Orchestral bookings (since January 2009) ORCHESTRAS Bernardi Chamber Ensemble Birmingham Opera Company British Philharmonic Orchestra Carl Rosa Opera Company City of Oxford Orchestra Icini Orchestra Isis Ensemble Southern Sinfonia Trafalgar Sinfonia   The recital button is inactive   The Repertoire button is inactive.   The Review button is inactive.   The discography button is inactive.      Outreach experience As part of Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now! scheme Solaris has brought classical music to a wider audience, playing in venues from schools to prisons and hospitals. These concerts feature a wide range of styles, from Classical music (Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn), through Romantic and Modern works to folk and jazz inspired arrangements. Audience participation is strongly encouraged, with singing, clapping, playing instruments and dancing being common features in the group's performances. The quartet is happy to tailor workshops to fulfil individual requirements. Please visit solaris quartet for details of the following programmes: Noye's Fludde Romeo and Juliet themed concert Dances from around the World themed concert allen_n_5853_1.jpg        The Teaching button is inactive.

Biography
Nick Allen enjoys a varied career as a cellist. As a chamber musician he is much in demand and is a founder member of the Solaris Quartet with whom he enjoys a busy schedule performing throughout the country. Solaris is particularly involved with researching music by composers caught up in the Holocaust and has performed this moving music at venues around the country. The quartet has recently been involved with In Memoriam, a composition competition organised in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum, London. Clips from the shortlisted pieces can be heard at the quartet website www.solarisquartet.com. The quartet has released their first CD - The Mosaic Nomad – music by G.I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann on Blue Jelly Records. Nick performed 2 duo concerts in Salzburg in July 2009 and is a regular contributor to Shipley Arts Festival.

He is currently involved in recording and performing Bach 2 the Future, a solo cello project involving the works of Bach and new commissions for cello and electronics. He is also collaborating with singer Karen Grace on her album Metamorphosis (www.karen-grace.com). He has worked with Billy Bragg and can also be heard on the soundtrack to British Film Council Digital Shorts sponsored short film Bro.

Nick freelances as an orchestral player regularly playing with Welsh Chamber Orchestra, Opera UK, and Carl Rosa Opera Company. He performed in Birmingham Opera Company’s production of Otello and toured Unexpected Opera's chamber production of Orpheus Down Under. He will be performing in the upcoming arena tour of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds and will be working with Merry Opera Company in their upcoming chamber version of La Belle Helene – Troy Boy. He also works regularly with Matthew Slater creating and performing chill out dance tracks.

As an educationalist, Nick was recently Acting Head of Strings at the London College of Music and also works for Newham Music Trust teaching in East End schools. He is a regular tutor for Musicale Holidays and is a founder tutor of Shipley Arts Festival String Academy. He has also created Strings n Things – a primary schools concert that investigates the possibilities of using ICT with music.

When Nick has spare time (!), he enjoys walking up mountains – he has climbed Kilimanjaro and is planning on climbing Mont Blanc this summer.

Beautifully tuned and toned cello playing throughout – The Strad

Orchestral Work
Orchestras: Bernardi Chamber Ensemble, Birmingham Opera Company, British Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Rosa Opera Company, City of Oxford Orchestra, Icini Orchestra, Isis Ensemble, Southern Sinfonia, Trafalgar Sinfonia.

Nicholas's orchestral work also includes London Theatre Orchestra with Ruthie Henshall, Unexpected Opera, Merry Opera Company, Tempus Chamber Orchestra, Chameleon Composers Collective, The London Academy of Ottoman Court Music (principal), The Clod Ensemble - 20th century music group.

Nick's studio work includes sessions for Billy Bragg, Mike Batt and London Media Ensemble.

Education
Nicholas's graduate studies took place at Imperial College, London - BSc ARCS in Mathematics (1989 - 1992). St Mary's College, Twickenham - PGCE (1993 - 94). Trinity College of Music, London - Postgraduate performance certificate (distinction) LTCL (1994 - 1996).

Teachers: Lowri Blake. Masterclasses include: Emmanuel Hurwitz (1999); 2000 Dartington Summer School (PowerGen Scholarship); Chilingirian Quartet, West Dean College (Belmont Trust Award); Siegmund Nissel, International Musicians' Seminar, Prussia Cove (Hattori Foundation); Sandor Devich, 1998 Dartington International Summer School.

Nicholas joined Morgensterns in July 2002

Nicholas's web profile was last updated 28th Jan 2012