Julian Leaper & John Lenehan
Biography Julian Leaper & John Lenehan
Julian Leaper
In 1978 Julian won a Junior Exhibition Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where
he studied violin with Emanuel Hurwitz and piano as joint first study with Hamish Milne.
He was awarded several prizes for solo performance and chamber music including the prestigious Gerard Heller award for which he won first prize for Quartet playing.
In 1982 he continued his studies with Alberto Lysy at the Yehudi Menuhin Academy Gstaad and Tomatada Soh and Kenneth Sillitoe in London. He made his London debut performing
a programme of British music at the Purcell Room. He has since performed as leader and soloist with many British orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia and the New London Orchestra. He has worked regularly with all the major chamber Orchestras and ensembles including the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, English Chamber Orchestra , Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Mozart Players and the Orchestra of St Johns Smith Square.
He has worked with the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia and BBC Symphony orchestras.
His solo and concerto performances include the complete Brandenburg concertos at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Vivaldi’s Four Seasonsat the Purcell Room, Mozart D major violin concertoat St Johns Smith Square, Beethoven Triple concertoat Truro Cathedral, Vaughn Williams Lark Ascendingand Mozart Sinfonia Concertanteat Worthing Assembly Hall together with a number of other solo performances at venues across the UK. He has recorded a large number of sound tracks for Film and TV including Harry Potter, Lord ofthe Rings, James Bondand has recorded the solo violin tracks for Ridley Scott’s Tristan and Isoldeand TV blockbusters such as Upstairs Downstairs, Cranford, and Downton Abbey.
In 2014 Julian was appointed leader of the internationally acclaimed Maggini String Quartet.
He is passionate about introducing live music to children and has made many visits to schools across the UK with the Maggini Quartet together with visits to special needs schools with the Music for Autism Charity.
Julian is very interested in antique string instruments and has acquired a collection of beautiful violins over the years, his pride and joy, a 1735 Januarius Gagliano, on which
he plays.
John Lenehan
Praised by the New York Times for his “great flair and virtuosity” and the London Times – “a masterly recital”, John Lenehan’s performances and recordings have been acclaimed throughout the world. As a soloist he has appeared with leading orchestras at home and abroad. In 2010/11 he made his debut with both the London Symphony Orchestra (at the Barbican) and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (at Philharmonic Hall) as well as performing with the RPO in the Royal Albert Hall. John Lenehan has collaborated with many leading instrumentalists and is recognised as an outstanding accompanist and chamber musician. During the past few years he has appeared in major concert halls in Amsterdam, Vienna, Salzburg, New York, Washington, Toronto, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo.
John Lenehan has made more than sixty CDs – most recently the fourth volume of a complete edition of John Ireland’s piano music (on Naxos). This final disc in the series includes the Piano Concerto – in which he is joined by the RLPO conducted by John Wilson – was awarded the “editor’s choice” accolade in Gramophone and included in the I-tunes list of “best of 2011”. His other solo recordings include three discs for Sony Classical of minimalist piano works, a disc of Erik Satie (for Classic FM) and a Gramophone award-winning recording for Naxos (with the Ulster Orchestra) of Michael Nyman’s Piano Concerto. 2012 saw the release of his recording of Brahms Sonatas with Emma Johnson – described as “definitive” and “a landmark disc” in the Observer and, with Julian Lloyd Webber, a disc of music by Delius and Ireland which was chosen on its release as the Classic FM disc of the week.
John Lenehan is also active as a composer and has written and arranged for Angelika Kirchschlager, Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber, Tasmin Little and Emma Johnson. His compositions are published by Faber, Novello and Schotts. During 2012 he arranged and orchestrated for new recordings by Nicola Benedetti, the crossover pianist Maksim, accordionist Ksenjia Sidorova with BBC NOW as well as the tenor (and star of the 2012 last night at the proms) Joseph Calleja with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Recent performances have included the world premiere of “Genesis Suite” by Tolga Kashif with the London Symphony Orchestra, Ireland’s Piano Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, recitals with Sarah Chang in Italy, Tasmin Little in China and the debut concerts as pianist in the London Soloists Ensemble. The group have been appointed associate ensemble at St. John’s Smith Square, London and will make it’s first CD for Naxos next year. John will also be recording the complete piano music of E.J. Moeran, again for Naxos. Further recordings with Julian Lloyd Webber and Emma Johnson have also been recorded is year.
