Surrey Mozart Players

Adults: £21
21 & under: £5

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Philip Ellis
www.philipellisconductor.com

This concert will be conducted by Philip Ellis who was appointed as Music Director of the Surrey Mozart Players in March 2023.  

Since winning first prize in the Leeds Conductors’ Competition in 1991, Philip Ellis has worked extensively throughout the UK conducting many concerts with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Concert Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, London Mozart Players, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North, City of London Sinfonia, Northern Sinfonia and over 400 concerts with English Sinfonia.  He is a passionate supporter of Music Education and has worked extensively with amateur orchestras, youth and community groups throughout his career. 

He made his international debut conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 1987, leading to engagements with Hong Kong Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, Flanders Symphony, St Petersburg Philharmonic, St Petersburg Symphony, National Orchestra of Mexico, Western Australian Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Würtembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Neue Philharmonie Westfallen and many broadcast concerts with the BRTN Philharmonic (Brussels) for radio and television.

Philip Ellis works extensively as a conductor for dance.  As conductor for Birmingham Royal Ballet 1989-2025, he conducted the majority of their productions.  He regularly guest conducts for international ballet companies: The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, La Scala Ballet in Milan, Paris Opera Ballet at the Opera Garnier, The Australian Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Mikhailovsky Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Hong Kong Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Rome Opera Ballet, Korean National Ballet and Gothenburg Ballet.

On CD, he has recorded Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf and Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals with the Philharmonia. Copland Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, El Salon Mexico and a series of Concert Classics discs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Contemporary Clarinet Concertos for Nimbus with Emma Johnson and Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with Dimitri Ferschtman, recorded live in concert from the Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam.   

In his free time he is a keen artist, particularly interested in portraiture, working in a wide range media. A selection of his work can be seen on his website www.philipellisconductor.com and on instagram @philellisart. 

Rachel Siu - Cello

rachelsiucellist.com

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Rachel Siu started learning the cello at the age of five with Renat Yusupov. Encouraged by her father, a devoted music lover, she chose the cello - drawn to its size after watching a recording of a Bach Brandenburg Concerto. Rachel completed both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick at The Juilliard School, where she was a Kovner Fellow, and a recipient of the William Schuman Commencement Prize for outstanding leadership and achievement during her time at Juilliard. Her previous teachers include Peter Rejto and Susan Blake. She is currently studying with Frans Helmerson at the Accademia Stauffer Cremona.

Rachel’s solo career began at age seven with a debut at the Sydney Town Hall. Since then, she has performed across Europe, Asia, America, and Australia, soloing with numerous orchestras, including the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, The Juilliard Orchestra, and LGT Young Soloists, working under the baton of conductors such as Thomas Adès, and Long Yu. She has performed in iconic venues, including Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Elbphilharmonie, Alice Tully Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and the Musikverein.

A multi-award winning cellist, Rachel’s honors include the Gold Medal at the VIII David Popper International Cello Competition in Varpalota, Hungary and The Juilliard School Concerto Competition, where she performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor with The Juilliard Orchestra and Maestro Thomas Adès. She premiered a movement of Julian Gargiulo’s Cello Sonata No.2 at Carnegie Hall for thé Getting to Carnegie International Competition, winning first prize, and was also a prizewinner at the IX Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition in Morelia, Mexico. In 2020, Rachel received the MLC School Sydney Alumni Award for Outstanding International Achievements.

An avid chamber musician, Rachel currently performs as a member of Australia’s renowned Streeton Trio. She has collaborated with esteemed musicians such as Glenn Dicterow and Karen Dreyfus. She has also been coached by prominent artists including Emanuel Ax, Pamela Frank, Hsin-Yun Huang, Yo-Yo Ma, and Laurie Smukler.

Rachel has played in masterclasses for remarkable cellists such as David Geringas, Lynn Harrell, Frans Helmerson, Steven Isserlis, and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. As a dedicated educator, she has taught privately and at institutions like the Sydney Conservatorium of Music - University of Sydney, where she currently holds a position teaching both tertiary and Rising Star’s students.

In January of 2019, Rachel travelled with select cellists from all around the world for the Scandinavian Cello School to perform at the Musikverein for the 78th Vienna Philharmonic.

She was a recipient of the Australian Music Foundation Nora Goodridge Young Artist Award, and and is currently as recipient of the Australian Music Foundation Richard Bonynge Award.

Rachel was born into a creative family, although she is the only musician. She finds joy in rock climbing, outdoor activities in general, reading, and baking, and has recently been making crochet pieces for friends and family.

Previous Performance with the Surrey Mozart Players

18th January 2025 - Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor at Holy Trinity Curch Guildford.

• Ariadne auf Naxos - Overture and Dance Scene Strauss

• Cello Concerto No. 1 - Shostakovich
  Soloist: Rachel Siu

• Symphony No. 7 - Beethoven

Beethoven regarded his Seventh Symphony as one of his greatest works; Wagner famously called it ‘the apotheosis of dance’.  Surrey Mozart Players return to the Menuhin Hall with this life-affirming and justly celebrated symphonic treat.

Following her wonderful Schumann concerto debut with SMP, Rachel Siu rejoins us for Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 — a work renowned for its emotional depth and power. It was composed for the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, showcasing his unique blend of lyrical beauty and virtuosic technique. It will suit her down to the ground.

The concert opens with two glorious orchestral excerpts from Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, the luminous Overture and ‘Rosenkavalier like’ Dance sequence. Strauss at his most opulent.

Venue Location

The concert takes place at 

The Menuhin Hall
Cobham Road
Stoke D'Abernon
Surrey
KT11 3QQ 

Getting There

Full directions by train or road can be found on the Menuhin Hall website.

Parking

Parking is available in the grounds of the Hall.

Accessibility

Details can be found here.

Refreshments

Drinks will be available before the concert and during the interval from the foyer bar.

• The concert starts at 4.30pm. 

• There will be an interval of around 20 minutes.  

• The concert is expected to finish around 6.30pm.