Pianist – Chamber Musician

Gilbert Trio

IMG_1866The Gilbert Trio is an exciting and innovative trio, in the unusual form of Flute, Cello and Piano. It is made up of award-winning musicians Thomas Bertolotti, Ivan Alekhin and Julia Sinani. Since their formation in 2013, they have gone from strength to strength, and will be performing in the Royal Academy of Music’s main Chamber Music events this year. They also participate in charitable events, and will be performing at St Thomas’s Hospital in London in March. The Gilbert Trio will be performing in the Harold Craxton Ensemble Prize at the Royal Academy of Music.

Members:

Julia Sinani

Russian-born pianist based in London Julia Sinani has performed extensively in the UK and Russia both as a soloist and chamber musician. Julia started her musical education at the Gnesin’s Music school in 1999, and switched to the World-renowned Central Music School (college) in 2003 to study with an Honorary Artist of Russia – Professor Valery Piassetski. Since the tender age of 5 Julia took part in concerts in all major concert halls of Moscow. Julia has performed as a soloist in many cities in Russia, particularly in the halls of Moscow and St. Petersburg. She has also toured extensively (Russia and Europe) as an accompanist, solo pianist and a soloist in chamber music ensembles and played in orchestral programmes of the Central Music School of Moscow and took part in various concert programmes of Vladimir Spivakov’s Charitable Fund and was selected to participate in many master-classes, most notably with Nikolai Petrov. Julia won numerous music competitions and after graduating with Honours from the Central Music School in Moscow was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Currently Julia is in her final year of the Bachelors course at the Royal Academy of Music studying with Professor of Piano Tatiana Sarkissova. Since moving to London, Julia was in demand both as a soloist and chamber musician – having partnered several instrumentalist and vocalist at the Royal Academy, she got offers from professional musicians to accompany them at competitions, public and private performances. She has been a permanent feature of an annual Pushkin in Britain Festival since 2011, which led to her performing at the Russian Embassy in London as well as many other venues in London.

Ivan Alekhin

Ivan Alekhin is currently in his last year of undergraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music in London (RAM) studying with William Bennett and Clare Southworth. He has given solo performances in Russia at venues such as Ermolova’s Museum, the International Charity Festival of Vladimir Spivakov ‘Moscow Meets Friends’, Pushkin’s State Museum. This was combined with various international masterclasses and festivals in Budapest, Norway and the United Kingdom. He started his music education in Russia at the age of 7 in the Junior Department of Moscow’s Conservatory. After his graduation he was accepted to study at Chetham’s School of Music with a full scholarship in the class of Laura Jellicoe. As a member of the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra, he has performed in concert venues such as the Bridgewater Hall, Royal Northern College of Music, Cadogan Hall and the Royal Festival Hall, with the latter of these performances being under the direction of the distinguished conductor Paul Mann. At RAM, Ivan combines his flute playing with studies in composition and conducting. He was also granted the opportunity to have second study piano lessons with Mark Racz. He is also a founding member of the Gilbert Trio (Flute Cello and Piano) named in honour of the legendary flautist and teacher Geoffrey Gilbert. During his years at RAM he has been privileged to work with internationally renowned flute professors such as Michael Cox, Emily Beynon, Katherine Brian, Paul Edmund Davies, Thomas Robertello and Katherine Baker. Ivan has also performed in the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra for such conductors as Jac van Steen, Edward Gardner, Trevor Pinnock and Robin Ticciati. Ivan plays on a Trevor James recital flute kindly awarded to him by Trevor James Flutes.

Thomas Bertolotti

Humberside-born Thomas Bertolotti is an award-winning cellist, headlining a new generation of exciting young cellists.
Currently looking towards completing his final of a hugely successful four years at the Royal Academy of Music, Thomas began playing at the age of eight. By the age of 15, he was awarded a highly sought-after scholarship to study at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, during which time he was awarded the Ida Carroll award for Merit, alongside an award for outstanding chamber music playing with his acclaimed cello quartet. During his time there he participated in a large range of events including performing Kol Nidrei with the JRNCM Chamber Orchestra, and reaching the Pro Corda Chamber Music Competition Finals two years in a row. He entered the Royal Academy of Music in September 2011 on a full scholarship, supported by the Albert and Eugenie Frost Trust, and commenced his studies in the distinguished class of Josephine Knight, Alfredo Piatti Chair of Cello with whom he is still currently studying.Aged just 19, Thomas made his professional concerto debut with orchestra performing the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra undr the baton of Andrew Penny MBE. He has also performed in the premiere series of the opera “Manga Sister” by Harry Blake. Thomas performs as a duo with Daniela Rodo Aranda and together reached the final of the Royal Academy of Music Brahms Competition. In his third year at the Royal Academy, received a diploma from Stockholm International Music Competition. As a chamber musician Thomas is currently a member of the Gilbert Trio, a flute, cello and piano trio who have been selected to perform in the Academy’s Thursday Lunchtime Concert series in February this year. Thomas has recently begun working with Audeat Camerata, run by Gustavo Ubeda, incorporating solo, chamber and orchestral performances. As an orchestral musician, Thomas is vastly experienced, having performed in a number of exciting student orchestras and professional session orchestras, covering most of the orchestral canon. Thomas has performed as co-principal with Canterbury Philharmonic Orhcestra as well as performing as principal cellist in several student orchestras including MHS Orchestra and Hornton Chamber orchestra. He has performed under the baton of some of the best conductors in the world including Semyon Bychkov, Mark Elder, Ed Gardiner, Vasily Petrenko, Paul Daniel, Peter Robinson, and Trevor Pinnock in varied programmes in the Royal Academy’s symphony orchestra, concert orchestra and Royal Academy Sinfonia. In his final year in Academy Thomas has performed as Principal Cellist in the Royal Academy of Music Sinfonia, in a performance of a Puccini Double bill. Thomas will be premiering a concerto currently being written for him by composer Richard Hames in June this year.