The Villiers String Quarter Residency at St Andrew’s, Fulham Fields

James Dickenson – violin
Tamaki Higashi– violin
Carmen Flores – viola
Nick Stringfellow – cello

After a very successful First season last yeat the second season has just been announced.
All dates start at 3pm
March 25th - Haydn, Seven Last Words of Christ, Op.51 and A.Waggoner, My Penelope(String Quartet no.4)
April 29th - Haydn, Quartet Op.76, No.2 "Fiths" and VQ New Works Competition Final
May 27th - Haydn, Quartet Op.64, No.5 "The Lark" and ALan Bush, Dialectic for String Quartet, Op.15 and Delius, String Quartet (1916).

Click Here to download the latest poster.

The Villiers Quartet is a string quartet based in London, UK. Members of the quartet have given concerts across the UK, Europe, China, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, and in 30 states across the USA, including a quartet residency at Syracuse University.

The Villiers Quartet is focused on producing new and innovative musical programmes, performing concerts which explore the relationship of music with history, dance, art, literature, digital media, science and technology. In addition to performing the classical repertoire of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart, the ensemble also promotes the music of contemporary and emerging composers.

James Dickenson studied both in the UK and the USA and lists Lydia Mordkvitch, Danny Phillips, Jerry Horner, Wen Zhou, and Christoper Rowland as some of his many teachers and mentors. After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, James left the UK to lead the Degas Quartet in the USA. With this quartet James gave concerts all over the USA, in Carnegie Hall and at the Aspen Music Festival, and held various residencies in over ten universities. Since leaving the quartet in 2007, James has returned to the UK to continue his teaching, performing, and chamber music career. An advocate of new music, James has worked closely with many American composers, including Jeffrey Mumford, Andrew Waggoner, and he is currently commissioning a new piece for violin from Shafer Mahoney.

Japanese-born violinist Tamaki Higashi started violin at the age of seven and was a multiple winner of the South Japan Music Competition in her hometown of Kagoshima. She was invited to study with Lewis Kaplan in New York City, and she received both her bachelors and masters degrees from the Mannes College of Music. After graduating in 2002 she founded the Degas Quartet. Together with her husband James, the Degas Quartet held residencies at Syracuse University and with the Western Piedmont Symphony, and worked closely with the Cassatt Quartet and Earl Carlyss of the Juilliard Quartet. The Degas Quartet toured frequently within the United States and appeared in many prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Aspen Music Festival, the Library of Congress, and was featured on live broadcasts on NPR.
Tamaki and James moved to the UK in 2007, and since then she has enjoyed a busy schedule as recitalist, teacher, and chamber musician. A passionate advocate for music education and community outreach, Tamaki organised several music projects in North Carolina, USA and Kagoshima, Japan, bringing chamber music to local schools and children's groups.
She plays on a fine Italian violin by Antonio Ungarini of Fabriano, 1740.

Carmen Flores attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and studied viola at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. Her principal teachers were Yizhak Schotten and Steven Dann. In 2007 she was appointed Principal Viola of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. She has also performed as guest principal viola with the orchestras of the Canadian Opera Company and the English National Opera.
Carmen has performed chamber music with many artists and groups including Claude Frank, Joseph Silverstein, Midori, and the Grammy-nominated ARC Ensemble. A recipient of the US Fulbright Award to the Philippines, Carmen retains a strong interest in music history. She plays on a viola made in 2006 by British luthier William Castle.

Nick Stringfellow began his musical education at Chetham’s School of Music, performing in masterclasses at an early age with Heinrich Schiff and Janos Starker. After further study at the Royal Northern College of Music with Clive Greensmith, he completed his training at the Royal College of Music, studying jointly with Anna Shuttleworth and Anthony Pleeth.
Nick cut his chamber music teeth as cellist with the London Mozart Ensemble alongside violinist David le Page. He is Principal Cellist with the Orchestra of the Swan, often appearing as soloist with the orchestra and taking part in its extensive education and outreach programmes. Nick has performed with many ensembles including the Fitzwilliam String Quartet and the Brook Street Band, and he has recorded for EMI, Naxos, Somm and Orfeo labels. He is the featured cellist on Schott’s Baroque around the World series and his trio Spirituoso is resident ensemble at Handel House.
Nick is also passionate about string arrangements of the great Jazz and Soul era and has led cello sections for Smokey Robinson and George Benson. His acclaimed crossover CD Everything’s Coming up Roses, recorded with the Masquerade Quartet, was released last year.
http://www.villiersquartet.com/content/bio