Adagio from Mendelssohn Violin Sonata in F (1838)
Roger Coull violin, and Lynn Arnold piano. A rehearsal recording.
Treasures from the New World – Amy Beach
Romance for Violin & Piano, Op. 23 – Roger Coull violin, Clélia Iruzun piano
Roger Coull
Currently based in Warwick in the centre of England, Roger Coull studied the violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London where he formed the Coull Quartet which soon established itself as one of Britain’s leading string quartets. In addition to performing and broadcasting extensively throughout the UK, the Coull Quartet, which still includes two of its founder members, has made tours of Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Columbia, Brazil, Australia, China, India and the Far East, Iceland and Singapore, and for over forty years were Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Warwick.
Since the mid-1980s the Coull Quartet has made over 30 recordings featuring a wide selection of the repertoire closest to their hearts, from the complete Mendelssohn and Schubert quartets to 20th century and contemporary British chamber music. Their CD of quartets by Maw and Britten on the SOMM label has received universal acclaim. In addition to being featured in ‘Editor’s Choice’ in The Gramophone, it was also described as the ‘Benchmark Recording’ by BBC Music Magazine. Recently their CD of Alan Ridout’s Six Quartets has been issued on the Omnibus Classics label and in 2019 they recorded piano quintets by Amy Beach and Henrique Oswald for Somm with pianist Clelia Iruzun. The very latest CD is of music for voice and quartet featuring Roderick Williams baritone, James Gilchrist tenor and Sophie Bevan soprano.
Roger Coull and Lynn Arnold have often performed as a duo partnership and have also formed the Warwick Piano Trio with the cellist from the Coull Quartet: Nicholas Roberts.
Roger’s versatility as a musician has also extended to conducting. He was appointed principal conductor of the Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra in 2014, and is also a regular guest conductor of the Beauchamp Sinfonietta, the Guernsey Symphony Orchestra, and the Crendon Chamber Orchestra. He has also directed the Helix Ensemble and the Academy of St Thomas in Norwich, amongst others. In February 2019 he made his conducting debut in the USA, conducting a concert in Santa Fe, New Mexico and has been invited to conduct them on an annual basis.
Roger has much experience as a teacher, and has given many masterclasses internationally. He is a regular guest at Britain’s music colleges as teacher, examiner, and adjudicator and was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music for his services to professional music making. In his spare time he enjoys cycling and photography.