About the musicians

Julia Burkert, violin

Julia received her BMus with Distinction from the University of Victoria, Canada where she won a scholarship to study with the Lafayette String Quartet. After graduating, she moved to Glasgow for postgraduate studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

In Canada, she has been a regular violinist with Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, Symphony New Brunswick, Okanagan Symphony, Powell River Opera, Prince George Symphony and has appeared with many more. She coaches the Junior Classic Orchestra Regensburg and is concertmaster of the National Doctors Orchestra of Germany.

Currently, she works in London as an active freelancing session musician and has appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata of London, Surrey Sinfonietta, Brandenburg Sinfonia, as leader of I Maestri and many others. Recently, she was a member of the cast of the West End show Sinatra.

Julia gained extensive chamber music experience as leader of the Canada based Fontana String Quartet, with whom she played for Princess and P&O cruise lines between 2002-04, and she also makes regular appearances as a soloist.

Alice Butcher, violin

Alice Butcher combines chamber music with an extensive freelance orchestral career.  She is a graduate of York University and gained her MMus with Distinction from Trinity College of Music. Awards include The Wilfrid Mellors Travel Bursary, The Emanuel Hurwitz Chamber Music scholarship and The Charles Davis Award to attend Dartington International Summer School. Alongside her work with the Crystal Palace String Quartet, Alice regularly performs in chamber recitals with piano trios, violin-piano duos, and as a member of The Boccherini String Trio. She has taken part in masterclasses with Lydia Mordkovitch, Sandor Devich, the Brodsky and Chilingirian string quartets.

Alice’s orchestral work encompasses orchestras throughout Britain and Ireland including the National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, RTE National Symphony Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Alice also enjoys the lighter side of music and has played in the shows Sinatra and Miss Saigon as well as touring throughout Europe with Abba: The Show.

Chris Brody, viola

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Chris obtained a BA in Music from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. He spent a year at Schaffhausen Konservatorium, Switzerland before coming to London to complete his postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His teachers have included Herbert Greenberg, Robert Koff, Wilma Smith, Andras von Toszeghi, Jack Glickman and Simon Rowland-Jones.

As a freelance orchestral player he is principal viola for Camerata of London, Surrey Sinfonietta, I Maestri, Skolia Orchestra and Camerata Santa Dorotea, and has performed with the RPO, Ulster Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Carl Rosa Opera Company, English Symphony Orchestra and WNO among others. He has given concerts internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, and is also a keen choral singer.

Sarah Westley, cello

Sarah studied at Trinity College of Music and Royal Academy of Music, achieving a BMus (Hons), PG Dip (Performance) and LRAM. Her professors were Joely Koos, Tim Gill, Jo Knight and Jennifer Ward-Clark (baroque cello), with masterclasses by Mats Lidstrom, Steven Doane and Robert Cohen among others. She was BBC County Young Musician of Hereford and Worcester in 1999 and her training has included work with British Youth Opera and Orchestra of the City (both as principal).

Sarah has freelanced with English National Opera, Milton Keynes City Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, English National Orchestra, Telford New Symphony Orchestra, Camerata of London and Surrey Sinfonietta. Session work includes Martin Okasili, Sven Vath, Jimmy Tenor and Elton John. As a soloist and chamber musician her performances have included Saint-Saëns cello concerto no.1, Boccherini cello concerto in Bb and a tour of Iran with cello and piano duo.