Alison Stephens is the leading exponent of the classical mandolin in the UK. She was the first graduate of mandolin from Trinity College of Music, London, and was appointed as a teacher upon graduation. Alison has played across the UK and has toured across the Far East incl. three trips to Hong Kong; across the middle East incl. two visits to Saudi Arabia; Australia, South Africa, across Europe and in USA.
She has also frequently broadcast and recorded live for radio including BBC Radios 3 and 4, Classic FM, ABC (Australia), SABC (South Africa) and BBC Radio Scotland. She also presented her own BBC Radio 4 feature which was subsequently nominated for a Sony Award.
Recordings include: Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernières (CHAN9780) with Craig Ogden (it was pick of the week in The Daily Telegraph and Chandos’ fastest ever selling classical CD), Mandolin Concerto in G by Hummel (CHAN9925) with the London Mozart Players (Howard Shelley), also on the Chandos label; Tapestry (BBM1088), a CD of evocative British contemporary music for mandolin and harp (nominated for Editor’s choice in the Gramophone), on the Black Box label and Con Espressione (AS05), a solo CD dedicated to the Italian Romantic era.
As well as the Louis de Bernières CD, Alison has worked on several other projects in connection with Captain Corelli’s Mandolin including a sell-out stage show which has so far notched up well over 500 performances in several different countries and over 100 different venues. She also played on the soundtrack for the Hollywood film starring Nicholas Cage
After graduating from Trinity College of Music in 1992, Lauren Scott has worked extensively with many of the UKs leading orchestras, most notably the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, Halle, City of Birmingham, BBC Scottish and the BBC Symphony Orchestras. She has toured, performed and recorded with chamber orchestras such as Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia. Lauren has played in West End shows and with artists such as Robbie Williams, Katherine Jenkins and José Carreras. Lauren also plays with the "Arabesque Duo" (flautist, Russell Gillespie) and they have released two CDs, including world premiere recordings of works for flute and harp.
