Octave Players


	PHILIPPE HONORÉ violin and leader was born in France and studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he was awarded the Premier Prix for both violin and chamber music. As a soloist he has performed with various orchestras including the Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of the chamber group Mobius, who have recorded several CDs on the EMI label. He was also a member of the English Chamber Orchestra, with whom he appeared as a soloist in performances of Bach and Vivaldi, and is now a member of the Vellinger Quartet.


	NORBERT BLUME viola At 18 Norbert Blume won first prize in the German national competition of "Jurgend musiziert". In 1977 he joined the English Chamber Orchestra as Co-Principal Viola, He is now principal viola in the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He often appears as a soloist. Recently he partnered Lynn Harrell in Strauss's Don Quixote. He has made many recordings including versions of Vivaldi's Concerto for viola d'amore and Lute for Decca, Sony Classical and RCA.. His performance of the solo viola d'amore part in Hindemith's Kammermusik No.5 with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra for Decca, was awarded the Gramophone Prize. WILLIAM BENNETT flute has been principal flute in the London Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra. He has made solo recordings with Yehudi Menuhin, Geoge Malcolm, the Grumiaux Trio, I Musici, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra. In addition to recording the standard repertoire not only has he made pioneering recordings of many neglected 19^th century works but has also recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Wynton Marsalis.


	NEIL BLACK oboe As a soloist and principal oboe of the English Chamber Orchestra, he has played in many of the world's musical centres. Neil Black's numerous solo recordings for all the major companies have brought him international acclaim. Amongst them are the Bach Double Concerto with Perlman, the Strauss and Vaughan-Williams concertos with Barenboim and the English Chamber Orchestra, and Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi Concertos with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Marriner. He has also recorded with Yehudi Menuhin and the Warsaw Sinfonia. CHRISTOPHER BEVAN harpsichord was a member of the Strange Quartet at Sussex University, and then one of the first violins of the English Chamber Orchestra. He has always been a brilliant keyboard player and soon started to play the harpsichord with the ECO. As a continuo harpsichordist he has accompanied artists such as Zukerman, Stern, Perlman, Vengerov and Rostropovich.


	CLARE HOFFMAN violin Has been principal 2nd violin with the English Chamber Orchestra. She has been a member of the Sandor Vegh's Camerata Academica in Salzburg and during her three years there premiered a concerto by Austrian composer Horst Ebenhoh, written for her and the Vienna Sinfonietta. Clare has also performed the Bliss concerto with the Odessa Philharmonic in the Ukraine. She recently gave her Purcell Room debut. DIETRICH BETHGE cello and director has been co-principal cellist with the English Chamber Orchestra for several years with whom he has appeared several times as a soloist. He formed the London Octave fifteen years ago. He recently performed Bach duets with Nigel Kennedy in Madrid and London's Barbican Hall.