![[Tavec Quartet]](images/2004/tavec240.jpg)
Tom Hankey, violin
Clara Biss, violin
Nancy Johnson, viola
Elizabeth Stone, cello
THE TAVEC QUARTET was formed in January 1999 at the Royal College of Music, where they won the Helen Just Prize within their first few months. Since then they have performed in numerous venues across Europe, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall and St. James' Piccadilly, and in festivals including Cheltenham, Kings Lynn, The Edinburgh Fringe, The BBC Proms and in Aix-En-Provence, where they were recorded live for the radio station 'France Musique'. They have also won the Rio Tinto Ensemble Prize in the Royal Overseas League Music Competition, and the Net4 Music Prize in the Bristol Millennium Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet has been part of the Countess of Munster Trust Recital Scheme and North West Classical Music Tours, and has given repeated workshops in schools across the country.
TOM HANKEY graduated in 2001 with a BMus and a PGDip from the RCM, where he studied with Levon Chilingirian and Yossi Zivoni. This was funded by scholarships from the Countess of Munster Music Trust and the South Square Trust. Tom has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe, and has won several prizes including the Oxford Young Musician of the Year. He has also broadcast chamber music on Radio 3's 'In Tune'. In 2003, Tom was co-principle of the South Bank Sinfonia.
CLARA BISS graduated with a first class degree from the RCM, where she studied the violin with Itzhak Rashkovsky, and the viola with Ivo Van der Werff. She has recently completed her Masters Degree at the Guildhall School of Music, where she has been studying with Krysia Osostowicz. This was funded by an Ian Fleming Musical Education Award. She has performed in Malaysia, Russia and the USA as well as in Europe, and is currently on trial with The Hallé and The Northern Sinfonia. She is also principle of the Handmade Opera Ensemble and co-principle of the New Professionals.
NANCY JOHNSON studied in Manchester with Suzie Mezaros on the Joint Course between Manchester University and The Royal Northern College of Music, and then at the Julliard School with Toby Appel. Whilst in New York, she performed in Carnegie Wall Hall, Alice Tully Hall and was a finalist in the Julliard concerto competition. She was also in the Degas Quartet, which was in residence at Syracuse University N.Y. in 2001. Nancy currently freelances with the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
ELIZABETH STONE graduated from the RCM, where she studied with Steve Doane. Previously she had won Leverhulme scholarships to attend the Purcell School and RCM junior department. She has had masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Alexander Ballie and Karine Georgian. Elizabeth has performed the Brahms Double Concerto with the Antioch Players. She is a teacher in the Stringwise and National Chamber Music Courses, and is currently studying to be an Alexander Technique teacher.