Leeds Lunchtime Chamber Music 23/24:

Jessica Burroughs – cello
Benjamin Powell – piano

Ludwig Van Beethoven Cello Sonata No 4 in C Major
Imogen Holst The Fall of the Leaf (solo cello)
Gabriel Fauré Sonata No 2 for cello and piano in G minor
Gabriel Fauré Papillon (Butterfly)

Approximately 50 minutes without interval

Jessica Burroughs has performed at major concert venues in the UK and toured the world extensively as a classical cellist. Described as ‘Spellbinding’(Bachtrack) and ‘Dynamic’ (The Reviews Hub) she has played for big-screen motion pictures, worked with legendary pop, rock and soul stars, performed as a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall, London and been broadcast on many BBC Proms as well as for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and CD recordings with Orchid Classics, Hyperion, Divine Art and Meridian Record labels.

Jessica’s current positions are cellist of the Roscoe Piano Trio, Cyprus based contemporary music group, Ensemble Cyclamen and Section Leader of the Orchestra of Opera North.

She is a regular guest leader for many of the leading UK orchestras and has performed in festivals worldwide such as Lucerne Festival, Paxos Festival and Texas Music Festival. She was a recent Artist-in-Residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Canada.

Jessica is passionate about finding ways to make music more accessible. She is Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees for Hebden Bridge Arts and holds the position of Events Programmer for the charity Awards for Young Musicians.

Benjamin Powell                                                                                                                

“Pianist Benjamin Powell demonstrated an immense range of tone and sound in his programme: granitic and stern for Stockhausen, brilliantly light-fingered in Elliott Carter, fiery and moody for Anthony Gilbert, volcanically sensuous in Skryabin.” Ivan Hewett – Daily Telegraph

Since winning the British Contemporary Piano Competition in 2010 Benjamin Powell has gained a reputation for intelligent and expressive performances with a strong commitment to contemporary music. He has performed across the UK and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and song accompanist in venues including Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Snape Maltings, Bridgewater Hall, IRCAM (Paris), and Harpa (Reykjavik).

From 2014-2023 he was the pianist for Manchester’s leading new music group, Psappha. Through his work with Psappha and elsewhere he has given over a hundred world premieres, working closely with both established and emerging composers across the UK and internationally.

Benjamin is much in demand as a chamber musician and has collaborated with many distinguished musicians including Stefano Canuti, Leland Chen, Levon Chilingirian, Toby Hughes, Craig Ogden, Miklós Perényi, Thomas Riebl, Sophie Rosa, Abel Selacoe, and Eva Thorarinsdottir. He regulars appears as an orchestral pianist with the BBC Philharmonic, the Hallé, and Manchester Camerata, and in ensembles with new music groups across the UK.

He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Carole Presland and later with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Alexander Melnikov at the Hochschule für Musik Cologne and RNCM respectively. Benjamin also studied with Thomas Adès in Prussia Cove.

Benjamin is a professor in piano at the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music, and has been a staff pianist at the RNCM since 2007. His students have gone on to win prizes in major competitions, including BBC Young Musician of the Year, James Mottram International Competiton, Manchester International Piano Concerto Competition and the British Contemporary Piano Competition.

Benjamin was born and raised in West Sussex and currently lives in Glossop with his wife and three children.