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DUKES, PHILIP

FGSM, HonARAM

“Great Britain’s most outstanding solo viola player.” – The Times

Philip Dukes’ recital debut at London’s South Bank in 1991, described by The Strad magazine as “world class”, marked the beginning of a career that is now established as one of the foremost of his generation.

His principal teachers in London and New York have included Mark Knight, Yfrah Neaman and Michael Tree. Having completed his studies, Mr Dukes won a succession of awards, scholarships, prizes and competitions, and in June 1992 was selected for representation by Young Concert Artists Trust. In 1997 Philip Dukes won the coveted European Rising Stars Award, which led to recitals throughout Europe.

He has performed at many major music festivals worldwide including Gstaad, Cheltenham, Dartington, Brighton, Bath, Aldeburgh, Colmar, Mecklenburg, Savannah and Schleswig-Holstein. As a concerto soloist, Philip has appeared with the BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, The Hallé, The Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, London Mozart Players, Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square, BBC Scottish Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ulster Orchestra, Warsaw Sinfonia and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

In 1995, he made his BBC Promenade Concert debut giving the world première of the viola concerto by Sally Beamish and at the 1997 Aldeburgh Festival, he gave the world première of the previously unpublished concerto for violin, viola and orchestra by Benjamin Britten. At the 1999 BBC Promenade Concerts, he gave the world première of ‘Inside Story’ for violin, viola and orchestra by Piers Hellawell, returning again in 2005 to give the world première of the concerto for viola, cello and orchestra by Hugh Watkins. At the 2007 BBC Proms he appeared as a soloist in a performance of Sir Michael Tippett’s Triple Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davies, a live recording of which is now available on CD on the prestigious Deutsche Gramophon Label.

Philip Dukes can be heard regularly on BBC Radio 3 and has recorded a number of CDs featuring works by Brahms, Schumann, Bruch, Britten, Mozart, Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Rebecca Clarke, Frank Martin, William Lloyd Webber, Piers Hellawell and Sally Beamish for the Chandos, ASV, BIS, Nimbus and Naxos recording labels. Mr Dukes’ CD recording of ‘The Film Music of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’, for the Chandos Label with the BBC Philharmonic, was awarded the “Deutsche Schallplattenpreis” (German Record Prize). His solo CD for Naxos featuring the complete works for viola by Rebecca Clarke [Naxos 8.557934] was released to considerable critical acclaim.

In addition to his solo engagements, Philip is Professor of Viola at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Artistic Director at Marlborough College and Director of the Festival International de Musique de la Hague in France. Philip also appears as a soloist and chamber musician with many distinguished artists including Daniel Hope, Mischa Maisky, Janine Jansen, Tasmin Little, Melvyn Tan and Emma Johnson.

In 2006 Philip Dukes was unanimously elected a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in recognition of his success as an international viola soloist and made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2007.

Highlights for the 2009/2010 season include concerto appearances with the BBC Philharmonic and the City of London Sinfonia; recitals in Canada, USA and Cyprus; appearances at the Wigmore and Cadogan Halls in London and three further recordings for the Chandos recording label of concertos by Malcolm Arnold, Geoffrey Burgon and Miklós Rózsa.

For further information please visit www.philipdukes.co.uk.

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DUKES, PHILIP