Soloists During the 2007 - 2008 Season

Emmanuel Despax will join the SPO on November 17th at Epsom Playhouse to perform Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 Emperor.

Emmanuel Despax was born in France and had his first piano lessons at the age of 9 before passing the entrance exam to the Concervatoire Darius Milhaud in Aix-en-Provence. From the age of 13 he studied in the UK, gaining a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School, studying with Ruth Nye. Whilst at the prestigious Menuhin School Emmanuel appeared in concerts both as a soloist and chamber musician. Appearances included concerts at the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, St. John's Smith Square and the Wigmore Hall.

In 2002 a scholarship enabled him to continue his studies with Ruth Nye at the Royal College of Music. Whilst at the Royal College Emmanuel won the RCM concerto trials in 2 successive years as well as the Kendall Taylor Prize, the Chappell medal and the Esther Fisher Prize for the best undergraduate.

Emmanuel has given many recitals in the UK and Europe. He made an acclaimed Wigmore Hall début in 2005 as a result of winning the Jaques Samuel Pianos Intercollegiate Piano Competition.

Mick Nagle will join the SPO in the April 5th concert at Epsom Playhouse to perform Mozart Horn Concerto No.3.

Mick grew up in Birmingham and studued the horn at the Birmingham Junior School of Music and then at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He now divides his time between running a small market research agency in Guildford and providing taxi/banking services for two teenagers. Since his college days Mick has continued to play with orchestras in London and the South East, currently as principal horn with the Surrey Philharmonic and Surrey Mozart Players, playing previously with the Forest Philharmonic Orchestra in North London for over 10 years. He has accepted opportunities for regular soloperformances, which have included concerti by Mozart, Strauss and Haydn, Brites's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings and several attempts at the nototrious Schumann Conzertstuck for 4 horns - the latest of which will take place in Kingston in 2008.

On May 24th at Dorking Halls our soloist in a performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto will be Alex Sitkovetsky.

Alexander Sitkovetsky, born in Moscow into a family with established musical tradition, made his concerto debut at the age of eight and the same year came to study at the Menuhin School. Lord Menuhin was his inspiration throughout his school years and they performed together on several occasions including the Bach Double Concerto, Bartok Duos in St. James' Palace and when Alexander played the Mendelssohn concerto under Menuhin's baton. He has gone on to perform in international music festivals throughout Europe, has appeared in many famous halls, not only in the UK (the Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall and St. John's Smith Square) but also in Israel, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA. Last season he toured with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in Bangkok, Bermuda, the USA, Japan and Europe. He also made his debut with the English Chamber Orchestra and featured as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras.

Alexander appears with the Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra as a result of winning the First Prize in the Haverhill Soloist Competition in Sepember 2006.

Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra is Registered Charity No.: 1029543