Key Staff

Giuseppe Ettorre

Visiting International Chair in Double Bass

First double bass soloist at the Orchestra of La Scala Philharmonic, Giuseppe Ettorre is an active soloist and chamber musician. He studied with professor Leonello Godoli and professor Franco Petracchi . Winner of the "Bottesini" competition in Parma in 1989 he was also winner of the ARD competition of Bavaria in 1991....

Professor Julian Lloyd Webber

Professor Emeritus. Consultant to the Strings Department

Julian Lloyd Webber enjoys one of the most creative careers in music today. As a solo cellist he has performed with many of the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and every leading symphony and chamber orchestra in the...

Tim Smedley

Head of Chamber Music

Tim Smedley studied cello at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hannah Roberts having previously been a pupil at Chetham's School of Music. As a cellist, Tim has over 20 years’ experience playing in orchestras such as the Hallé, Opera North, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic...

Nicholas Stringfellow

Associate Head of Strings and Cello Tutor

Nick Stringfellow began learning the cello through the Rotherham Schools Music Service and soon won a place to study at Chethams School of Music. From this point he started to develop a fascination with the art of ensemble playing and a love of the chamber music repertoire. He also formed a continuo partnership with...

Nicholas Trygstad

Head of Strings

A native of Minneapolis, USA, Nicholas came to Manchester to study cello with Hannah Roberts and Ralph Kirshbaum at the Royal Northern College of Music. As a student he won many awards and prizes, most notably 3rd prize in the LSO Competition, performing the Schumann Concerto with the LSO, and the RNCM’s Gold Medal. Having...

Nathaniel Vallois

Senior Violin Tutor

Nathaniel Vallois is Senior Violin Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire and is on the violin and chamber music staff at the Purcell School of Music. Besides his teaching and concert activities in the U.K., he is regularly invited to perform, broadcast and give masterclasses abroad (U.S.A, China, France, Italy, Germany, Spain,...

Jian Wang

International Chair in Cello

Jian Wang began to study the cello with his father when he was four. While a student at the Shanghai Conservatoire, he was featured in the celebrated documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China. Mr Stern's encouragement and support paved the way for him to go to the United States and in 1985 he entered the Yale...

Oliver Wille

International Chair in Chamber Music

Oliver Wille was born in Berlin and studied at several universities in Germany (Berlin and Cologne) and USA (Indiana University and New England Conservatory). As a co-founder of the international acclaimed Kuss-Quartet he started a very active chamber music life at fairly young age. Among his teachers were Eberhard Feltz,...