Frances Angell...

Piano

Frances Angell, born in Jamaica, is a passionate chamber musician. She has recently toured throughout Scotland with the Scottish Ensemble and has performed several times with the Endymion, with recent collaborative performances at St. John’s Smith Square, the Commonwealth Institute and the Ward Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica. Well-known in the UK as an ensemble pianist, Frances’ career has seen her give performances and broadcasts in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Japan, Canada and the USA, in venues such as the Snape Maltings, Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall. After a broadcast for Swiss Radio DRS2 the critic wrote “Frances Angell seems to have a never-ending palette of colour and articulation at her disposal, with vivid passagework and the fullest dynamic range from martellato attack to the most sublime pianissimi.” Der Bund

Alongside the Angell Trio, her work most often sees her engaging with young musicians as pianist and coach for organizations such as the National Youth Orchestra and Dartington Summer School. She was recently invited to work with eminent cellist Johannes Goritzki at the Eton Cello Masterclass and was the pianist for an extensive series of masterclasses given at the Britten-Pears School by Ida Haendel, Franco Gulli, Joseph Silverstein and William Pleeth.

Frances, who holds an honours degree in music from the University of Manchester, is an experienced adjudicator with recent invitations to sit on the audition panel for Live Music Now! as well as to adjudicate the chamber music competition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has performed several times with the Endymion Ensemble, with collaborations culminating in performances at the South Bank Centre and a broadcast for BBC Radio 3 from the Proms Chamber Music.

Following her undergraduate studies with Gordon Fergus-Thompson Frances studied as a postgraduate with Niel Immelman at the Royal College of Music where she won many prizes. Further studies with Andras Schiff and Menahem Pressler followed, with scholarships to attend the Banff Centre in Canada, the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove, UK and the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies.

“Frances Angell, pianist supreme, gave a performance full of temperament, intuitive ensemble playing, as well as showing great panache and virtuosity – a feast for the ear and eye.” Darmstadter Echo review of concert broadcast for Hessische Rundfunk