Violist Clifton Harrison leaves the British quartet after almost ten years
Clifton Harrison has announced that he will leave the Kreutzer Quartet, after serving as its violist for nearly a decade.
’After an amazing decade (nearly) with the Kreutzer Quartet, it’s time for me to move on,’ Harrison said on social media. ’With a new year comes a new chapter. Playing alongside the guys has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. We’ve made some incredible music together - I’m so proud of the many recordings and all those unforgettable concerts!
’Huge thanks to Peter, [Sheppard Skaerved] Mihailo [Trandafilovski], and Neil Heyde - I’ve learnt so much from you guys, and I’ll miss sharing the recording studio and concert stage (and the laughs!) with you. The Kreutzers will always hold a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Kreutzers.’
Harrison continued his statement to thank supporters of the quartet, as well as musicians and composers who have worked with the ensemble over the years. ‘You’ve inspired me beyond measure.’
Harrison works as a freelance violist and viola d’amore player. As an educator, his masterclasses, workshops and lectures have led him to institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music. Vanderbilt University, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
He serves as a viola tutor for the National Orchestra of Great Britain and the Benedetti Foundation.
Harrsion’s work as a researcher focuses on three distinct areas: Seventeenth and eighteenth century viola d’amore music from the Germanic region, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse classical and contemporary composers/sound artists, and South American baroque composers of colour.
He is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, the Juilliard School (violin/viola) and the Royal Academy of Music (modern viola/baroque viola), where he was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2019.
Read: Technique: Violist Clifton Harrison on bowing arm movement
Read: The Strad Recommends: Kreutzer Quartet: The Kreutzer Effect
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