Teachers

Chris Giles

Christopher Giles

Christopher Giles (Joint Principal) completed his Masters degree in performance studies in London, having worked under the guidance of prominent performers such as Alexander Ivashkin and John Tilbury. He has given many recitals at various venues across the capital and, more recently, the West Midlands. He enjoys performing contemporary music in particular and past performances have included works by Henry Cowell, Toru Takemitsu and Arvo Part. He took first prize at the Blackheath Music Festival, London for his interpretation and performance of 'For Away', by Toru Takemitsu.

Christopher moved to Shrewsbury in 2003 to take up a position as Director of Music at a local school. During his five year tenure he oversaw countless musical projects including collaborations with the Drama department to stage musical productions such as ‘Oliver’ and ‘Oklahoma’ which typically ran for three consecutive evenings.

In 2005, together with his wife Maria Giles, Christopher founded ‘The Shropshire School of Classical Music’, which in due course was to become ‘Active in Music’. The music school has grown steadily over the years to include Birmingham and, more recently, London.

Maria Giles

Maria Giles (Joint Principal) studied piano from the age of five and later trained as a pianist and musicologist at the Special Music School for gifted students (Kazan, Russia). In the following years she attended the Moscow State Conservatoire ‘P.I. Tchaikovsky’ where, after obtaining her Masters degree in History and Theory of Music, she took a three-year Postgraduate course in Musicology. She has taught solfeggio, theory and harmony in various music schools, accompanied at various ballet establishments and worked as a correspondent and editor at the Moscow classical music radio station ‘Orpheus’. She later received an offer to teach at the Central Special Music School, Moscow, where she successfully worked with many talented pupils from all over the world.

Maria Giles

Hannah_Brain

Hannah Brain (Violin)

Hannah was born in the Ukraine and started learning violin and piano at the age of 6. She moved to England in 2002 after completing her Diploma at the Tchaikovsky National Academy in Kiev.
Since a young age Hannah has had a great interest in the Romantic period of music. Since coming to England she has played in masterclasses with some of the world's greatest musicians. She is a well-established chamber musician and performs regularly around London.
When she is not busy with music, Hannah enjoys travelling, socialising and the theatre. She is currently working towards her goal of making her professional solo debut in a major London concert venue.
Hannah is an experienced teacher and has a fun approach to teaching and ensure her pupils have plenty of exciting tunes and duets and so to keep pupils motivated and enjoy learning.

Maria Voynikova (Piano)

Biography and picture to come.

Julia Kalnobricka (Piano)

Born in Riga (Latvia), Julia Kalnobricka, now based in London, started her piano studies at the age of four and has achieved extensive professional experience as a solo pianist, accompanist and teacher.

Julia graduated at Emils Darzins Music College in 2004 and completed a two year course in the Latvian Music Academy with professor Juris Kalnciems. She also holds BA/Mus (Hons) in Music Performance and Creative Advertising, from the London College of Music.

Julia has taken part in many piano music festivals in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and has been a member of various chamber groups in Latvia. She has participated in both regional and international piano and chamber music competitions.

At the age of nine she won second prize in the Young Latvian Talents competition. She also won third prize in the International Pianist Competition Le Muse in Agropoli, Italy in October 2005.

Julia is currently studying MMus Music Performance at the London College of Music (TVU) with Andrew Zolinsky. She has performed at the Young Baltic Talent concert in the Guildhall in Novmber 2006, 2007 and 2008. She has also given two piano recitals at St Lawrence Jewry (St Pauls, London). In May 2009 she performed a solo piano recital at Steinway Hall, London.

Julia is a member of The Worshipful Company of Musicians of London and received a silver medal award in November 2006. She is also a member of the London College of Music Chamber Choir.

Alongside her studies and performing activities, Julia works as an accompanist for Ealing Music Service as well as at the London College of Music. She also teaches piano at St Dominics Sixth Form College.

Click on the picture to hear Julia play.

Christopher Evesham (Guitar)

Christopher Evesham was born in Halton, Buckinghamshire in 1982 and was given his first guitar at the age of four. At ten, he began to study with American guitarist John Dunn of the Mons conservatoire in Belgium. Later he studied with Andrew Barrett as an external student of Wells Cathedral school where, in 1998, he won a DfEE scholarship to study full-time and subsequently earned the highest grade for performance in the string department.

In 2000, Christopher reached the semi-finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and in the same year became a student of Carlos Bonell at the Royal College of Music. In 2004 he gained a first class for his final recital. He graduated in the summer of that year.

Since graduating, Christopher performs regularly as a soloist. He has also played in various ensembles including with flautist Laura Smith, singer Jo Risbero and 'cellist David Kadumakasa. He has performed solo recitals in many diverse venues around the UK, Belgium and Germany and as an orchestral soloist in Italy, performing a new work by composer Gabriele Roberto. Christopher has also performed as a soloist with orchestras in London (including the Dulwich Symphony Orchestra and the Sutton Symphony Orchestra) and elsewhere in the UK, playing such works as Vivaldi's Concerto in D major and Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.

Christopher is an experienced teacher and plays a guitar made in 2002 by Australian guitar makers Greg Smallman and Sons.

Click on the picture to hear Christopher play.

Natalia Varkentin (Violin)

Natalya graduated from the Latvian Academy of Music and has toured Europe with the Latvian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Latvian National Opera and Ballet Orchestra. She has also played as a solo entertainer on leading Cruise Liners. Natalya has been a teacher for many years and is now settled in London.

Click on the picture to hear Natalia play.