British pianist Ashley Fripp has given solo, concerto and chamber music performances at many of the most prestigious venues throughout the UK. International invitations have taken him extensively throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. National and international prizes include the coveted Gold Medal from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Diploma of Outstanding Merit at the 8th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, 1st Prize at the Brant International Piano Competition and 1st Prize at the Royal Over-Seas League Piano Competition. Ashley studied at the Purcell School and the Royal College of Music Junior Department with Emily Jeffrey. He recently graduated with a Masters distinction from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he was also awarded the Premier Prix and Lord Mayor's Prize and is currently undertaking an Artist Diploma studying with Ronan O'Hora. Selected by the European Concert Halls Organisation onto their Rising Stars scheme, Ashley is currently undertaking a European-wide tour at many of the most illustrious venues His recording of both Chopin Piano Concertos is available on the Spektral Records label. He gratefully recognises the generous financial support from the Craxton Memorial Trust and Kawai Pianos Ltd.

Winner of the First Prize at the 2015 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition, the Castalian String Quartet is fast becoming a favourite with audiences in the United Kingdom and abroad for its 'richly romantic energy and passion' (Strad Magazine). Formed in 2011, the quartet has been the beneficiary of awards from the Royal Overseas League (2011 Elias Fawcett Trust Award), the Countess of Munster Trust, the Tunnell Trust, the Royal Philharmonic Society, St. Peter's Eaton Square, Kirckman Concert Society and Mozarteum de France. In 2013 it won both the Audience Prize and First Prize in the Kammermusik Hannover Next Generation Competition, broadcast on German radio station NDR. Highlights from previous seasons include performances at the Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room, Kings Place, Lake District Summer Music, the Edinburgh Festival and a BBC Radio 3 recital from the Cheltenham Festival. The quartet also toured China at the invitation of the British Council. 2013 saw its German recital debut in the Heidelberger Frühling String Quartet Festival and first concerts in Switzerland at the Ceresio Estate Festival, Lugano. 2014 brought the release of the quartet's recording of Mendelssohn on the Champs Hill label (awarded BBC Music Magazine's 'Critic's Choice' for September, and 'Chamber Music Disc of the Quarter' by the German Record Critics Association), a second tour of Scotland, quintets in Germany with violist Nils Mönkemeyer and recitals in Berlin and the Festival de Musique de Conques. In 2014 they graduated from the Hannover University of Music, Dance and Theatre with a Masters Degree in Chamber Music, studying with their mentor Oliver Wille. The quartet has also worked closely with Thomas Brandis and Levon Chilingirian.

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