Boccherini                     String Trio Op. 14 No.6

Castelnuovo-Tedesco String Trio

Beethoven                     String Trio C Minor Op. 9 No. 3

Weinberg                       String Trio Op. 48

This concert presents a journey through the rich and varied world of the string trio. It opens with Boccherini’s String Trio Op. 14 No. 6, whose elegance, charm, and flowing lyricism exemplify the Classical style, followed by Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s rarely performed trio, a work of clarity, warmth, and refined neo-classical expression.

After the interval, Beethoven’s String Trio in C minor showcases the composer’s early dramatic ambition, with tension and lyricism in equal measure. The programme concludes with Weinberg’s emotionally charged trio, a work of intense modern expression, blending haunting melodies with dynamic rhythms, leaving a lasting impression of power and resilience.

The Artists

Roman Simovic, violin

Serving as a leader of the London Symphony Orchestra since 2010, and winner of prizes at numerous international competitions, Roman Simovic is among the foremost violinists of his generation.

Roman's brilliant virtuosity and seemingly in born musicality, fuelled by a limitless imagination, has taken him throughout all continents performing on many of world’s leading stages including the Carnegie Hall, Bolshoi Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Mariinsky Hall in St. Petersburg, Grand Opera House in Tel-Aviv, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Barbican Hall in London, Art Centre in Seoul, Grieg Hall in Bergen, Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, to name a few.

As soloist, Roman has appeared with the world leading orchestras: London Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Regio Torino, Symphony Nova Scotia (Canada), Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra (Hungary), Camerata Bern (Switzerland), Camerata Salzburg (Austria), CRR Chamber Orchestra (Turkey), Poznan Philharmonia, Prague Philharmonia, North Brabant (Holland), RTE Madrid, OSESP Sao Paolo, Academy St. Martin in the Fields… with conductors like: Valery Gergiev, Antonio Pappano, Daniel Harding, Gianandrea Noseda, Kristian Jarvi, Sir Simon Rattle, Jiri Belohlavek, Pablo Heras Casado, Nikolai Znaider, Thomas Søndergård, Nuno Coelho, Jaime Martin, amongst others.

A sought-after artist, Roman Simovic has been invited and continues to perform at various distinguished festivals and also holds a visiting professor of violin position at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Having an extensive experience as an educator, Roman has presented masterclasses in the US, UK, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Montenegro, Israel, as well as at the Verbier Festival where he is frequently performing as a soloist with orchestra, as chamber musician and recitalist.

Milena Simovic, viola

Milena Simovic was born in Belgrade.

Presented as a "musician with innate musicality" by critics in Great Britain, Milena enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, North and South America. Her concerts have been broadcasted live on BBC Radio 3, Medici TV, Rai Uno in Italy, Arte etc. and her performances praised as “...exceptionally delivered
performance, charged with brilliant combination of operatic quality, which was jaw-dropping at times”, “seductive and exciting…with rare artistic sensibility” in the press.

Milena holds a professorship at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London and is a resident viola and a chamber music coach at the Villa Musica in Germany, Culture Festival in Sardinian town of Santulussurgiu, and PYFA Academy in Wales UK, which enjoys versatility of students from all continents. Milena is also a  regular member of external jury for professional and masters studies at the Royal Academy in London.

As a soloist and passionate chamber musician, Milena performed in halls around the world, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall, Purcell Room in London, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Elbphilharmonie Hall in Hamburg, Alte Oper in Frankfurt and the Opera House in Tel Aviv.

As a chamber musician, Milena collaborated with Ivri Gitlis, Vadim Repin, Antoni Menezes, Julian Rahlin, Denis Kozhukhin, Itamar Golan, Roman Simović, Gordan
Nikolić.

She has collaborated with numerous conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Daniele Rustioni, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Pablo Gonzalez and Nil Venditti, and was Nigel Kennedy's "recording artist" between 2015 and 2017, with whom she recorded 3 CDs, while this season is releasing a CD with a concerto for viola and choir by Muhamed Feriuz, for the famous house Signum.

David Cohen, cello

The world-renowned cellist and conductor David Cohen embodies a unique combination of qualities making him one of the most versatile and exciting musicians of this day. He has been internationally acclaimed for his remarkable instrumental mastery, generous musicianship, vast experience in varied repertoires combined with a flamboyant charisma.

Highlights of the 2024-2025 season include Davids' appearence as a conductor with the PHION Orchestra in The Netherlands and his performance as a cellist of the Edward
Elgar Cello Concerto at the Barbican Centre together with the London Symphony Orchestra and Antonio Pappano.

David made his solo debut with the Belgium National Orchestra at the age of nine. His international career as a soloist soon flourished leading him to perform with top-class orchestras such as the Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Soloist Chamber Orchestra, l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege, l'Orchestre Symphonique de la VRT, l'Orchestre de la Beethoven Akademie, l'Orchestre National de Lille, the Zurich chamber orchestra, L'Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, l'Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, l'Orchestre Symphonique de Grenoble, the Polish Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphonia of Varsaw, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, NHK, BBC Concert Orchestra. Furthermore, David has worked as a soloist with some of the most distinguished conductors in the industry such as Lord Menuhin, Mislave Rostropovitch, Walter Weller, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, C.V.Dohnanyi, Pedro Hallfter, Martin Brabbins.

As a graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Guidhall School of Music & Drama, with the support of a grant from the Menuhin Foundation, David won more than 25 prizes in International Cello Competitions. Amongst his prizes and awards are the Gold Medal of the GSMD in London, (like Jaqueline Dupre), The Geneva International Cello Competition, the Audi International Competition, International Cello Competition in Douai, ’Tenuto’international Competition", The Guilherminia Suggia Gift, The Ian Flaming Trust, SPES, KPMG Martin Scholarship, Hattory Foundation, Berllotti-Buitonie Fellowship award, Fondation SUISA, J.S.Bach International Competition. Furthermore, David was Nominated ECHO “Rising Star” for the season 2002-2003 by the “Royal Philharmonic Society of Belgium” and the “Concertgebouw”.

Davids' passion for chamber music has led him to regularly enjoy collaborating with fine musicians in major International cello- and chamber music festivals such as Kronberg (Germany), Manchester ( U.K), Cambridge (U.K.), Beauvais (France), Orpheus Baccheus in Bordeaux ( France), the Gstaad Festival (Suisse), West Cork (Ireland) Kuhmo (Finland) Elverum (Norway) Oxford (u.k), Sonoro (Bucharest).

David is the Artistic Director of the Melchior Ensemble, which brings together the finest musicians from Europe such as a.o. Sasha Sitkovetsky, Priya Mitchel, Corine Chapelle,
Silver Ainomae, Razvan Popovici and is the ensemble in Residence in Peter House Cambridge.

He was appointed Principal Cello of the Philharmonia Orchestra in March 2001 (making him the youngest principal cellist in the history. and was appointed Principal cello of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2022.

A conductor of fine reputation, David has performed in several international festivals such as Kuhmo Festival, Stift Festival, Osnabruck "Con brio Festival", Les Sons Intensifs, Belgrade Ensemble, Phion Orchestra in Netherlands. His repertoire includes composers such as P.M.Davis, P.Glass, Debussy, Gubbaidulina, Mahler, Stravinsky, Sibelius, including premiere performances and recordings of pieces by Osvaldo Golijov and Isidora Zebeljan.