowned Maggini Quartet and also appears regularly as a soloist. He has recorded over fifty discs with the quartet and other chamber music ensembles and has been the recipient of the Gramophone Award, the Diapason d'Or, a Cannes Classical Award, two Grammy nominations and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for chamber music. Alongside his work in the Maggini Quartet, Martin’s experience includes an extremely busy career as a freelance player, appearing as principal viola and guest principal with all of London’s premier chamber orchestras. His nine solo discs have received wide international acclaim, including in Gramophone, The Strad and a five-star review in the BBC Music Magazine. Many works have been written for him, notably concertos by Peter Aviss, Adam Gorb and David Gow. He has appeared as a soloist at the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall and performed on tour in South America, Europe and the UK as a soloist with the Britten Sinfonia. Martin is Lionel Tertis Professor of Viola at the Royal Academy of Music.

Trustee

Jonathan studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Atar Arad and Mischa Geller and was awarded all the major prizes for viola. He graduated with distinction in 1983 and was immediately offered a position with the English Chamber Orchestra where he was appointed co-principal viola in 1988. He was sponsored by the ECO Music Society in his London recital debut at the Purcell Room, and he has since regularly played concertos with the orchestra.

As a very versatile artist, Jonathan has managed a varied career and is much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician both in the UK and abroad. He has subsequently worked with most of the London orchestras and has guest lead the London Symphony, Philharmonia, CBSO, Mozart Players, BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish and BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestras viola sections.

From 1995 to 2001 Jonathan was a member of the Allegri String Quartet. During his time with the quartet, he gave masterclasses in Oxford, Leeds, Southampton, and Durham Universities as well as Dartington College of Arts, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity College of Music.

He has worked with many chamber groups including Capricorn, Raphael, Gaudier and Primavera ensembles and has given quartet concerts with William Pleeth and James Galway. He is a member of Divertimenti Ensemble which specialises in reviving works for ‘Cello Quintets as well as other mainstream chamber music.

Since leaving the Quartet he has returned to the English Chamber Orchestra as principal viola. He now divides his time between his teaching commitments at the Royal College of Music, Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music and freelance chamber, solo and orchestral work. He is also a Trustee of the original Tertis Foundation which promotes the heritage of Lionel Tertis, which funded the Isle of Man Tertis Viola competition and education projects in the viola world.

He plays a Giovanni and Francesco Grancino viola c.1680.As a very versatile artist, Jonathan has managed a varied career and is much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician both in the UK and abroad. He has subsequently worked with most of the London orchestras and has guest lead the London Symphony, Philharmonia, CBSO, Mozart Players, BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish and BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestras viola sections.

From 1995 to 2001 Jonathan was a member of the Allegri String Quartet. During his time with the quartet, he gave masterclasses in Oxford, Leeds, Southampton, and Durham Universities as well as Dartington College of Arts, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity College of Music.

He has worked with many chamber groups including Capricorn, Raphael, Gaudier and Primavera ensembles and has given quartet concerts with William Pleeth and James Galway. He is a member of Divertimenti Ensemble which specialises in reviving works for ‘Cello Quintets as well as other mainstream chamber music.

Since leaving the Quartet he has returned to the English Chamber Orchestra as principal viola. He now divides his time between his teaching commitments at the Royal College of Music, Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music and freelance chamber, solo and orchestral work. He is also a Trustee of the original Tertis Foundation which promotes the heritage of Lionel Tertis, which funded the Isle of Man Tertis Viola competition and education projects in the viola world.

He plays a Giovanni and Francesco Grancino viola c.1680.

Trustee

Peter obtained qualifications in Architecture and City Planning before a professional career in the public sector. As City Planning Officer for the City of London, Peter led the planning and regeneration of this world business and financial centre from 1985 to 2014.  He has lectured internationally; advised developers and cities around the world on urban planning and design; and made frequent media appearances on these topics. Peter was the subject of a BBC profile on “The Culture Show” and was included in the “Debrett’s 500” list of the most inspiring and influential people in Britain. Numerous awards have recognised his achievements and, in 2015, he was appointed a CBE “for services to architecture and town planning”. Peter is Professor of Places and City Planning at UCL in the Faculty of the Built Environment.

Peter is a keen amateur viola player and chamber musician.

Administrator

Jack Gillett is a viola player based in London. He holds a BMus (Hons) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance, having studied with Lucy Nolan and Dr Louise Lansdown at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. 

Jack has received masterclasses from some of the world’s leading violists, including Nobuko Imai, Thomas Riebl and Tatjana Masurenko. He also performed at the 2014 (Porto) and 2016 (Cremona) International Viola Congresses on behalf of the British Viola Society. 

A passionate educator, Jack’s teaching career has taken him throughout the UK and around the world including South Africa, Mozambique, Mexico and Guatemala. In addition to his performing and teaching career, Jack is the Strings and Music Therapy Department Manager at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was the former Strings Department Co-ordinator at the Royal Academy of Music.

