Kate Suthers - Violin 1
Violinist Kate Suthers leads the award-winning Artesian Quartet and enjoys a varied performance career around the UK. In May 2016 she was appointed Section Leader of Second Violins at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Alongside quartet and the CBSO, Kate performs in guest principal roles with a number of British symphony orchestras, and enjoys smaller projects including working with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, memorising symphonies with Aurora Orchestra, and touring with Scottish Ensemble.
Kate studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Gyorgy Pauk before completing a further year as a CAVATINA Chamber Fellow with the Artesians. As part of her orchestral training Kate performed with both the Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestras, toured with the European Union Youth Orchestra, recorded with Trevor Pinnock for Linn Records and received leadership mentoring from Clio Gould, Andrew Haveron and Zsolt Tihamėr-Visontay.
Born and raised in Sydney, Kate made the move to the UK in 2004 but loves getting back to Australia when she can to see her family. She is an avid reader, a coffee fanatic, and a lover of both cooking and eating food, particularly the recipes of Yotam Ottolenghi.
Kate plays a Carletti violin from Bologna, c.1920-25.
CASSI HAMILTON - VIOLIN 2
Cassi began playing the violin at the age of four learning locally in her home town of Buxton with Patricia Curteis. At the age of thirteen she became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and later went on to join the European Union Youth Orchestra. Having studied at the Purcell school and then the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Richard Deakin and Maurice Hasson, Cassi has performed in masterclasses with artists such as Maxim Vengerov and the late Thomas Brandis.
She was a founding member of the Bernadel Quartet with whom she had the opportunity to perform at venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St James’ Piccadilly and St Martin-in-the-Fields. With the Bernadels she attended West Cork Chamber Music Festival and IMS Prussia Cove studying with Cuarteto Casals and Thomas Adès. They also completed a coaching scheme with the Belcea Quartet and CAVATINA Fellowship at the RAM.
Cassi enjoys chamber music in all forms and has performed with Wales based Nidum Ensemble and the Aurora Orchestra. She also freelances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Cassi’s violin is a 2009 Glen Collins.
Matt Maguire - Viola
Manchester born violist Matt Maguire enjoys a varied freelance career. Matt is sub-principal viola of City of London Sinfonia where he regularly sits up to principal, including at Opera Holland Park.
He is regular guest principal with National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and has also appeared as guest principal with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Concert Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, London Mozart Players, Manchester Camerata, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra and Matthew Bourne's New Adventures Orchestra. He enjoys touring regularly with Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and also plays as a front desk player with Aurora Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
Matt is a keen chamber musician and a founding member of the award winning Artesian Quartet. He enjoys collaborating with other quartets and ensembles, including 12 Ensemble, Berkeley Ensemble and has also given classes at Royal Academy of Music and Chetham’s School of Music.
Matt enjoys playing all kinds of music from blues to acid house and as a session musician has appeared on many albums, as well as numerous film and television soundtracks.
Matt is a strong believer of making music within local communities and enjoys collaborating with people from all walks of life. He is heavily involved in City of London Sinfonia’s participation programme and was part of a team that digitalised a project during the pandemic, for which they were awarded a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. Every Summer Matt enjoys working with young people from Peckham and throughout the UK through Multi Story Orchestra, often in car parks!
Matt studied at Royal Academy of Music with Martin Outram attaining 1st Class Undergraduate and Masters Degrees and was a Fellow in his final year.
He is a lifelong season ticket holder at Manchester City, loves playing football and really enjoys birdwatching and spending time in with nature.
His viola is also a Manc, a 2006 instrument by Helen Michetschläger.
António Novais - Cello
© Gareth Griffiths
António Novais, originally from Portugal and now based in Berlin, enjoys a career mostly in Germany and the UK, with a focus on both chamber and orchestral music. An avid enthusiast of opera and ballet repertoire, António currently serves as Principal Cello of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Birmingham Royal Ballet. He is frequently invited to collaborate with other orchestras, including the Orchestra of Opera North, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Remix Ensemble Casa da Música, and Orquestra XXI.
In 2010, as co-principal of the European Union Youth Orchestra, António performed under renowned conductors in leading concert halls across Europe, Asia, and America. During his time with the orchestra, António was honoured with The Sir Robert Bellinger Award.
In addition to his orchestral work, António is active as a session musician in Berlin and regularly explores diverse chamber music settings, performing in various venues throughout the city, as well as teaching and organising performance opportunities for his pupils.
António studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Professor David Strange, where he dedicated much time to chamber and orchestral music, earning the Leverhulme Mentorship. His studies were generously supported by scholarships from GDA and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Portugal. Before pursuing his studies in London, he studied with Filipe Quaresma, Rogério Peixinho and Vanessa Pires.
As a passionate advocate for chamber music, António joined the Artesian Quartet in 2012. The quartet has garnered numerous awards, including the Wolfe Wolfinsohn String Quartet Prize and the St. Peter’s Award, which granted them a one-year residency at St. Peter’s Eaton Square. They were also named Park Lane Group Artists in 2014, undertook a residency in Aldeburgh, and received both a Mentorship Scheme from Chamber Studio at Kings Place and a Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music. In the 2019 season, the Artesian Quartet was selected as part of Making Music Selected Artists.
António plays on a modern Cremonese cello crafted by Edgar Russ.