Turning by James Black, premier performance, recorded 30 June 2024
Anthony Moffat, violin
Hailing from the Borders, Anthony Moffat was trained at the Royal Academy of Music, London by Armenian Soloist and Orchestra Leader, Manoug Parikian. He gained the highest award for violin on his graduation in 1987 winning the Marjorie Hayward Prize. His passion for Chamber music was encouraged and nurtured for many years by the members of the Amadeus Quartet but it is as devotee of the Piano Trio that he is best known outwith the orchestra.He was a founder member of both the Duke String Quartet and the Borante Piano Trio. As member of the Da Vinci Piano Trio he has toured the breadth of the country and broadcast on BBC Radio3.
His career as Orchestra Leader began as Co-leader of the Halle Orchestra until taking the post of Leader of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in 2000. He has appeared as Guest Leader with BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. He plays on a fine violin by C.G. Testore of Milan ca. 1705
He has been leader of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera since 2001.
Rudi de Groote, cello
Rudi de Groote grew up in South Africa and studied at the Royal College of Music in London and has undertaken masterclasses with Torlief Thedeen, David Geringas, Franz Helmerson and Moray Welsh. He is currently principal cello with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He started his career as principal cello with this orchestra and then went on to hold the principal position in the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of English National Opera in London, and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, before returning to Scotland to rejoin the BBCSSO.
Rudi has performed as soloist under many orchestras including the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra , the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and under the baton of Edward Gardner, Ilan Volkov, Francesco Corti, Martin Brabbins, Jerzy Maksimiuk and Garry Walker. He is frequently invited to be guest principal cello with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Opera North, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonia of London and the John Wilson Orchestra.
He has frequently performed as cellist with the Chilingirian String quartet, and has performed with Marcia Crayford, Robert Cohen, Steven Osborne, Isabelle van Keulen, Jorg Widmann, Garfield Jackson and the Belcea string quartet. As a teacher, Rudi has been on the faculty at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has taught and coached chamber music at the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Grieg Academy in Norway.
He has broadcast live for BBC Radio 3, DR, Norwegian Radio and BBC Scotland and has performed in recital at the Edinburgh and Cheltenham International Festivals. He plays on a cello by Ferdinand Gagliano dated 1777.
He is delighted to have been invited to take over from Robert Irvine in the Da Vinci Piano Trio and looks forward to many exciting concerts ahead.
Liivi Arder, piano
Estonian pianist Liivi Arder studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Professor Toivo Nahkur and Nata-Ly Sakkos. In 2010 she completed an Advanced Accompaniment Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Professor Fali Pavri and in 2013-2014 she studied at the RCS as a recipient of the Sam Hutchings Fellowship award.Liivi has taken part in several competitions including the Valentino Bucchi Competition in Rome (1st Prize ), 11th Pietro Argento Music Competition in Gioia del Colle (3rd prize in chamber music category), Con Brio competition (Estonian National Television prize ) and she was awarded the Hester Dickson accompanist prize.
Liivi has been a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA) at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, and was active with EMTA New Music Ensemble that took part in the Contemporary Music Festival in South Korea, Seoul.
As an accompanist Liivi has been working for music summer courses and many masterclasses at the RCS and also for Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She has given chamber music concerts with Nikita Naumov, Ana Cordova Andres and Peter Wesley and has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Glasgow West End Festival with the Daniel’s Beard ensemble. Along with Scottish mezzo-soprano Laura Margaret Smith she has performed at the Scottish Parliament House European Commission Estonian Presidency reception.
Currently Liivi is working as an accompanist and coach at the RCS String Department and Junior Conservatoire of Scotland.
The following was recorded at Music in the University, Glasgow University, 20 January 2022.
Arvo Pärt : Mozart Adagio from 3:20 minutes
Brahms Piano Trio no 1 in B major from 28:40 minutes
Performances
3pm, Sunday 17 January 2027: Biggar Music Club, Municipal Hall, Biggar
3pm, Sunday 21 February 2027: Melrose Music Society tbc
7.30pm, Friday 16 April 2027: Bute Arts Society
7.30pm, Friday 16 January 2026: Music in West Kilbride (Robert Irvine standing in for Rudi de Groote)
7.30pm, Friday 9 May 2025, Bute Arts Society
3pm, Sunday 13 April 2025, Melrose Music Society
7.45pm, Friday 21 March 2025, Music in Lanark
7pm, Sunday 30 June 2024, The Barn, Banchory
7.30pm, Saturday 29 June 2024, Universal Hall, Findhorn
7.30pm, Sunday 21 April 2024, Newton Stewart Cinema
