OUR HISTORY
Leeds Haydn Players was founded by Judith Rothenberg in 2010 with the aim of exploring all the symphonic works of Haydn; indeed, the first five concerts were all-Haydn affairs with a talk by Peter Cropper of the Lindsay Quartet in Concert 2. In Concert 6, we included Beethoven’s First Symphony and the Romance in F played by Katharine Gowers and in Concert 8, Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni. Since then, we have always played one piece by Haydn-usually a symphony-and Beethoven and Mozart often feature but our repertoire has broadened to include Vivaldi, Telemann, CPE Bach, Rossini, Hummel, Schubert, Wagner! Brahms, Holst and Vaughan Williams.
Our conductors
Eno Koco, formerly with the Albanian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra and subsequently principal conductor of the orchestra of the School of Music at the University of Leeds for 19 years, was our first conductor. We benefitted hugely from his experience and encyclopaedic musical knowledge.
We were very fortunate in managing to engage the Endellion cellist, David Waterman, who conducted Haydn’s Symphony No 13 in D major with its beautiful Adagio Cantabile, from the cello. Ruth Waterman, violinist, conductor, educator, broadcaster, writer and public speaker brought another dimension to two of our concerts with illuminating illustrated talks. George Kennaway, former principal cello no. 2 in the Orchestra of Opera North conducted one of the all-Haydn concerts. Adam Fergler (famous for his witty t-shirts) kept us entertained for the next two years, notably arranging for us Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33 No 6.
Leeds Haydn Players was founded by Judith Rothenberg in 2010 with the aim of exploring all the symphonic works of Haydn; indeed, the first five concerts were all-Haydn affairs with a talk by Peter Cropper of the Lindsay Quartet in Concert 2. In Concert 6, we included Beethoven’s First Symphony and the Romance in F played by Katharine Gowers and in Concert 8, Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni. Since then, we have always played one piece by Haydn-usually a symphony-and Beethoven and Mozart often feature but our repertoire has broadened to include Vivaldi, Telemann, CPE Bach, Rossini, Hummel, Schubert, Wagner! Brahms, Holst and Vaughan Williams.
Our conductors
Eno Koco, formerly with the Albanian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra and subsequently principal conductor of the orchestra of the School of Music at the University of Leeds for 19 years, was our first conductor. We benefitted hugely from his experience and encyclopaedic musical knowledge.
We were very fortunate in managing to engage the Endellion cellist, David Waterman, who conducted Haydn’s Symphony No 13 in D major with its beautiful Adagio Cantabile, from the cello. Ruth Waterman, violinist, conductor, educator, broadcaster, writer and public speaker brought another dimension to two of our concerts with illuminating illustrated talks. George Kennaway, former principal cello no. 2 in the Orchestra of Opera North conducted one of the all-Haydn concerts. Adam Fergler (famous for his witty t-shirts) kept us entertained for the next two years, notably arranging for us Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33 No 6.
In Dec 2013, Chris Pelly, a Leeds University graduate specialising in trumpet and voice, but who had been conducting since the age of 16, ushered in a period of stability, which lasted until March 2020. He introduced us not only to other works of Haydn’s contemporaries but also to those of his predecessors, which were particularly suitable for a chamber orchestra. When not working with us, his wide-ranging conducting achievements included productions with Northern Opera Group; ‘Made in Dagenham’ and ‘Hello Dolly’, at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford and Philip Wilby’s completion of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor at Leeds University’s School of Music.
It was Chris who established the relationship with Bryan White, chorus master of the Clothworkers Consort, enabling us to perform Haydn’s Missa in tempore Belli (Paukenmesse) and his Theresienmesse at the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall. Chris left Leeds in August 2021 to join the Royal Marines Band Service and we were very sorry to lose him!
Dan Gordon, Senior Teaching Fellow in Performance, resident répétiteur at the University of Leeds, Accompanist and Assistant Chorus master of Huddersfield Choral Society and choirmaster/organist at Adel Parish church, made his first outing into orchestral conducting with us in March 2022, sharing the podium with our current conductor in a programme highlighting Haydn’s Te Deum and choral works by Hummel.
Melvin Tay young, dynamic, and versatile, joined us in October 2021. He has worked with a wide variety of ensembles including the BBC Phil, Manchester Camerata, Northern Ballet Sinfonia and many more, in numerous genres. He has acted as Assistant Conductor for Vasily Petrenko, Ludovic Morlot, Ben Gernon and others on projects with the BBC and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras. He was awarded a Special Prize at the 2nd International Conducting Competition in Brescia. He is music director of Northern Film Orchestra and Opera Viva, and a conductor on the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group NEXT Programme.His interest in contemporary music has led him to give many world premieres and in October 2021 he made his Singapore opera debut. He has taught conducting to undergraduates at RNCM, covered as conducting tutor at Junior RNCM and is a member of ConductIT, an online learning resource. A graduate of the RNCM, he obtained a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Conducting.
Soloists to date include the cellists Miriam Roycroft and David Waterman, violinists Kataryna Chruscicka and Katharine Gowers, and from Opera North bassoonist David Baker, flautist Julia Breakspear and oboist Liz Kenwood.
Venues
Our principal venues are currently West Park United Reform Church, the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall and 7Arts in Chapel Allerton but we have also enjoyed playing in St Chad’s Church and South Parade Baptist Church in Headingley, St Margaret’s Church in Horsforth, Otley Methodist Hall, Ashville College in Harrogate and the University of Huddersfield.
It was Chris who established the relationship with Bryan White, chorus master of the Clothworkers Consort, enabling us to perform Haydn’s Missa in tempore Belli (Paukenmesse) and his Theresienmesse at the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall. Chris left Leeds in August 2021 to join the Royal Marines Band Service and we were very sorry to lose him!
Dan Gordon, Senior Teaching Fellow in Performance, resident répétiteur at the University of Leeds, Accompanist and Assistant Chorus master of Huddersfield Choral Society and choirmaster/organist at Adel Parish church, made his first outing into orchestral conducting with us in March 2022, sharing the podium with our current conductor in a programme highlighting Haydn’s Te Deum and choral works by Hummel.
Melvin Tay young, dynamic, and versatile, joined us in October 2021. He has worked with a wide variety of ensembles including the BBC Phil, Manchester Camerata, Northern Ballet Sinfonia and many more, in numerous genres. He has acted as Assistant Conductor for Vasily Petrenko, Ludovic Morlot, Ben Gernon and others on projects with the BBC and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras. He was awarded a Special Prize at the 2nd International Conducting Competition in Brescia. He is music director of Northern Film Orchestra and Opera Viva, and a conductor on the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group NEXT Programme.His interest in contemporary music has led him to give many world premieres and in October 2021 he made his Singapore opera debut. He has taught conducting to undergraduates at RNCM, covered as conducting tutor at Junior RNCM and is a member of ConductIT, an online learning resource. A graduate of the RNCM, he obtained a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Conducting.
Soloists to date include the cellists Miriam Roycroft and David Waterman, violinists Kataryna Chruscicka and Katharine Gowers, and from Opera North bassoonist David Baker, flautist Julia Breakspear and oboist Liz Kenwood.
Venues
Our principal venues are currently West Park United Reform Church, the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall and 7Arts in Chapel Allerton but we have also enjoyed playing in St Chad’s Church and South Parade Baptist Church in Headingley, St Margaret’s Church in Horsforth, Otley Methodist Hall, Ashville College in Harrogate and the University of Huddersfield.
