Silverthorne, Paul (1951-Present)

Violist from Cheshire, England, who attended the Royal Academy of Music and studied with Max Gilbert, Sydney Griller, and Clarence Myerscough.

He became principal viola of the London Sinfonietta in 1988 and joined the London Symphony Orchestra in 1990.

Other groups with whom he has worked include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the London Archduke Trio, the London Chamber Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the New London Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the Phoenix Symphony, the RAM Mansion Ensemble, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

In August 1993, he performed Robert Saxton’s “Viola Concerto” with the City of London Sinfonia and Richard Hickox at Royal Albert Hall.

He was the featured soloist of the Phoenix Symphony in October 1994 when he performed Miklos Rozsa’s “Viola Concerto” under the baton of James Sedares.

In July 1995, he gave the world premiere of John Woolrich’s “Viola Concerto” with the BBC Philharmonic and Yan Pascal Tortelier at the Cheltenham Festival.

He performed Sir William Walton’s “Viola Concerto” with the LSO and Andre Previn at Barbican Hall in October 1997.

On 7^th December 1997, he and pianist Elizabeth diFelice and violist Andriy Viytovych gave a recital at Landon Gallery. Their program comprised “Four Pieces, Op. 5” by Alban Berg, “Invocation, Dance and Meditation” by Robert Saxton, “Marchenbilder, Op. 113” by Robert Schumann, and “Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1” by Johannes Brahms.

He performed Bohuslav Martinu’s “Rhapsody Concerto” with Sir Colin Davis and the LSO at Avery Fisher Hall in New York and Barbican Hall in London in the spring of 2001.

On 4^th March 2003, he was back at Avery Fisher Hall for a performance of Harold in Italy by Hector Berlioz with the LSO.

He and clarinetist Mark van de Wiel were the soloists on 28^th October 2004 when the London Sinfonietta offered up three pieces by Harrison Birtwistle at Queen Elizabeth Hall: “Ritual Fragment”, “Secret Theatre”, and “Silbury Air”.

On 8^th October 2006, Paul Silverthorne and Friends gave a recital at the Manhattan School of Music under the umbrella of the New York Viola Society. The evening’s music consisted of George Benjamin’s “Viola, Viola”, York Bowen’s “Fantasie Quartet”, Benjamin Dale’s “Introduction and Andante, Op. 5”, and Ichiro Nodaira’s “Transformation I on the Ciaconna for Violin, BWV 1004 by J.S. Bach”.

The London Sinfonietta and RAM Mansion Ensemble joined forces on 14^th October 2008 for a performance of “Les Espaces Acoustiques” by Gerard Grisey at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

On 10^th April 2010, Paul delivered the world premiere of “Divinum Mysterium (Concerto for Viola and Orchestra)” with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra of Michigan.

He and cellist Rebecca Gilliver and violinists David Alberman and Roman Simovic performed “Different Trains” by Steve Reich at LSO St. Luke’s on 12^th and 15^th October 2011.

On 10^th February 2012, he was back at LSO St. Luke’s for the world premiere of “Solo” by Darren Bloom, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, and Mark Simposon.

Recordings on which he appears include: Beethoven by Arrangement, Vol. 1; Brahms: Sonatas for Viola and Piano, Op. 120/Songs for Alto Voice, Viola and Piano, Op. 91; Britten: Lachrymae/Hindemith: Sonata, Op. 11, No. 4/Shostakovich: Sonata, Op. 147 with pianist John Constable; Man I Sing: Choral Music by Bob Chilcott with percussionist Simone Rebello and the BBC Singers; and, Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4/Flos Campi with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra.

He has also published his arrangements of three sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, “Sonata, Op. 1, No. 10” (“Didone Abbandonata”) by Giuseppe Tartini, and “Vocalise” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

In the field of music education, he has served on the faculty of the Royal Academy of Music.

Sources:

Silverthorne, Paul (1951-Present)

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