Sussex & Hampshire String Quartet
If you are looking for a String Quartet in Sussex, Hampshire or Surrey, look no further! 

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Inna Erskine
Violin   

            Inna started playing the violin at the age of 3 1/2. She was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, Junior Department at the age of 9 where she studied with Pamela Spofforth and Professor Grigori Zhislin. Three years later, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Purcell School of Music where she continued her studies with Jean Fiske and Professor Jack Glickman. 

Inna has performed in Germany, France and the United States and in the UK's Guildhall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Rooms.   

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Ben Knowles
Viola   

Ben has played violin since he was 4 and made the switch to viola at 16. He was educated at the University of Manchester and then undertook postgraduate study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, studying with Richard Crabtree. Ben has performed with orchestras at Cadogan Hall and Bridgewater Hall and is principal viola of the Maidstone Symphony Orchestra, who he has played with for 10 years. In addition to playing the viola, Ben is a pianist and conductor, regularly MDing musical theatre and, more recently, opera in the Kent and Sussex areas. He also conducted a cycle of the complete Beethoven concerti and symphonies in the 2016/17 season.

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Michael Sullivan
Violin

Michael Sullivan, based in Sussex, studied at Trinity College of Music. Since then he has had a successful career as a freelance violinist, conductor and educational manager. He has been Head of String Teaching for Berkshire, West Sussex and Guernsey Music Services. Michael was founder of the Chichester Pro Camerata, performed with the Camerata String Quartet and the Stagg String Quartet and has conducted the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.​

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Ariane Alexander
Viola   

Canadian violist Ariane Alexander has had her solo playing described as “A high-caliber, passionate performance”  (L’Express Timmins), while her chamber music abilities have been described as “Telepathic” (The Timmins Daily Press ). Sometimes torn between her love of new music and her love of orchestral playing, Ariane has premiered over a dozen new works and played in dozens of orchestras, with performances at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, the Oriental Art Center of Shanghai, and many other venues in the Netherlands, France, Italy, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and China. Ariane premiered the world’s first concerto for viola and laptop orchestra (Schedel/O’Halloran) with the Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) in the spring of 2013. Teachers have included Nancy Dahn at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Stephanie Griffin at City University of New York. Ariane has played in master classes for the Borromeo Quartet, the St Lawrence String Quartet, Rennie Regehr, Elenora Turovsky, and has been coached by Urusla Oppens and Tania Leon. When not making music, Ariane can sometimes be found saving the world on her Xbox.

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Emily Hester
Viola

Emily Hester has performed extensively as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician in venues including London's Southbank Centre, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Centre, Cheltenham Festival and the Aurora Chamber Music Festival in Sweden. She recently received a full scholarship to participate and perform at the Astona International Summer Music Academy in Switzerland and premiered Peter Longworth's Stemming Verses; echoes of Yarrow for solo viola at the City of London Festival.
Having graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with distinction, Emily has studied with Krzysztof Chorzelski, Mark Knight and Philip Dukes and classical improvisation with David Dolan. 
Emily has worked as a session musician for EMI at Abbey Road Studios and with ensembles including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Shanghai Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra Anglia, Thames Festival Orchestra, Orion Symphony Orchestra, Euphonia Chamber Orchestra, Waldegrave Ensemble, Women of the World Symphony, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, where she was principal viola for the 2004 - 2005 season, appearing frequently at the BBC Proms and with the Guildhall Chamber Orchestra on BBC Radio 3. 

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Alison Jones
Viola   

Alison Ruscoe began her studies on viola at an early age and progressed to
study at Trinity College of Music where she was awarded the Band Kurtz
viola prize for achievement. After graduating she continued her studies at the
Royal College of Music in London, learning with Jonathan Barritt and
generously supported by a Leverhulme Orchestral Mentorship scholarship.
Alison has worked with the LPO Future First Scheme, Grammy nominated
artist Chilly Gonzales, and toured China with the Kent Sinfonia. She performs
regularly with the St Paul's Sinfonia, Flute, Harp and Viola group the Lilium
Trio, and as an artist for the charity Music in Hospitals. Alison has also led
courses at the Dartington Plus summer school and regularly leads young
musicians in concerts, most recently in collaboration with the LSO.​

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Nigel McNestrie
Cello

Nigel McNestrie studied joint piano and cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with John York and Leonard Stehn. After graduating he established himself in the South of England playing with English Festival Opera, touring with The London Schubert Players and forming The Lancing Piano Trio (consisting of music teachers from Lancing College). He is in great demand with Operatic Societies not only on cello but also on keyboard and recently Piano Accordion. Nigel is also interested in Early Music and plays Viola Da Gamba. 

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Mandy Thorpe
Cello

Amanda started learning cello at age 11. She was a junior exhibition on a scholarship to the Junior Royal College of Music.

As a student she toured throughout Europe and the USA, and on graduating from the Royal Academy of Music, she worked as a freelance cellist taking part in many commercial recordings and West End shows, before becoming a member of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, followed by principal 'cellist at the Israel Sinfonietta.

She has performed for Pope John Paul II, Sadlers Wells, the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra.

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