1st violin Nic Fallowfield has extensive experience as violinist, conductor and teacher. He was co-leader of Sinfonia ViVA from 1987, the year he left his position of co-principal 1st violin in the Northern Sinfonia, until 2019. During his time in Newcastle he was 1st violin of the Bridge String Quartet which performed on Tyne Tees TV, and of Terzetto, a string trio which recorded for BBC Radio 3.

From 1987 to 1991, Nic was co-leader of the English String Orchestra and was leader of Orchestra of the Swan in its early years. He has been a soloist in concertos of Mozart and Bach, and in double concertos of Schnittke and Arnold. He has been guest leader of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and Manchester Camerata among others. Nic was regularly called upon to lead sinfonia ViVA and has also conducted the orchestra on several occasions. Playing has taken him on tour throughout Europe, North and South America and Japan, and he features on countless recordings. In the 1990’s Nic was 1st violin of the Delcini String Quartet which played at music societies throughout Britain.

Nic is very fortunate to have been introduced to chamber music by his first violin teacher Anne Macnaghten, 1st violin of the Macnaghten Quartet and co-founder of the original MacNaghten Concerts. He went on to study with the great Hungarian pedagogue Bela Katona.

For nearly thirty years, until leaving in 2019 in order to devote more time to the Tedesca Quartet and to conducting, Nic was a highly respected and much sought-after teacher at what is now the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Clare Bhabra studied music at Birmingham University where she graduated in 1984 with a B.Mus and a 1st in performance. She continued her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music under the direction of Lydia Mordkovitch.

At the age of twenty-two Clare joined the first violins of Opera North. For the next ten years she combined a busy orchestral schedule with co-founding the Mirage String Quartet and the Janacek Piano Trio. With these ensembles she gave numerous concerts around the country.

Since moving to Nottinghamshire in 2002 Clare has continued to perform as an orchestral and chamber musician with various groups including Sinfonia Viva. In 2010 she was appointed leader of the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra and also finds time to teach and coach pupils aged from eight to eighty.

Richard Muncey studied at the Royal College of music with Bernard Shore. Whilst there, he won the major viola prize and became a founder member of the Guadagnini Quartet. They had residencies at Lancaster University and Banff Summer school in Canada. They toured and broadcast worldwide, winning several international prizes. 

Richard was for a short time associate principal viola with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1985, he left to freelance. 

He became the principal viola with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and EOEO (latterly Sinfonia Viva). He has appeared as a principal with many of Britain’s orchestras including the Halle, CBSO, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and The City of London Sinfonia. He was also was invited as principal for a short season with the orchestra of Bologna Opera.

He and four Manchester friends formed the Music Group of Manchester which promoted five seasons of concerts at the RNCM to great critical acclaim. They toured at home and abroad and released a CD. 

With Robert Glenton he formed The Orchestra of the Golden Age, a period instrument group. They made several CDs and appeared throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. 

For the last few years he’s concentrated all his musical energies into the Tedesca Quartet. 

Away from music he has a great interest in history and architecture as well as playing Bridge. Any time left after all that is spent on his allotment and dreaming up recipes for its produce! 

He plays on a very fine instrument which is unnamed and its provenance confounds all the string instrument experts.

Cellist Jenny Curtis studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded many prizes and scholarships. She took part in masterclasses with Ralph Kirschbaum and Maurice Gendron and also in the masterclasses with Paul Tortelier which were televised by the BBC.

Jenny was a finalist in the LPO/Pioneer Young Soloist competition. She was a member of the Philharmonia for six years and has played with many of the finest orchestras in the country, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the Halle.

Jenny has regularly appeared as a soloist in this country and in Denmark. She is a well-respected and experienced teacher and has been a cello professor at the Royal Northern College of Music for eleven years.