Performers
Poppy Beddoe | Clarinet and Artistic Director
Working as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, Poppy performs extensively throughout the UK and internationally. Poppy studied Music at King's College London, graduating in 2014, followed by a Masters at the Royal Academy of Music in 2016.
In 2021 she released her debut album, Soliloquy, with Ulysses Arts which features her own transcriptions of Bach and Hildegard of Bingen.
Her most recent recording is Matthew Taylor’s Concertino with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The Concertino was written for Poppy in 2021. The recording was broadcast on BBC Radio Three in March 2024 and released on disc by Toccata Classics in June.
In November 2022 she was a visiting artist at the University of Houston, Texas, where she gave solo recitals, lectures, masterclasses and premièred music commissioned by the University and the Texas New Music Ensemble. Poppy returned to Texas in 2024 as a Guest Artist at the Texas New Music Festival where she premiered several new clarinet works, gave masterclasses and lectures.
Poppy appeared as a soloist at the 2025 Malcolm Arnold Festival with his second Clarinet Concerto. Other Concerto Highlights in the 2025-2026 season include the Mozart Concerto with Piccadilly Sinfonietta and the Rietz Concerto with Bushey Symphony Orchestra and George Vass.
Other upcoming engagements include concerts in London, Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and various venues in the South of France.
Poppy teaches at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music and works extensively with the Academy’s Widening Participation team to make classical music more accessible to all.
She is the Artistic Director of the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival and an annual concert series in the South of France.
Poppy was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2023.
Oliver Wass | Harp
Oliver Wass holds a First Class Masters Degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied with Imogen Barford. He graduated from the University of York with a First Class Honours degree in Chemistry.
He has won the Suoni d’Arpa International Competition in Italy, the International Harp Competition of Slovenia, and the Jury Prize at the International Harp Competition in Szeged, Hungary. In May 2016 he became the first harpist ever to win the Guildhall Gold Medal – the Guildhall’s most prestigious prize. Previous winners of the competition include Jacqueline du Pré, Bryn Terfel and Tasmin Little.
He has performed every major harp concerto, including Lyra Angelica with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto with The Mozartists at the Wigmore Hall, the Debussy Danses with 12 Ensemble at the Wigmore Hall, and he has directed the Handel Harp Concerto in the Barbican Hall.
He plays both modern and early harps, and recently performed the Handel Harp Concerto with the English Concert at the Wigmore Hall on the triple harp. He has played with baroque groups including La Serenissima, La Nuova Musica, Ex Catherdra and The English Concert. He owns an Italian triple harp and a Spanish Cross Strung Harp.
He has given recitals at the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall, where he was praised by Seen and Heard International for his “tremendous dynamism” and "remarkable range of timbres and warmth of tone”.
He is an experienced orchestral player, and has performed with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, and the Ulster Orchestra.
Playing with “verve and polish” (The Times), his flute-viola-harp trio, The Pelléas Ensemble, won the Royal Philarmonic Society Henderson Award and the 2017 Elias Fawcett Award for Outstanding Chamber Ensemble at the Royal Overseas League competition. In 2016 they won both the Grand Prize and the Audience Prize in the St Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Music Competition. Their debut CD was released on Linn Records in 2021.
Oliver studied with Charlotte Seale at the Junior Department of the Guildhall, where he became the only harpist to have been a prize-winner in the prestigious Lutine Competition. He was also Principal Harp in the National Youth Orchestra. He spent his teenage years making fireworks in his parents’ basement, which is – remarkably – still surviving.
James Flannery | Viola
Born in Northamptonshire, James started playing the Viola through the local music trust at the age of 12. James then took his studies further and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama since 2016 in the Class of Rachel Roberts. This resulted in him graduating in July 2022, with a Masters in Performance. James now spends his time freelancing in London and the UK playing and touring abroad with various symphony and chamber orchestras, while also trialling for full time positions. He also spends a lot of time playing in the Orchestra pit for various Opera and Ballet companies and also very much enjoys playing chamber music. James also can be found on various Film/Tv Soundtracks and on tour with Various Pop artistes, due to his work in the commercial recording sector of music too. In his spare time, James enjoys going to see Operas, running and reading through chamber music with friends which is often enjoyed with the odd Negroni. He is really looking forward to spending the week in Berkshire, playing some great repertoire and having the chance to catch up with friends!
Brompton Quartet | Artists in Residence
Since its formation at the Royal College of Music in 2018, the Brompton Quartet has gained recognition for its thrilling performances and compelling interpretations spanning the breadth of string quartet repertoire. Constellations showcases the Quartet’s passion for eclectic programming, bringing a selection of the ensemble’s most cherished musical discoveries into focus. Shortly after its formation, the Quartet won the 2019 St Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Music Competition, and was chosen as a Park Lane Group Artist in 2020. Since then, the Quartet has performed extensively around the UK, making debuts at major London concert venues including the Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Conway Hall, and the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre. The group has also performed across Europe, most recently in Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. The Brompton Quartet has appeared at major chamber music festivals around the UK. Recent engagements include the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival as Quartet-in-Residence, Chiltern Arts Festival, Hertfordshire Music Festival, St Endellion Easter Festival, and the West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival. As frequent collaborators, the Quartet most recently performed alongside renowned musicians such as Lawrence Power, Robin Green and Simon Callaghan.
The group is grateful to have received guidance from acclaimed artists including Alfred Brendel, David Waterman, Alina Ibragimova, Heinz Holliger, and members of the Pavel Haas, London Haydn and Marmen Quartets.