"As a proud violist — I am thrilled to be part of the team at the Cecil Aronowitz and Lionel Tertis International Viola Competitions. It’s not every day you get to celebrate the unsung heroes of the string section and I’m especially looking forward to working with wonderful colleagues and bringing the viola into the spotlight, where it belongs."

Assistant Administrator

Matthew Hayes is a violist from Whitley Bay in the North East, currently based in Manchester. He is about to begin studying for a Masters degree at the Royal Northern College of Music with Louise Lansdown, having just completed his undergraduate with Lucy Nolan.

Recent highlights include performing in projects alongside Manchester Collective, Manchester Camerata and the BBC Philharmonic and as co-principal viola of the St Endellion Easter Festival. 

As an educator, Matthew teaches at RNCM Young Strings, Junior RNCM and works with students in India through the ARCO project. 

I'm really looking forward to be taking on this new role and continuing  my involvement with the competitions. As a violist myself, I'm excited to have this opportunity to champion the viola, especially as we'll be doing so in the North East where I grew up.

360° Festival and Education Director

Chrissie Slater studied viola with Nick Logie at RNCM, graduating in 1999. After freelancing for a year with many of the country's leading orchestras, Chrissie took up a post at the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, lasting 6 years, before relocating to the Northeast. She now lives in Gateshead with violist husband, James, and their two sons.  Chrissie plays regularly with Royal Northern Sinfonia and a variety of chamber ensembles - Trio Northumbria, Galvanize Ensemble and Crude Tarmac Strings. Chrissie has performed and recorded with many Northeast artists such as Paul Smith, Field Music and The Unthanks.

Education has always played an important role - Chrissie is viola tutor at the Centre for Advanced Training and the Foundation and Step-Up programmes at the Glasshouse, and has previously worked for In Harmony and as Learning Manager for Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Social Media Manager

Peter is a violist based in the West Midlands. He first picked up the violin when he was 11 years old and began to swap to the viola when he was 16.

Spending 8 years of study at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Peter received a BMus (Hons), an MMus, and most recently a PgDip in Orchestra Performance. In that time, he studied with Lucy Nolan, Louise Lansdown, and Adam Romer. For the 2024/2025 academic year, Peter is on the Hallé/RNCM Advanced Orchestral Strings Programme, receiving tuition from Ruth Gibson and Wenhong Luo, and continuing to have lessons with Louise.

Peter has played professionally with the Hallé, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, the Brigantes Orchestra, and Sinfonia Stellaris. When he was studying at RBC, Peter was heavily involved in their orchestral projects, often in leading positions. His favourite highlights include being Principal Viola for RBC’s Symphony Orchestra projects in 2019/2020 (including Strauss’ Oboe Concerto with Jonathan Kelly, Principal Oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic); a string orchestra project directed by Maria Włoszczowska (Leader of the Royal Northern Sinfonia); and Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’ with RBC’s Pops Orchestra, narrated by Sir Lenny Henry, which was later broadcasted on Classic FM.

Away from orchestral work, Peter also enjoys playing chamber music. He played with the Saorsa Quartet from 2018-2023, who performed in multiple chamber music festivals at RBC, and won RBC’s Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize in 2022; this alongside other festivals.

Peter has even had individual success, winning the John Fussell Award for Young Musicians in October 2021, receiving £2,500. He plays on a 2021 Antoine Gourdon viola.

Away from playing, Peter has been the Executive Secretary for the British Viola Society’s Facebook pages since 2018, and since May 2024 has been enjoying managing the TAIVC’s social media.

Graphic Design and Web

Alex Robinson is a graphic designer providing work for classical music ensembles, schools and festivals. Initially beginning as a side project to support his studies, he became highly sought after as a designer internationally. Known for his simple and arresting geometric and typographic style, he has provided work for the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Marshall Opera, Echo Quartett, Kenneth Hamilton’s Solo Recitals, Music at Our Lady of the Lake Church, Furness Bach Choir, Amaretti Chamber Orchestra, The Big Viola Project, ARCO, Music for Everyone, Kaleidoscope Kammermusiek Fees, Rotherham Symphony Orchestra, ARTseason at Raffles Institution, Singapore, Vincent Carr and Kodak Quartet, Interpuls Contemporary Music Festival, Norway and many more. He studied Viola with Lucy Nolan, but later turned to conducting and now works principally as a conductor and harpsichordist. He is the principal conductor of the Haffner Orchestra, Furness Bach Choir, Nottingham Youth Orchestra and the Artistic Director of Music for Everyone. He has worked with the BBC Philharmonic, Spokane Symphony, English Touring Opera, Heritage Opera, Northern Opera Group, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Eboracum Baroque, Prague Philharmonia, Moravian Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé, Hradec Kravlove Philharmonic and many others. Recent highlights include a debut performance at Snape Maltings Festival, Samson Young’s five part radio drama for Manchester International Festival’s ‘One of Two Stories or Both’ and ETO’s HANDELFEST.