Christopher Murray
Cello
Christopher Murray studied at Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music as well as participating in master classes with eminent musicians such as Alexander Baillie, Benjamin Zander, Ralph Kirshbaum, Karine Georgian and the great Russian maestro, Dmitri Yablonski. In 2003 he won the RNCM top cello award, the Barbirolli Prize, and he has also received awards from The Musician's Benevolent Fund, The Martin Trust and The Countess of Munster Trust. He regularly gives recitals across North of England in a duo with his father, David, and he is also the cellist of the Heath String Quartet. In 2005 this group won the prestigious Philharmonia Orchestra/Martin Musical Scholarship Fund Ensemble Award (the award including a Purcell Room debut recital) as well as reaching the finals of the Royal Overseas-League Competition.
In August 2005 Christopher made a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 from the Royal Albert Hall of solo cello music by the Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen as part of the BBC Proms Composer Portrait Series. Christopher plays a beautiful English cello made by John Betts around 1800.
Information correct at time of performance with the NSO (January 2006).