Midland Chamber Players
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JEAN GUBBINS (Cello)
Jean is the Musical Director and cellist of The Midland Chamber Players. She studied at the London Violoncello School with Prof. Herbert Walenn and Alison Dalrymple, and at London’s Royal Academy of Music with Derek Simpson. After working in London with the Royal Ballet and Opera, she became a member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the 1960’s, where she stayed for 12 years, playing in a principal position. Jean has performed with many chamber ensembles including the Midlands Baroque Players, Musica Antiqua, The Borromini Ensemble, The Haydn Baryton Trio, the BBC Midland Radio Orchestra, the Melachrino Strings and Orchestra da Camera. She has, for a number of years, taught cello and chamber music at the Royal Birmingham Junior Conservatoire.
In 1966 she founded, with Harry van der Lyn, a musical partnership which was to be the forerunner to the Midland Chamber Players. The Players celebrated their 50th Anniversary Season of Birmingham City Centre Lunchtime Recitals in 2015, and are currently presenting the 57th Series of regular Friday Concerts at Shirley Methodist Church in Solihull.
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DINAH LEVINE (Piano)
Dinah is a concert pianist with a particular expertise in Mozart Piano Concertos, having performed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at an early age. She went on to read music at Birmingham University, then gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music to study piano with Franz Reizenstein and also David Wilde. She joined the Players in 1978 and has been in great demand ever since, performing a wide range of Chamber Works. Her interpretations of the Mozart Piano Concertos are renowned throughout the Midlands, with memorable performances at Wrekin College in Shropshire, Newstead Abbey in Nottingham and Highbury Hall in Birmingham, with the Midland Chamber Players String & Wind Ensemble. Her annual performance of a Mozart Piano Concerto has become a firm favourite in the Midland Chamber Players concert series.
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SAM MASON (Violin)
Sam Mason started to play the violin at the age of five. The award of two scholarships from the Martin Musical Trust enabled him to continue his studies full time at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Carmel Kaine and, later, Howard Davis. Between 1995 and 1997 Sam made several recordings of violin and piano music, with pianist Yoriko Wakabayashi, for the 'Oxford Classics' label. These included sonatas by Mozart, Schumann and Brahms, as well as works by Schubert and Wieniawski. Sam performs regularly with the Midland Chamber Players. He has taught throughout the West Midlands and is currently a violin tutor at the Royal Birmingham Junior Conservatoire.
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ANDREW HUGHES (Violin)
Studied at Coventry School of Music and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with James Davis and Jeremy Ballard. From the 1980’s, he has worked frequently with the BBC Midland Radio Orchestra, Orchestra da Camera, The English String Orchestra and also TV and theatre work in London. Currently he plays with the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. He teaches at Princethorpe College and throughout the Midlands and is a long standing member of the European String Teachers Association. He enjoys playing chamber music and has been, for many years, a member of the Midland Chamber Players and also the chamber group, Fidelis.
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CEINWEN SILVERBROOKE (Viola)
Ceinwen studied violin part-time with Lena Wood at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She discovered her love of the viola, while studying at Southampton University, and was privileged to be coached by the Allegri String Quartet, who were Resident Artists at that time. She won a post-graduate scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Music, and subsequently joined the BBC Midland Radio Orchestra. She has also worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra da Camera. Her passion for chamber music has brought success with a wide variety of Midlands ensembles, including the Midland Chamber Players since 2007.
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REGULAR GUEST ARTISTS
DAVID JOYCE (violin)
JACQUI HILL (violin)
BRIAN PERKINS (guitar)
JULIAN ATKINSON (double-bass)
CAROLINE HERBERT (clarinet)
 

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