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As violinist, leader and conductor, Hugo Ticciati imbibes all possible forms of creativity, whether it be performing world premieres in the most prestigious venues around the world, improvising with monks in India, or devising innovative programmes for O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra and Festival which he founded in 2011. Alongside his passion to discover and learn from the music of previous epochs and non-western traditions, Hugo embraces the world of contemporary music. To date, over forty works have been written for and dedicated to him by a host of eminent composers, including Erkki-Sven Tüür, Pēteris Vasks, Victoria Borisova-Ollas, Albert Schnelzer and Dobrinka Tabakova.

 

Being the Artistic Director of O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra, Hugo collaborates regularly with Kremerata Baltica, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and Camerata Strumentale "Città di Prato". His other most recent and upcoming highlights include performances with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, as well as Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Kammerakademie Potsdam and Tapiola Sinfonietta to name but a few.

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Gaining a growing reputation for his innovative and adventurous programming, Hugo is frequently asked to devise and present concerts and festivals with a unique twist. This has led, among others, to ongoing collaborations with the Wigmore Hall and Kings Place in London. Pursuing his passion for chamber music, Hugo has developed special artistic partnerships with members of the O/Modernt Soloists as well as other internationally renowned artists, notably Evelyn Glennie, Anne Sofie von Otter, Nils Landgren, Steven Isserlis, Angela Hewitt, Olli Mustonen, Alexander Lonquich and Ema Nikolovska.

 

Hugo frequently gives master-classes and lectures on music-related subjects both at Scandinavia’s leading specialist music school Lilla Akademien, where he holds the post of Deputy Artistic Director, and other educational institutions around the world.

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Priya Mitchell grew up in Oxford and studied with David Takeno at the Yehudi Menuhin School and with Zachar Bron in Germany. She was then chosen as the British representative of the European Concert Halls Organisation Rising Stars Series. This led to tours and performances with, amongst others, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. She has worked with many conductors, notably Sir Andrew Davis, Yuri Temirkanov, Richard Hickox, Emmanuel Krivine, Heinrich Schiff and Yan Pascal Tortelier. Priya has also worked with orchestras including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has performed at international music festivals including, Kuhmo, Heimbach, Ravinia, Lugano, Bath and Trondheim. Priya’s highly acclaimed Oxford Chamber Music Festival inspired The Daily Telegraph to call it a musical miracle.’

 

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Since relocating to the UK in 2017, Sascha Bota has established himself as one of the most sought-after viola players in London, as a soloist, chamber musician and guest principal with symphony and chamber orchestras. He joined the Navarra String Quartet in 2018 and the Britten Sinfonia in 2021 as associate leader of the viola section. He has been a soloist in the Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Printzregententheater in Munich and Konzerthaus Berlin, where he performed with partner Antoine Tamestit and the AKAMUS Berlin. He is a member of the Oculi Sextet and Sakuntala String Trio, both based in London, and appears frequently as guest principal player of Aurora Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Academy of Ancient Music, English Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Romanian Chamber Orchestra. He enjoys both stringing his viola with gut at different pitches as well as playing jazz in various ensembles. Sascha has recently joined the faculty at Trinity College, London.

 

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Frauke Steichert studied the viola at the University of the Arts Berlin with Professor Hans-Joachim Greiner and Marion Leleu. Since completing her studies she has worked in numerous German orchestras in solo and tutti positions, including Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, the Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin, Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin and Oldenburgisches Staatsorchester. Since 2016 she has been associate principal viola with the Philharmonisches Orchester Bremerhaven. Frauke has often produced and performed multidisciplinary programmes which include choreographed dance together with instrumental performance. Passionate about chamber music, she has performed at festivals such as Davos Festival, Kammermusikfest Sylt and O/Modernt. When not playing the viola, she can be found on her bike, in a lake or in a forest, training for triathlons!

 

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Irish cellist Brian O’Kane is in much demand as both soloist and chamber musician. Since winning first prize at the Windsor International String Competition in 2008, he has made his debuts with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Ashkenazy and in recital at the Wigmore Hall. Brian is a former "Rising Star" of Ireland's National Concert Hall and recorded a critically acclaimed debut CD of French sonatas with Irish pianist Michael McHale for the Champs Hill label. Brian enjoys playing chamber music with various ensembles and as a member of the award winning Navarra Quartet. He has collaborated with artists such as Michael Collins, Aleksandar Madzar, Pekka Kuusisto, Antoine Tamestit, Nicolas Altstaedt, Julius Drake, Sir James Galway and the Doric, Elias and Marmen quartets. Brian has also performed at concert halls and festivals throughout the world such as Sydney Opera House, the Lincoln Centre, Seoul Arts Centre, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, West Cork, Radio France-Montpellier, BBC Proms, Lockenhaus and was a founding director of the Weesp Chamber Music Festival, Holland for 10 years. Brian is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel, Brussels. Brian‘s biggest influences have come from Louise Hopkins and at Prussia Cove & Chamber Studio from studies with Steven Isserlis, Ferenc Rados, Rainer Schmidt and Eberhard Feltz. Brian currently plays on a Grancino cello made in Milan in 1698, generously on loan from the Royal Society of Musicians.

 

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Having read maths at university, Oliver Ticciati became a schoolmaster for a few years and then a milkman, before spending the remainder of his working life at the bar. He began playing the cello when he was 10 and on his retirement in 2014 took it up seriously, but only as an enthusiastic amateur. He plays on a cello inherited from his father and alleged to have been made by Pietro Paolo. His only claim to musical eminence is that he has two sons who can actually do it.