Anna Menzies performs as a chamber musician, recitalist, soloist and continuo player. She was born in Newcastle and studied at Chetham’s, the Guildhall School and the RNCM with David Smith, Richard Lester, Louise Hopkins and Hannah Roberts.

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As founding member of the Gildas Quartet, Anna performs across the UK and internationally, at venues including the Wigmore and Bridgewater Halls, live on BBC Radio 3 and at festivals such as the Cheltenham and St Magnus. The quartet are City Music Foundation Artists and Associate Ensemble at the Birmingham Conservatoire.

 

Active across all genres, Anna enjoys regularly working with living composers and has among others collaborated with Sir Harrison Birtwistle and with Sofia Gubaidulina for the UK premiere of her chamber work ‘Verwandlung’ recorded by the Sky Arts channel. She has recently recorded for two CDs of works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad to be released on the Champs Hill record label. Anna appears regularly as continuo player at St-Martin-In-The-Fields, where she has also performed as concerto soloist with the London Musical Arts Ensemble.

 

Experienced working in theatre and with dancers, Anna performed to critical acclaim with pianist Anne Lovett for the New English Ballet Theatre's production of ‘Strangers’ at the Peacock Theatre, London. She has also performed with groups including Chas and Dave and The Who.

 

Anna has been recipient of numerous awards, including scholarships from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the RNCM’s Richard Newitt Award and selection as a Park Lane Group Young Artist. With the Gildas, she won First Prize in the Audience Engagement Award at the International Competition “Franz Schubert und die Musik der Moderne” and has been supported in several projects and performances by the Richard Carne Trust, Britten-Pears Foundation and the Arts Council UK.

 

Anna holds teaching positions at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, in addition to taking private students in London. She taught for several years at the Yehudi Menuhin School. She enjoys working with student composers as well as cellists, most recently with Michael Finnissy’s class at the Dartington Summer School and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Creative Arts, Surrey.