Peter Campbell-Kelly
Violinist Peter Campbell-Kelly has enjoyed a varied career as both a prominent orchestral, solo and chamber musician and an enthusiastic and respected teacher.
An ABRSM scholar, he studied the violin at the RNCM with Yossi Zivoni and György Pauk, and chamber music with Eli Goren. He also performed in masterclasses with the Vermeer and Lindsay Quartets and with Mark Lubotsky at the Maltings, Snape, where he was also a member of the Britten-Pears Orchestra.
His first professional orchestral post was with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Edinburgh, where he was Leader of the 2nd Violins, a post he subsequently held with both Royal Northern Sinfonia and the CBSO. Over 30 years with these three orchestras, he toured widely, to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain, Finland, Luxembourg, Ireland, Latvia, India, Hong Kong, Japan, the USA, Canada, South Korea and Taiwan.
He has been invited regularly as guest Principal for the Philharmonia, English Chamber Orchestra, RPO, Halle, Bournemouth Symphony, Liverpool Philharmonic, RSNO, BBCNOW, Welsh National Opera, ESO, BBC Scottish and BBC Philharmonic, which he has led on several occasions, including at the BBC Proms.
Peter has also appeared as soloist at the Proms with both the BBC Philharmonic and Royal Northern Sinfonia (alongside Thomas Zehetmair) and with the SCO in Le Chatelet Theatre, Paris. He has released a recording of Scottish baroque violin sonatas with the Leda Trio, to critical acclaim.
As a chamber musician, Peter has appeared with the Endellion Quartet and alongside Peter Donohoe, Jaime Laredo, Joseph Swensen, Michael Collins, Pascal Roge, Tasmin Little and been a member of the SCO String Quartet and the RNS chamber ensemble. He founded the Leda Trio, with whom he gave broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, appeared at the Cheltenham Festival (a broadcast premiere of Tavener’s Ikon of Light), performed on London’s South Bank, and for many years gave recitals in their own series at Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He was also a founder member and leader of Mr McFall’s Chamber, the experimental and ground-breaking string quartet based in Scotland. Peter has appeared in many performances and recordings with BCMG.
A devoted and enthusiastic teacher, Peter was for several years Head of Strings at Newcastle University, and has taught at the RNCM, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (classes in audition technique), Napier University, Edinburgh University and Sage Gateshead Weekend School for Young Musicians. He has also contributed extensively to education projects for the SCO, RNS and CBSO. Peter has a thriving private teaching practice (many of his pupils have become members of NYO and gone on to have successful careers as violinists) and is a chamber music and orchestral coach at King Edward’s School. He has appeared as an adjudicator on the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year.
Aside from his busy musical life, Peter is a poet, and his first collection ‘Little Lane’ was published in 2021.