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Champions of all things Cello, the Cellophonics are Christopher Allan, Adrian Bradbury, Ian Burdge and Ben Rogerson. They explore music for cello quartet and have been expanding the repertoire with a growing list of exciting new works. Their performances brim with warmth and sparkle with virtuosity, bringing to life the contrasting characteristics of the cello. From the operatic tones of Puccini’s ‘Tosca’, to the driving rhythms of jazz lord Guy Barker’s especially commissioned ‘Wood on the Tracks’. With a myriad of stops along the way, their eclectic musical journey is something for everyone.

About

Cellophonics was born when a group of like-minded cellists from different strands of the music profession got together for an evening to remind themselves why they do what they do in the first place.

Since then they have enjoyed playing concerts together at festivals throughout the UK.

Biographies

Christopher Allan

Christopher Allan

After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Christopher Allan joined the acclaimed contemporary group, ”the gogmagogs”.

He plays regularly with the Britten Sinfonia and is co-principal cello with the Orchestra of the Swan.

Christopher is an active chamber musician, performing with the Le Page Ensemble, London Cellophonic, the Fibonacci sequence and Sound Collective amongst others.

He was solo cellist with the Mike Westbrooke company and has collaborated with numerous creators, including John Tavener, Max Richter, Django Bates, Stephen Warbeck, Errollyn Wallen and Paul Clark.

His interest in contemporary and cross arts work has lead to associations with an array of different projects and artists, from Gare St Lazare’s “Here All Night” (an exploration of music in the work of Samuel Beckett, ”White Light Festival“ Lincoln Centre, Boston, London, Dublin), to the Clod Ensemble, Hofesh Shechter (most recently in Paris, June ’21), Chroma (Fair Isle, September ’21, “Towards Light” project), Opera North, Goldfrapp, Mumford and Sons, Opus 20, Cellorhythmics, Sabreen, Sachal Studios, Quincy Jones and Guy Barker.

Christopher has curated many concerts, often in collaboration with actors (recent projects have included “Wind, Sand and Stars”, based on the writing of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), and has arranged for Hofesh Shechter, Mumford and Sons and the Almeida Theatre.

He has also played for many theatre productions (RSC, the National Theatre and the Globe), and has made a number of recordings, including Hans Gal’s Sinfonia Concertante with Kenneth Woods (solo cello), Philip Glass’s „In The Penal Colony“ with Music Theatre Wales, and Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” with the Le Page Ensemble.

Christopher plays a William Forster cello built in London in 1800.

Adrian Bradbury

Adrian Bradbury

Adrian Bradbury was principal cello in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain before winning scholarships to Churchill College, Cambridge (where he read Veterinary Science and Music) and then to the Royal Academy of Music.

After further study in Berlin he developed an international career in chamber music as the cellist in Composers Ensemble (winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society Chamber Award, 2002), Jane’s Minstrels, Trio Gemelli, Touchwood Piano Quartet and Chamber Domaine, giving world premieres of solos, duos, trios and quartets by Thomas Adès, Judith Bingham, Tansy Davies, Dai Fujikura, Hugh Wood and John Woolrich.

Adrian is a regular guest principal player with orchestras including London Sinfonietta, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera and Welsh National Opera and is Cello Tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of GB.

His research into ensemble synchronisation, in collaboration with Professor Alan Wing, was published by the Royal Society and led to invitations to curate the ‘Music and Brain’ series at the 2010 Aldeburgh Festival and to appear as speaker on BBC Radio 4’s ‘PM’ and ‘Today’ programmes and as soloist on BBC Radio 3’s 2015 ‘Why Music?’ weekend.

Together with pianist Oliver Davies, Adrian recorded the complete operatic fantasies of the 19thcentury cello virtuoso Alfredo Piatti on the Meridian label, a 2 CD project released on 1 July 2020.

Ian <br> Burdge

Ian
Burdge

Ian Burdge graduated from the University of Surrey, where he studied with Alexander Baillie and was awarded the Robert Naylor Memorial Prize, as well as spending a year at the University of North Texas, learning with Carter Enyeart of the Philadelphia Quartet.

After graduating he co-founded the string session group, Millennia Ensemble, and spent his early years in London as a member of the band Drugstore, resident musician for Corali Dance Co, alongside performing in acclaimed musical theatre productions, including touring on Beauty and the Beast and Miss Saigon.

Ian has been a long term member Max Richter Ensemble, the Nitin Sawhney band and  performed live with a range of renowned ensembles including the Jules Buckley Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, LSO and LCO, The Heritage Orchestra, New Blood Orchestra with Peter Gabriel. Tours include Rosas Dance Co with the Duke Quartet, Jocelyn Pook, Natasha Atlas Mazeeka ensemble, Hans Zimmer, John Metcalfe as well as live shows for Stevie Wonder, U2, The Who, amongst others. Ian enjoys collaborating and writing orchestrations for artists such as Jasdeep Singh Degun, Doves, Garou and Elbow and has arranged and played live music for Harris Reed’s shows, opening London Fashion Week in 2024 & 2025.

