Rising Stars

Three to look out for…

Armand Djikoloum Oboist

Born: Montfermeil, France Career highlight: Visiting Britten and Pears’s house in Aldeburgh, where I spent time with Britten’s Phantasy Quartet manuscript before playing it on tour with the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.

Musical heroes: Richard Strauss for his incredibly colourful operas, Nina Simone for her voice and powerful social fights, and pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli for his quest for absolute perfection.

Dream concert: Mixing art forms – a dancer in front of beautiful paintings while a newly commissioned piece is being played would be fantastic… if complicated to organise!

Ellie Consta Violinist

Born: Corfu, Greece Career highlight: Creating my own group, Her Ensemble, and putting on our first gig last year. It was the first time I felt total freedom of expression, and is all the more amazing given that during the pandemic I was receiving funding from Help Musicians just to stay in the industry. Musical hero: In classical music, Patricia Kopatchinskaja. I love her authenticity. She pushes boundaries and expresses herself unashamedly through her art.

Dream concert: This is tricky. I’m not sure what style of music it would be. Anything where ego goes out the window and performers and audience become one. Bertie Baigent Conductor

Born: Oxford, UK

Career highlight: Conducting the

Rotterdam Philharmonic in Tchaikovsky’s Sixth for the final of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam competition was very exhilarating. There’s such an energy in a great ensemble like that. I also recently toured Europe, assisting Mirga Gražinytė-tyla and the CBSO.

Musical heroes: I admire people who excel in more than one field, like the great composer-performers of the past: Mozart, Rachmaninov and Mahler, for instance. But I’m also constantly struck by the versatility and virtuosity of musicians today.

Dream concert: I’d love to conduct a Ring cycle – Wagner influenced everyone else yet remains truly unique.