Artists

BASIL ATHANASIADIS, COMPOSER / FOUNDER

In 2010 became the recipient of the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2010-2011). Based at the Tokyo University of the Arts as a Special Foreign Researcher, he composed new works for Western and Japanese instruments with a particular interest on the shō (mouth organ) and the 20-stringed koto. Some of those works were presented in a series of concerts culminating to a large-scale performance project that took place at the Sogakudo Hall in 23 January 2011. The same year he was awarded the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2011-2013) for the second time to further his research and support the composition of new works for Japanese and Western instruments and their performance in both Japan and Europe.

Athanasiadis’ works are characterised by a strong visual identity; his performances has often been accompanied by dance or stage action. Early influences can be traced in Sergiu Celibidache’s views on aspects of ambience and acoustic space (Athanasiadis attended Celibidache’s Munich seminars in 1994), and in composers such as Christou, Feldman and Takemitsu. His most recent works focus on the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which has also been the main subject of his doctoral and postdoctoral research since 2004.
His music has been published by Oxford University Press and United Music Publishers and selected works have been released on CD by Dutton Epoch, Sargasso Records, Regent Records, Fonorum and the Choir & Organ Magazine (cover CD for March/April 2009 issue).

Basil’s works have been performed in Europe, US, Canada and Asia by ensembles such as the London Sinfonietta, Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet, New London Chamber Ensemble, Silk String Quartet, Okeanos, Mondriaan Quartet, Alea III, Shonorities and choirs such as the BBC Singers, Wells Cathedral Choir, Cambridge Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Montreal Christ Church Cathedral Choir.

Shie Shoji studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music, supported by Sir Geraint Evans Scholarship. Prior to commencing her vocal study Shie trained extensively as a dancer. As a vocalist of Shonorities, Shie has been actively collaborating to create new staged works with musicians and other artistic disciplines, in particular –dance, drama, film. Notable collaborators include composers such as Basil Athanasiadis, Evelyn Ficarra, Roderick Watkins, May Kay Yau and the choreographer Sarah Fahie.

Her operatic roles include; SWALLOW in Happy Prince, NANCY in Albert Herring, KATISHA in Mikado, MAD MARGARET in Ruddigore, SHEPERDESS in King Arthur, FORTUNA in L’Incoronazione di Poppea, ZIMA in Les Indes Galantes, and MERCEDES in Carmen. Shie has also sung in the chorus for the National Reis Opera on their productions of Turandot, I Due Foscari and Boris Godoenov, with Cameron Mackintosh Production of the musical Miss Saigon and with Carl Rosa Opera Company in The Merry Widow.

New dance/music theatre works credits include; a solo singer in Love Suicide at Amijima, (Riverside Studios), Evelyn Ficarra/Sarah Fahie’s Submarine (Robin Howard Dance Theatre) and later broadcast on Resonance FM.KAYE in Soap Opera (Albany Theatre), Night bed is in mess (Ficarra/Fahie), Kurtag’s Kafka Fragmente (Greece). 

Her recordings of Basil Athanasiadis’ works have been released on two CD under the UK-based label Sargasso.

LIN LIN, FLUTE

The up and coming and multi award-winning Chinese concert musician Lin Lin is a talented and skilled performer in both flute and piano. She is described as an ‘exceptional musician, a phenomenal flute player and a wonderfully gifted pianist’by British conductor Jonathan Tilbrook,and a ‘very fine and creative musician’ by composer Peter Weigold. Lin has established herself as one of the most exciting young musicians of today by giving a large number of solo and chamber recitals in major concert halls and music festivals throughout Europe and Asia. She also worked with many leading orchestras as the soloist and principal flute, including recent public performance with Trinity Symphony Orchestra, as the soloist flute, for the European premiere of Golden Flute Concerto (Chen Yi) as well as world premiere of Hua Mulan Saga (Sandy Clark) at London Blackheath Concert Hall.

Lin has studied and worked with many well-known musicians including Susan Milan, Sue Thomas and Nigel Clayton at the Royal College of Music; Anna Noakes at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. After graduated her master degree with distinction hounor, she is now undertaking performance based PhD research program under Dr. Barley Norton in the area of modern Western music.

Whilst she never stopped her practice of the both instruments, unusually, Lin Lin had a spell of five years’ study in material science and engineering at Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, then Queen Mary University of London. She gained a Masters degree in Science & Engineering, graduated with first class honours in 2009, and was the only student in her year to have a research essay published.

STELIOS CHATZIIOSIFIDIS, VIOLIN

After graduating from the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki (Greece), at the age of 17, Stelios was accepted and awarded a bursary at the Royal Academy of Music. There he gained his BMus and MMus degrees. For the latter he won a scholarship from the Alexander S. Onassis Scholarship Foundations. During that time he studied with Lydia Mordkovitch and Erich Gruenberg, and received conducting lessons as second study from Denise Ham and George Hurst. In 2012 Stelios completed his PhD studies at Canterbury Christ Church University, (CCCU) where he was awarded the Research Studentship. Since 2006 he has worked at CCCU as a Violin/Viola Tutor and has also lectured in Musicology, Analysis and History. His academic engagements include paper presentations in the ESTA 2009, RMA 2010 and CCCU 2011 Conferences.

Stelios performs regularly chamber music and solo and has appeared in venues such as Wigmore Hall, St. Martin in the Fields and Riverside Studios. His involvement with Shonorities, a pioneering group that specialises in staged performances, has included appearances in the UK, Greece (Thessaloniki and Athens) and Japan (Tokyo University of Arts, Kitara Hall in Sapporo and Kushiro). The group has received prizes from organisations such as British Arts Council, Sasakawa Foundation and has recently released a recording under the Saragasso label. As an orchestral player he free-lances with orchestras such as Southern Sinfonia, Southbank Sinfonia, Branderburg Sinfonia, Guildford Philharmonic and has participated in their recordings with Naxos and Nimbus. Throughout his career he has played under conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Bernand Haitink and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In 2005 he appeared as a soloist with Southbank Sinfonia performing Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto.

AISHA ORAZBAYEVA