He now works predominantly as a session cellist on film soundtracks as well as pop, television, film and video games. He has featured on numerous studio recordings such as Radiohead, Kylie, Florence and the Machine and Paul McCartney. Recent films include Wonka, No Time To Die, Batman, Andor, How To Train Your Dragon , David Attenborough: Ocean and Pedro Almadovar’s Room Next Door.

He is a frequent chamber musician with various groups and has been instrumental in playing and organising regular chamber concerts in the Goodness Brewery & other London venues.

Ian plays on an English Cello by John Betts c1790

Ben <br> Rogerson

Ben
Rogerson

Cellist Ben Rogerson is a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Mozart Players.

He spent the Noughties with the Irish Chamber Orchestra giving concerts with artists such as Maxim Vengerov, Anthony Marwood and Nigel Kennedy in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, and the Community Centre on Inis Boffin.

His life with the BBCCO involves a more eclectic range of music making, from classical and pop concerts, to recording music for TV, film, radio and CD. Earth Wind and Fire, Kylie Minogue, and Dame Edna Everidge are amongst the artists they have worked with recently, and the orchestra is resident for Radio 2’s flagship show ”Friday Night is Music Night”.

Ben loves appearing as a guest with the Academy of St. Martin-in the-Fields, Britten Sinfonia and the English Chamber Orchestra and gives chamber music concerts with the Minerva Ensemble and Ferrer Quartet.

Solo projects have included Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No1 with Richard Hickox, and Haydn’s C Major Concerto under the baton of David Watkin, both at the Endellion Festival in Cornwall.

Ben studied at the Royal Academy of Music where his cello teacher was Derek Simpson of the Aeolian Quartet, and at SUNY Purchase, USA, with Julia Lichten of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

He has also played for many theatre productions (RSC, the National Theatre and the Globe), and has made a number of recordings, including Hans Gal’s Sinfonia Concertante with Kenneth Woods (solo cello), Philip Glass’s ”In The Penal Colony“ with Music Theatre Wales, and Bach’s ”Goldberg Variations” with the Le Page Ensemble.

For several years Ben coached the cello section of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, a role he has also fulfilled for the National Youth Orchestras of Wales, and of Great Britain, and the Royal Academy of Music. He teaches the cello at Tonbridge School and the Royal Grammar School in Guidlford.

Events

Wednesday 4th June 2025 — 7.30pm
7/10/2025

Wednesday 4th June 2025 — 7.30pm

Mill Hill Music Festival
RECITAL ON THE RIDGEWAY

St Paul’s Church, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, NW7 1QU

Wednesday 4th June 2025 — 7.30pm

Mill Hill Music Festival
RECITAL ON THE RIDGEWAY

St Paul’s Church, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, NW7 1QU

Wednesday 12th Feb 2025—1pm
2/7/2025

Wednesday 12th Feb 2025—1pm

Brentwood Cathedral

Free entrance — collection only

Wednesday 12th Feb 2025—1pm

Brentwood Cathedral

Free entrance — collection only

Wednesday 12th Feb 2025—7:30pm
2/6/2025

Wednesday 12th Feb 2025—7:30pm

Boxgrove Priory

Wednesday 12th Feb 2025—7:30pm

Boxgrove Priory

Thursday 13th Feb 2025—7:30pm
2/6/2025

Thursday 13th Feb 2025—7:30pm

St Laurence Church, Stroud

Thursday 13th Feb 2025—7:30pm

St Laurence Church, Stroud

Outreach

Dedicated to promoting and nurturing the art of cello playing in all it’s guises, the Cellophonics tailor their workshops and courses to suit all ages and all levels, aiming to make their learning work entertaining and inspiring. Recent courses have included working with young cellists at the Surrey Music Academy (SMA).

Media

Reviews

“Virtuosity, imagination and superb musicianship, all packaged up by four multi-talented ‘cellists, glued together by their obvious friendship, camaraderie and love of the ‘cello. The range of colour and musical styles is amazing and surprising. Their explanations of the music are an entertainment in itself. I never knew classical music could be so much fun. And there were fireworks! I never knew the cello could play so fast or so high. They are brilliant – high-wire ‘cello virtuosity! Fresh, entertaining, moving and beautiful, we loved Cellophonics and can’t wait to have them back again.”


Jennie Muskett (Director of Music With Love)

“The beautiful sounds of the cello could not be better demonstrated than by the four virtuoso cellists who make up ‘Cellophonics’. The atmosphere created by these friendly and approachable soloists makes an inspiring evening of delight, mixed with humour. The repertoire is classical from Puccini to Piazzolla and will surely appeal to all types of audience.”


Christine Dix (Director of Music: Whinburgh Music Festival)

“The thing is, when you play your music, I forget that I am old and incapable of walking. I feel young again!”


Audience Member

“ … such a stimulating choice of music: intriguing, entertaining and all-round gorgeous. As Coward might have said, I couldn’t have liked it more!”


Lucinda Morrison, Chichester Festival Theatre

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