spring concert series

Charlotte Spruit is a Dutch chamber musician and soloist currently pursuing a Master's degree at the Royal Academy of Music. As well as performing at venues including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Wigmore Hall in London, and with musicians such as Janine Jansen and Rachel Podger, in 2020 she won the Anton Kersjes Violin Prize, and in 2022 she won the first prize, audience prize, and Genuin Classics prize at the Leipzig International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition.

Charlotte participates in festivals such as the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht and has collaborated in performances that combine painting and music. She plays an 18th-century Italian violin from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation.

Richard Dowling is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music’s Opera Course and supported by Opera Prelude. Having been involved in Wild Arts since its creation, he performed as Ferrando in our production of Così fan tutte in 2022 and will be returning in 2024 for the production's revival tour.

As well as working with English Touring Opera on Benjamin Britten’s John Donne Sonnets, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Bach’s St John and St Matthew Passions, and a triple bill including a mixture of Purcell, Carissimi and Gesualdo, he has sung for Garsington Opera (in their 2013 and 2015 seasons), Birmingham Opera Company, and Buxton International Festival. On the international stage, he performed Pedrillo (Entführung aus dem Serail) in Tokyo with Diva Opera.

Michael Butten studied at the Royal Academy of Music. In his first year he won the Julian Bream Prize, adjudicated by Julian Bream, and, shortly afterwards, gained the Nervi/Bodrato Prize as the youngest semi-finalist at the Michele Pittaluga Guitar Competition in Alessandria. On completing his BMus degree with first class honours, he received from the Academy one of the Regency Awards and in June 2014, as a postgraduate, became the first guitarist to win the R.A.M. Club Prize.

​Of particular interest to Michael is the often neglected guitar music of British composers, British renaissance lute repertoire and the link often found between the music of both periods. He is currently preparing a solo recording devoted to the music of John Dowland. 

Katherine Spencer is principal clarinet of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, City of London Sinfonia, Academy of Ancient Music as well as regular guest principal with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort and Hannover Band. She has appeared as a soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields; made many live Radio 3 solo broadcasts; and performs regularly on Classic FM and European radio stations.

Many of her discs with the Galliard Ensemble, of which she is a long standing member, are highly acclaimed in the world press, Gramophone and BBC Music Magazines. She has recorded the Brahms Sonata and Beethoven Trio for the Oxford Classic label with Sam Haywood and Martin Storey.

Sijie Chen (Violin) was a string finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition and now enjoys a varied career playing modern and period violins.

Sijie’s chamber collaborations have included performances with Nicola Benedetti, Roderick Williams and many other wonderful musicians and friends; at the Edinburgh International Festival, Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music, Roman River, and other festivals worldwide. She leads the Bloomsbury Players and Wild Arts ensembles, and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Vermeer Chamber Concerts.

Sijie is the co-leader of the London Mozart Players, tours with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and was previously a member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. On period instruments she plays with the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

 Will McGahon (Violin) plays regularly with some of the UK’s leading historical orchestras, including Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Solomon’s Knot, and The Hanover Band. He is a member of the Bloomsbury Players and the Wild Arts Ensemble, and freelances for groups including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Manchester Collective. 

Orlando Jopling (Cello) works as music staff and conductor for the Royal Opera House, English National Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Independent Opera, and many other leading companies. He co-founded Tête à Tête, Stanley Hall Opera, and the Roman River Festival, before founding Wild Arts in 2022. His music-making as a cellist has ranged from solo and chamber performance to touring as a guest tutti cellist, most regularly with the Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestra.