Performance

Melanie is a professional cellist and has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, session musician and orchestral player in both the UK and abroad. She was trained at Chethams School of Music, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, the Royal Northern College of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She enjoys performing repertoire from the Baroque to the Contemporary.

Since 2018 Melanie has been composing in addition to performing, teaching and arranging, and since lockdown has been writing music for children. Her compositions are for Solo Piano, Cello & Piano, and Cello ensemble. She has so far composed eighteen pieces for children, and these are gradually being recorded.

Melanie has had works written for her by composers Robin Kiel, MBE, FRSA and Dr. Martin Thiselton, AMusD, MMus, BA Hons, DipRSL. She has also worked as a session musician, performing compositions for Cello by Buzz Hawkins for his albums.

While a student and following graduation she received further tuition and master class opportunities with Steven Doane (UK and USA), Rosemary Elliot (USA), Raphael Wallfisch, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (USA), Peter Howard (USA), Alexander Baillie, Lowri Blake, Johannes Goritski, Andre Emilianoff, Sergei Fatkouline (France), Ralph Kirshbaum, Stefan Kartman (USA), Nina Gordon (USA), Christopher Rowland, Roger Bigley, Thomas Kemp, Derek Aviss, Rhuna Martin, Vivien Mackie, Sue Lowe, Alexander Boyarsky (Germany), Paul Hersh (USA), Mark Kosower (USA), Lawrence Granger (USA), Elizabeth Simkin (USA), Ralph Fielding (USA), Thomas Riebl, Emanuel Hurwitz, David Smith, Katherine Yates, Elizabeth Turnbull, David Kenedy, John Crawford, Helen Thatcher, Garfield Jackson, Csaba Szilvay, Bernard Gregor-Smith, Steven Pologe (USA), Jacqueline Ross (USA), Sibylle Johner (USA), Michael Davies (USA).

Some of the many venues Melanie has performed at in include: Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco), Herbst Theatre (San Francisco), Bridgewater Hall, Royal Festival Hall, RNCM (Concert Hall and Opera Theatre), Blackheath Halls, Leeds Town Hall, Florence Gould Theatre (San Francisco), Chethams School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Fort Mason Center (San Francisco), Old First Church (San Francisco), Calvary Presbytarian Church (San Francisco), the Lowry (Salford) and the Central Hall, Westminster.

Other venues Melanie has given unaccompanied and chamber music recitals at include Leeds Town Hall, Sheffield Cathedral, Blackburn Cathedral, King’s School (Worcester), Grimsby Parish Church, Boston Parish Church, Bury Parish Church, Leeds Town Hall, Oldham Lyceum, St. Olave’s Church (London), St. Bride’s Fleet Street, Chethams, the RNCM, Trinity Laban, the SF Conservatory of Music, the Chocolate Church (Maine, USA), Louth Library, St. Luke’s Church (San Francisco), Liverpool University Eleanor Rathbone Theatre, the Swiss Fritz Hall (Backnang, Germany), Melling Tithebarn, St. John’s Waterloo, Manchester Cathedral, The Music Academy (Sheffield), Shirley House (Sheffield), St. Mark’s Church (Sheffield), Bowdoin College (Maine, USA), Ohio Wesleyan University Music School (USA) and the University of Wisconsin.

Melanie’s qualifications include

Bachelor of Music with Honours (2004), Royal Northern College of Music
Teaching Certificate (2006), Music Together, New Jersey (USA)
Master of Music (2007), San Francisco Conservatory of Music (USA)
Teaching Certificates (2012 and 2015), Colourstrings (UK)

Places of Education

Chethams School of Music (Manchester) 1995 – 1999
Trinity Laban Conservatoire (London) 2000 – 2002
Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester) 2002 – 2004
San Francisco Conservatory of Music (USA) 2005 – 2007

Studies with

Anna Shuttleworth (Private Tuition)

Derek Aviss, OBE (Private Tuition)

Peter Howard (Bowdoin Festival)

Jean-Michel Fonteneau (SFCM)

Nicholas Jones (RNCM)

Naomi Butterworth (Trinity)

Peter Worrall (Chethams)

Sylvia Goodborn (Tameside Music Centre)

Stephen Hopwood (Private Tuition)

Nicholas Oliver (Chethams)

Pauline Alston (Chethams)

 

 

 

 

Melanie’s experience/employment in Performance includes

  • Chethams School of Music 1995 – 1999: Chamber and Orchestral performances (on/off site)
  • Trinity Laban Conservatoire 2000 – 2002: Solo, Chamber, Orchestral performances (on/off site)
  • Royal Northern College of Music 2002 – 2004: Solo, Chamber and Orchestral performances
  • Bowdoin International Music Festival 2005: Solo and Chamber performances (on/off site)
  • San Francisco Conservatory 2005 – 2007: Solo, Chamber, Orchestral performances (on/off site)
  • San Francisco Academy Orchestra (USA) 2005 – 2008: Principal and Assistant Principal Cello
  • San Francisco Conservatory (USA) 2006 – 2008: Community Music Program/External Performances
  • Calfiornia State University East Bay (USA) 2007 – 2008: Principal Cello
  • The Music Academy, Sheffield 2008 – 2013: Staff and Student performances
  • University of Liverpool School of Music, 2012 – 2016: Cello & Piano Recitals