About Belmont Ensemble of London

The Belmont Ensemble of London was founded by its Musical Director Peter G Dyson in 1991, winning instant critical acclaim.

The Belmont Ensemble was the pioneering force in establishing the famous series of baroque concerts at St.Martin-in-the-Fields in the early 1990s. They have now given over 450 concerts at the famous Trafalgar Square Church where they are firmly established as the most popular of the principal orchestras, attracting large international audiences to their fortnightly concerts.

The Orchestra was originally established to enable exceptional music graduates the opportunity to bridge the gap between leaving conservatoire and finding full-time employment, within a professional environment. Now a seasoned fixture on London's musical scene, the orchestra receives no subsidies or sponsorship, relying purely on enterprising programming and box office receipts.

In 1996 the Ensemble made their acclaimed debut at the Purcell Room, and in 1998 made their sold-out debut at Queen Elizabeth Hall, since then they have been regular performers at London's Southbank Centre.

The Orchestra has recently appeared at The Banqueting House in Whitehall, St Clement Dane's Church, St Paul's Church Covent Garden, The Blackheath Halls and they have recently established an ongoing concert series at St James's Church Piccadilly.

As well as performing in the capital, the Ensemble has appeared at numerous Festivals and Music Societies around the country, from Somerset to Sussex and Ludlow to Northampton.

Belmont has close links with Classic FM, which has included giving the stations first ever Christmas Day Concert, since then Classic FM has broadcast many Belmont Ensemble concerts live from St Martin-in-the-Fields.

In 1994 The Orchestra recorded Walton's Façade, and other works incorporating the poetry of John Betjeman and Roald Dahl, narrated by Benjamin Luxon CBE. This received critical acclaim in the USA "The orchestras playing is light, playful and precise". Belmont Recordings was quickly established, releasing more CDs including Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Mozart's two Sinfonia Concertante. The Ensemble also appeared in a Channel 4 TV documentary, as well as the recent Channel Five TV series about St Martin-in-the-Fields.

The Belmont Ensemble is a highly flexible group with a dedicated core of string players for baroque music; it can adapt to encompass forces for large romantic concertos and choral works, to contemporary commissions. All across the country's musical spectrum, former Belmont Ensemble players can be found: Past Leaders now play with the LSO, and Royal Opera House, and former continuo players are now working with ENO and the BBC Symphony, Philharmonic, and Concert Orchestras. Current members of the Ensemble also play with leading British orchestras including The Philharmonia, LPO, LSO and RPO, CBSO, Britten Sinfonia, Hanover Band, English Concert and OAE. Soloists with the orchestra have included former winners of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competitions and many outstanding international artists.

The highly versatile violinist, Anna Bradley, who has been working with the Ensemble for the past ten years, leads the Ensemble.

www.belmontensemble.com