The Nash Ensemble

The Nash Ensemble, a British chamber ensemble with a wide range of styles dating back to the Romantic period, was formed in London, England in 1964. The ensemble, founded by Royal Academy of Music artistic director Amelia Freedman and bassist and teacher Rodney Slatford, took its name from the Nash Terraces surrounding the Academy, and welcomed young students destined to become great soloists in their field. These students included Paul Watkins and Christopher Van Kampen (cello), Ian Brown (piano), Frank Lloyd and John Pigneguy (horn), James Watson (trumpet), and Michael Collins (clarinet). From their very first recordings, the ensemble distinguished itself by the eclecticism of their repertoire, which included compositions for chamber music and small orchestral ensembles by Hummel, Spohr, Fauré, Stravinsky, Schönberg, Mozart, and Poulenc. The ensemble received numerous awards, including two Royal Philharmonic Society Awards and the Gramophone Award for Contemporary Music Ensemble of the Year (2002) in recognition of its ambition to perform works by Souster, Knussen, Birtwistle, MacMillan and Turnage. These works included Music to Hear (2001) and This Silence (2008), both dedicated to Mark-Anthony Turnage. In 2010, The Nash Ensemble, still directed by Amelia Freedman, took up residency at London's Wigmore Hall. The ensemble continued to promote a repertoire comprised of works by less-celebrated modern composers such as Britten, Vaughan Williams, Suk, Bridge, Turina, Bax, Bruch, and Korngold, as well as young contemporary composers like Alexander Goehr and Julian Anderson. They also perform works by legendary classical composers including Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Dvořák, and Tchaikovsky. By 2020, the ensemble had premiered 300 works by 225 different composers, including 215 resulting from specific commissions. The ensemble, which has toured the world, was often broadcast on BBC radio and programmed for the London Proms. Recent members include cellist Adrian Brendel (son of pianist Alfred Brendel), pianist Clifford Benson, flutist Philippa Davies, violist Laurence Power and violinist Marianne Thorsen. The ensemble’s vast catalog includes later titles such as Bruch: Piano Trio & Other Chamber Music (2021), Ries: Piano Trio & Sextets (2022), Clara Schumann & Fanny Mendelssohn: Piano Trios & String Quartet (2023), and Tchaikovsky, Korngold: String Sextets (2024).

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