“Les Nations”
Directed by Professor Ashley Solomon
Aimee Taylor & Samuel Finch – baroque flute
Siping Guo – baroque bassoon
Xuanling Wan & Joeph Lowe – baroque violins
Samuel Ng – baroque cello
Apolline Khou – harpsichord

Telemann D minor Quartet from Tafelmusik Part 2
Rameau Pieces de clavecin en concert No.3 in A major
Corelli Trio Sonata in D
Handel Trio Sonata in B flat major

Telemann’s Tafelmusik or ‘musique de table’ is the composer’s best-known collection, with its delicate, stately melodies written to accompany his patrons’ banquets. The quartet in d minor combines 2 flutes with bassoon and continuo in a virtuosic display. Rameau’s only chamber music follows, featuring virtuosic harpsichord playing at the heart of an intricate ensemble. Completing the programme are one of Handel’s earliest trios – likely written when he was just ten years old, alongside a trio by Italian master Arcangelo Corelli, whose influence paved the way for the modern concerto.

Aimée Taylor
After graduating, with distinction, from the Royal College of Music, London, with a Master of Music in Historical performance (baroque flute), Aimée Taylor now studies on the RCM’s Artist Diploma programme. Her previous studies, including a BA in Music (University of Oxford) and a diplôme d’exécution in modern flute performance (École Normale de Musique de Paris), followed formative study at St. Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh. Aimée has performed internationally, as part of leading cultural events such as the Commonwealth Games and with eminent ensembles, most recently Solomon’s Knot. Competition success has included a premier prix (Concours des Lyres et des Arts) and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artists Platform Award. Previously a RCM George Thornton Award-holder, she is now an Irene Hanson scholar and has also received support from Help Musicians, the Zetland Foundation, the Women’s Careers Foundation, the Scottish International Education Trust, the Kathleen Trust and the Stapley Trust.

Samuel Finch
Samuel Finch is an RCM award holder and second-year undergraduate student at the Royal College of Music, London. He is studying flute with Gitte Marcusson and Sue Thomas, and historical flute with Rachel Brown as part of the joint principal study course. Here, he has performed with the RCM Philharmonic and Baroque Orchestras in venues including the Amaryllis Fleming and Milton Court Concert Halls, working with conductors including Sofi Jeannin and Wayne Marshall. Prior to his studies at RCM, Samuel studied flute with Catherine Handley at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s junior department. A member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales Samuel is currently their principal flautist; recent highlights includes Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Jennifer Pike and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade under the baton of Kwame Ryan. Samuel looks forward to a project with Ex-Cathedra Choir and Baroque Orchestra performing Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion directed by Jeffrey Skidmore.

Joseph Lowe
British/Spanish baroque violinist and violist Joseph Lowe, currently studies at the Royal College of Music with Professor Nathan Braude and Bojan Cicic where he is a Dennis and Sylvia Forbes Award Holder. At his young age he has already performed in many of the most prestigious venues around Europe on tour with renowned orchestras, such as the Royal Festival Hall (UK) with the Academy of Ancient Music, the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid (Spain) with the University of Salamanca Baroque Orchestra or the Festpielhaus Baden-Baden (Germany) with the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble. Joseph Lowe has also benefited from masterclasses with prominent artists including Lawrence Power, Gordan Nikolic, Rachel Podger and Hiro Kurosaki. He has also been selected four years running for the ‘Talent Project’ of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, singled out from across Spain to perform with other talented young musicians and to receive mentorship.

Xuanling Wan
Xuanling Wan is an Artist Diploma Student at the Royal College of Music in London, studying historical violin with Lucy Russell. She is a Fund scholar, supported by Doctor Knobel. She has been awarded Distinction when she finished her Master degree in music performance at the University of York. She was been awarded Winspear music scholarship when she got Graduate Artist Certificate at the University of North Texas in the US. She previously worked for the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. She has won: The first prize in New York Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition in 2021, and the first prize in London “Grand Prize Virtuoso” International Music Competition.

Siping Guo
Chinese bassoonist Siping Guo graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in 2019. Siping is currently studying at the Royal College of Music, London for a Bachelor of Music as a KMEG scholar supported by the International Student House. He is also a Drake Calleja Trust Scholar. Siping won the first price in Concerto Competition held by Royal College of Music and played Weber Bassoon Concerto with orchestra. He has played principle bassoon pieces such as Mahler Symphony No.1, Shostakovich Symphony No.10. He attended NYO-China orchestral, conducted by Ludovic Morlot and played Principle bassoon in Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 with Garrick Ohlsson. During NYO-China, he was highly praised by the conductor Ludovic Morlot and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s principle clarinet, Aoguang Zhai. Siping has performed Mozart Sinfonia Concerto For bassoon, oboe, horn and clarinet in school ensemble competition and won the second prize (the first prize in vacancy).

Samuel Ng
Samuel Ng is a London based cellist and viol player who has studied with Sarah McMahon, Reiko Ichise, Jonathan Rees, Raphael Wallfisch and Hélène Dautry. He has appeared at festivals such as the Vienna Philharmonic Ball and the BBC Proms, and his chamber career has brought him through most of Europe, both performing and broadcasting on radio. As a member of the chamber ensemble Liturina, they were finalists at the York Early Music Competition, have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and have been heralded as ‘particularly delicately played…an impressive performance.’ Both as a cellist and viol player, Samuel regularly works with ensembles such as The English Concert, La Serenissima, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of the Sixteen, Irish Baroque Orchestra, The Hanover Band and Spiritato. Future engagements include a recording and performances with the Gabrieli Consort and Players later in the year.

Apolline Khou
Apolline Khou is a French harpsichordist and pianist, currently the Carne Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music. She graduated from this institution with a Master of Performance after studying in France. She gave a solo performance for HRH The Prince of Wales in the RCM Museum in December 2021. She also performed at venues such as the Musée des Archives Nationales in Paris, the Château de Maintenon, the London Early Music Festival, Trinity College in Cambridge, and Raynham Hall. She was also invited by the LGT Young Soloists to record at Abbey Road studios. In 2017, she was awarded the Debussy prize at the International Piano Competition of Ile de France. She is holder of the French “Diplôme d’Etat” in pedagogy. During her Master studies, she was a Linda Hill Scholar, and she was also supported by the Safran Foundation and by the Soroptimist Club.