Saturday 30 Jan, 2.30pm - Solo Violin Concert (Bach, Karlo Margetic, Gareth Farr)
Saturday 30 Jan, 7.30pm - Piano Trio Concert (Schumann: D minor trio; Janacek: Pohadke; Mendelssohn: D minor piano trio)
Sunday 31st Jan, 2.30pm - Piano Trio Concert (Schumann: Violin Sonata 2; Bacewicz: Witraz, Kolysanka; Mendelssohn C minor trio)
Benjamin Baker, Violin
Described by The New York Times as bringing “virtuosity, refinement, and youthful exuberance” to his Merkin Concert Hall debut, Benjamin has established himself as a sought-after soloist and chamber musician.
Recent highlights include regular appearances at Wigmore Hall and on BBC Radio 3, and concerto debuts with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Ryan Bancroft, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under Dame Jane Glover, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the East Neuk Festival.
In 2026, Benjamin gives the world premiere of Matthew Kaner’s Violin Concerto, written for him and commissioned by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Amarillo Symphony. He also makes debut appearances with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra, following recent US debuts with the Mobile, Columbus, Summerville, and Newport Symphony Orchestras.
Also in 2026, he releases the complete Mozart Violin Concertos with conductor Jonathan Bloxham and the London Mozart Players on Delphian Records, following two critically acclaimed albums with pianist Daniel Lebhardt, 1942 and 1919: Coda. His solo recordings also include works with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Each October, Benjamin returns home to New Zealand for At the World’s Edge (AWE), the spring chamber music festival he co-founded in 2021.
Born in Aotearoa New Zealand, Benjamin studied with Natasha Boyarsky at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, where he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rose Bowl.
Benjamin plays on a Giovanni Grancino from 1694, on generous loan from a Charitable Trust.
Website: https://www.benjamin-baker.com
Jamie Walton, Cello
Jamie Walton is an internationally acclaimed British cellist, known for his deep tone, imaginative performances and uncompromising musicality. Born in Germany and raised in the UK, he won a scholarship to Wells Cathedral School before studying with the great teacher William Pleeth who described Jamie as “a cellist of outstanding performance ability.”
He has performed as both soloist and chamber musician across Europe, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Scandinavia and throughout the UK, appearing with many of Britain’s foremost orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra. With these ensembles, Jamie has recorded thirteen major concertos, including Dvořák and Schumann with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy.
In 2009 Walton founded the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival and has served as its Artistic Director ever since. Under his leadership, the annual two-week festival attracts distinguished artists from all over the world. It continues to develop a reputation for ambitious, imaginative programming and has been twice shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.
Determined to put North Yorkshire firmly on the cultural map, Jamie also instigated and supervised the construction of a new state-of-the-art recording studio within the North York Moors National Park – Ayriel Studios.
Jamie was awarded a Foundation Fellowship by Wells Cathedral School and, through the Worshipful Company of Musician, granted the Freedom of the City of London for his services to music. Recent recordings include the six Bach Suites for solo cello, and chamber works by Gabriel Fauré.
Website: https://www.jamiewalton.com
Daniel Lebhardt, Piano
Hungarian pianist Daniel Lebhardt has been described by the New York Times as playing with ‘…power, poetry and formidable technique’. Since winning the 2015 Young Classical Artists Trust auditions, Daniel has given concerts in the UK, Europe, USA, South America, Asia and New Zealand.
As soloist he performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, National Philharmonic of Ukraine and Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, and had his concerto debuts at Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Hall and at Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
In chamber music, Daniel regularly collaborates with violinist Benjamin Baker with whom they have recently released two critically acclaimed duo albums (Delphian Records), and he has recorded for Schubert (Naxos) and Bartók (Decca) as well. He is a regular artist at the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival.
In the 26/27 season he makes his Royal Albert Hall debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Lee Reynolds in Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto. In recent years he performed Mozart and Beethoven Concertos with them at Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, and Symphony Hall in Birmingham. He will perform solo recitals at Champs Hill and Wigmore Hall, in a programme that is centered around the world premier of a new solo piano work by Matthew Kaner.
Daniel studied at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest with Gyöngyi Keveházi and István Gulyás, and at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with Pascal Nemirovski and is currently based in London.
Website: daniel-lebhardt.com