DIANA MATHEWS  (viola) » 

Biography
Diana has completed an MMus programme, for which she won the Leverhulme Scholarship, at the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied viola with Matthew Souter. As a chamber musician, Diana has participated in the London Festival of Chamber Music playing with the English String Quartet, leader, Diana Cummings. She has joined the Kreutzer Quartet in several concerts to play works including the Mendelssohn Octet, Mendelssohn Second String Quintet, Schubert Quintet in C major, Spohr Sextet and the Elgar Piano Quintet. Diana has played concerts in the West Recital Series as a viola/piano duo with Jonathan Beatty.

Diana's solo performances include Berlioz's 'Harold in Italy' with Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra, conductor - Adrian Brown, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola with the Haydon Chamber Orchestra, conductor - Fred Shaub, and Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, Beethoven's piano concerto No. 1 and Mozart's piano concerto No. 12 in A major, with the Manresa Chamber Orchestra, conductor- Greg Wheeler. Diana has also played in a joint recital with mezzo soprano for the Oxshott and Cobham Music Society. Last year she was won the Theodore Holland Prize for viola and the Kenneth Page Foundation Viola Competition.

Diana has participated in the LSO Scheme playing under conductors such as Sir Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink. Diana has also toured widely with several orchestras including the European Union Youth Orchestra. During her time at the Royal Academy of Music Diana was principal of the Royal Academy Soloists Ensemble as well as the Royal Academy of Music Symphony and Concert Orchestras. She is also a member of the Presteigne Festival Orchestra.

Diana is currently on trial Opera North.

Orchestral Work
Orchestras: Aurora Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Brandenburg Sinfonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English Festival Orchestra, English National Ballet, London Concert Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Milton Keynes City Orchestra, Opera North Orchestra, Orchestra Nova, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Diana's orchestral work also includes Royal Academy of Music Concert and Symphony Orchestras (princ), Presteigne Festival Orchestra, Hampstead and Highgate Festival Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra (conductors including John Elliot Gardiner, Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sir Colin Davis).

Diana's Chamber Music work includes concerts with the Kreutzer Quartet, London Festival of Chamber Music and the Iskenderian String Quartet Concert in St John's Church, Wimbledon and also was a member of the Grove String Quartet.

Education
Diana's graduate studies took place at Royal Academy of Music (BMus 1st class hons, 2003-07 and MMus 2007-09).

Prizes and Awards

• Kenneth Page Foundation Viola Competition (2009)
• Theodore Holland Prize for viola at the Royal Academy of Music (2008)
• Leverhulme Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music (2008)
• Sidney Griller Memorial Prize at the Royal Academy of Music (2008)
• Full fee scholarship for BMus at the Royal Academy of Music (2003)
• Sixth Form Academic Scholarship at Putney High School (2001)

Teachers: Yuko Inoue and Matthew Souter. Masterclass: Roger Benedict, Brian Hawkins, Vicci Wardman, Jerzy Kosmala and Stephen Tees.

Diana joined Morgensterns in October 2009

Diana's web profile was last updated 19th May 2012