| Biography | The violinist Nona Liddell has had a long and varied career as a soloist, chamber music player, orchestral leader and teacher. As a soloist she made her debut at the age of 20 at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Adrian Boult, and has appeared with most of the leading British orchestras. She was for many years the leader of the English String Quartet (which, now in a new formation led by Diana Cummings, is "in residence" at this Festival) and of the Richards Piano Quartet, and is now a member of the London Piano Quartet. From 1970 to 1994 she was leader of the internationally renowned London Sinfonietta, with which she often appeared as soloist both in this country and abroad. She also led the Monteverdi and London Bach Orchestras and has appeared as guest leader of, among others, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique and, in Spain, the City of Granada Orchestra. A regular broadcaster on radio and TV, Nona has made many records for Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, L'Oiseau Lyre and Lyrita. After teaching for many years at the Royal Academy of Music, she is now Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Trinity College of Music. In 1992 she was made an M.B.E. and in 1994 she was awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians' Cobbett Medal for services to chamber music |