Our Visiting Fellows in Music programme

One of the UK’s most recorded guitarists, Craig’s five Classic FM albums all shot straight to No.1 in the UK classical chart and he is one of Classic FM’s most played artists. Craig has performed concertos with all the main UK orchestras plus many abroad. He regularly appears as soloist and chamber musician at major venues and collaborates with the UK’s top artists and ensembles. He has also presented programmes on BBC Radio 3, BBC Northern Ireland and ABC Classic FM (Australia).

Craig was Oriel’s Visiting Musician for three years, and during that time offered masterclasses to students and collaborated with college members on a number of musical endeavours.

Dame Sarah Connolly is a world-renowned mezzo-soprano and opera singer. She has sung at the Lucerne, Salzburg, Tanglewood and Three Choirs Festivals and BBC Proms where, in 2009, she was a memorable guest soloist at The Last Night. Opera engagements have taken her around the world from the Metropolitan Opera to Covent Garden and La Scala; to the Munich and Vienna State Operas and the Bayreuth and Aix-en-Provence Festivals.

During her time as Oriel’s Visiting Musician, Sarah performed in a special concert at the Holywell Music Room and held two Masterclasses for Oriel students.

Joanna MacGregor, one of the world’s most innovative and creative pianists, was the College’s Visiting Musician for 2015-16. Joanna is Head of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music and a Professor of the University of London. She also serves as Artistic Director of Dartington International Summer School and Festival.

During her time as Visiting Musician Joanna held two Masterclasses and also performed two concerts.

Tim Garland is a Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist. His body of work is incredibly varied and includes compositions for the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and Westminster Abbey Choir. He won a Grammy award in 2009 for his part in creating “The New Crystal Silence” with piano legend Chick Corea, who Tim has collaborated with frequently over the last 15 years.

Richard Tunnicliffe, Oriel’s Visiting Musician from 2013-14, is well-known as both a soloist and chamber musician, playing cello, baroque cello and viols in a repertoire spanning five centuries of music. He trained at the Royal Academy of Music, where he now also teaches.

Michael Chance was Oriel’s Visiting Musician from 2012-13. He has established a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost exponents of the countertenor voice in all areas of the classical repertoire, and is in equal demand as an opera, concert and recording artist.

Roger Vignoles, Oriel’s Visiting Musician from 2011-12, is recognised as one of the world’s most distinguished piano accompanists and musicians of today, and is regarded as a leading authority on the song repertoire.

Rachel Podger, Oriel’s Visiting Musician from 2010-11, is a leading Baroque violinist and interpreter of the music of the Baroque and Classical periods, with a stunning range of recordings from early seventeenth-century music to Mozart.

Thierry Escaich, Oriel’s Visiting Musician from 2009-10, is an internationally renowned organist, improviser and composer who, as a successor to Duruflé in Paris, has played a prominent role in guiding recent directions in contemporary music.

Gwilym Simcock, Oriel’s Visiting Musician from 2008-09, is a gifted jazz pianist, imaginative composer, and one of the world’s leading jazz improvisers.