The Musician
Bryony Gibson-Cornish
I fully support Bryony’s journey to acquire this special Brothers Amati Viola. Having spent an important part of its life in both the Allegri and Lindsay Quartets I can’t imagine a better recipient of this historic Viola. It’s the most perfect fit of player and instrument and I so look forward to seeing how its voice develops in Bryony’s hands.
Lawrence Power, Viola
At 31 years old, Bryony Gibson-Cornish has firmly established herself as one of the UK’s foremost violists of her generation. She is a viola and chamber music professor at the Royal College of Music, London, where she completed an Artist Diploma and was awarded the Tagore Gold Medal by HRH King Charles III upon graduation. Bryony is the violist of the Marmen Quartet, winners of the Banff and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions, as well as the Annual Royal Over-Seas League Competition. Concert highlights include the BBC Proms, Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall and biennale appearances in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Lisbon. The quartet made its Australian debut in 2023, with performances at ANAM Quartetthaus in Melbourne and were the 2021-23 Peak Fellowship Ensemble in residence at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In December 2024, their debut recording of Ligeti and Bartok quartets will be released on BIS Recrds.
A dual citizen of the UK and New Zealand, Bryony was brought up in NZ by British parents and moved to London in 2015, after completing her Masters at The Juilliard School as a Fulbright Scholar. Before settling into a balance of quartet and teaching, Bryony freelanced in London’s major symphonic and chamber orchestras and held the position of No. 2 Viola with the London Mozart Players for several years. She is also featured on a recording of Frank Bridge’s 3 Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano with Julien Van Mallaerts and James Baillieu for Champs Hill Records.
The Stradivari Trust is delighted to announce our first new scheme under the new management: It has been agreed to acquire this very fine 1610 viola by Antonio and Hieronymus Amati for Bryony. The instrument has been in the hands of the Ireland family for five decades, being played in both the Allegri and Lindsay Quartets. We are looking to raise a total of £400,000. If you are interested in finding out more about how to get involved with this new scheme, please contact one of our Trustees or Dr. Sibylle Jackson at admin@stradivaritrust.org, Tel. 07379 626453.