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Rise & shine
Compiled by Caroline Kamp
01 January 2005
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Classical Music by Michael Church
Matthew Wadsworth, 30.
Lutenist Matthew Wadsworth dazzles with his dexterity, yet this youthful Mancunian has an impediment. "I can see light and dark," he says, "and colour if it's very strong. But basically I'm blind, and always have been. Having no sight is absolutely no disadvantage for a musician." Was music always his ambition? "Not at all. I was obsessive as a child and I still am. What obsessed me at six was motorbikes. My parents bought me a crash helmet and a little machine and I scrambled round a field. I didn't fall off - with my disability you develop a good sense of balance."
At 16 he became the first blind guitar student at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and immediately set about expanding the braille repertoire. Graduating to the lute at the Royal Academy, he quickly emerged as a world-class player: the CDs he's now releasing of 17th-century music which he discovered in the archives are models of their kind. He is increasingly in demand as a recitalist and chamber player: next year he will tour America for the first time. And he's an ideal role model for the sight- and hearing-impaired children with whom he also works.
Others to watch
Alison Balsom, 26.
Having just formed her own ensemble, this trumpeter is rising fast. She trained at the Guildhall and the Paris Conservatoire, has mastered natural and piccolo trumpets, and has a repertoire ranging from Albinoni to the most avant garde commissions. As a BBC New Generation Artist she's about to be ubiquitious on Radio 3.
Matthew Rose, 26.
"Commanding" is an adjective usually reserved for performers with age and experience, but it's the one critics reach for most often when describing the voice and physical presence of this British bass. He ushered in the drama of Sweeney Todd; his sword-fighting galvanised Faust.
Amir Bisengaliev, 17.
He may still be a violin student at the Purcell School, but he's already begun a successful career. Born and bred in Kazakhstan, he gave his first concert at seven: at 13 he released his joyous début CD of virtuoso pieces. The Romantic Virtuoso stuff is where he intends to make his mark, and I predict he will.
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