Lunchtime Classical Concert | Mike Gerrard and David Murray

Performing Shostakovich Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147

Members’ priority booking till 16th October

Mike Gerrard

Mike Gerrard is the Viola section leader for Royal Northern Sinfonia, whom he joined in 1987 and has appeared as soloist on several occasions including performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 6 with the Russian violist Yuri Bashmet and performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante under the baton of Heinrich Schiff.

He was nine years old when he took up the violin, changing to the viola six years later. He studied with Jaqueline Leonard at Chetham’s School and then with Patrick Ireland and Nobuko Imai at the Royal Northern College of Music. In 1980 he was prizewinner in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. After a post-graduate year with Eli Goren he was appointed associate principal viola with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and on his return to England two years later became, at the age of 25, one of the youngest professors to teach at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He also taught at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

David Murray

David Murray has had a long career as a musician working in the North East of England. He has combined a career in performance with a strong commitment to teaching over many years. He is well known as a solo pianist, chamber musician and accompanist.

he has had a distinguished career as a piano teacher, nurturing many young pianists and sending them on their way to conservatoire or university. From 2004 until 2013 he was Head of Keyboard Studies at the Weekend School at the Glashsouse Gateshead, where he trained many talented young pianists and helped them gain places at conservatoire and university. He also devised the music language syllabus and was instrumental in ensuring that his students arrived at university and conservatoire with an exceptionally advanced theoretical musical knowledge.

He has also taught many of the young pianists at Newcastle University where he retired in 2024 from the post of Head of Keyboard Studies, a post he has held since 2001 where he taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level and devised the syllabus for the undergraduate pianists.

Members’ priority booking till 16th October

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | FREE

(If you would prefer to book directly over the phone, please call the Library Desk team on 0191 232 0192 and they will be happy to help)

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