Gervase de Peyer was born in London of Swiss descent. He joined the London Symphony Orchestra as principal clarinettist in 1955. His concerto records have won many awards making him the most recorded clarinettist in the world. William Pleeth is Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Guildhall School of Music and he now has an international reputation as a cello teacher. He has played concertos with all the most famous orchestras, but Chamber Music remains a major interest. Born in London of a Polish family, he later studied in Leipzig returning to London in 1932 where he was received with outstanding success. Peter Wallfisch was born in Germany in 1924, educated in Israel and later won a scholarship to perfect his studies in Paris. He is well known throughout Europe and South America as one of the outstanding musicians of today. Since 1951 he has made his home in London.
Hanae Nakajima was born in Kyoto, Japan and at ten years old began her musical studies at the National Academy of Music in Tokyo. She continued her studies in Vienna and Italy and in 1965 won the international music contest initiated by the West German Broadcasting Association in Munich. She is today a masterly and outstanding concert pianist acclaimed enthusiastically by critics.
Formed a few years ago when its members, students at the RAM, RCM and Guildhall, met to play baroque music in Morley College Consort, the Ensemble has widened its repertoire to include twentieth century works and gives varied programmes throughout the country. It now consists of a quartet of flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord, with a number of associated artists.
The Scholars’ infectious enjoyment of all they sing undoubtedly contributes to their great success. Since their first concert in 1969, The Scholars have rapidly established for themselves a considerable reputation as one of Britain’s foremost vocal ensembles. Through the media of concerts, radio, television and gramophone records, they have attracted an enviable following. Originally, the ensemble took its name from the fact that each singer had been a choral scholar in the world-famous choir of King’s College, Cambridge. In 1972, they decided to expand their already varied repertoire by introducing a female voice for the first time and this has proved highly successful.