Published: 1 December, 2011
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR

New ways of playing chamber music are being explored by young musicians these days.

Well-established, for instance, is the Consortium5 all-girl recorder quintet which has been winning plaudits all over the world for its approach to consort music.

Although committed to the concert platform, the quintet has also spent several years on the Live Music Now scheme, playing for more than 7,000 children, the recorder players of the future.

Its repertoire ranges from medieval and renaissance works through to new music specially composed to exploit the group’s technical abilities.

The quintet has been appointed as Associate Artists of St George’s Bloomsbury where it will be playing festive music with mulled wine and candlelight on Friday  December 9.

Tickets: C5@consortium5.com

Now, what was good for the recorder is turning out to be good for the cello.

Eight cellists are carving a reputation for Cellophony, their octet brimming with vibrant, sonorous and exhilarating sounds.

The repertoire extends from the standard cello ensemble through to an array of specially commissioned arrangements and adaptations that could well encourage other groupings of cellists to play together.

Formed four years ago while the players were at the Guildhall Scholl of Music and Drama, Cellophony has featured in festivals in London, Newcastle and elsewhere.

The cellists are this year’s Park Lane Group Young Artists.

Cellophony is making its Wigmore Hall debut on Monday playing with young Chinese-American pianist Jessica Zhu.

Their programme ranges from Bach, Haydn and Schubert through to Berio and Wieniawski.