Ensembles
Two Flutes & Piano
(Solo/Duo Works - Flute and piano)
Score (Flute, Cello & Piano Trio)
Lisa Friend, Anna Stokes (Flutes) & Mark Kinkaid (Piano)
Lisa Friend and Anna Stokes regularly give chamber music recitals together performing solo and duo works for flute and piano. They recently released a CD entitled 'Luminance - Solo & Duo Works for flute and piano' under Champs Hill Records (Jan 2014 Release). Their CD has since been chosen as 'Classic FM CD of the Week' (Jan 2014), David Mellor's Album of the Week (5 Star Review) in the 'Mail on Sunday' (Jan 2014) and aired on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 2, Classic FM and RTE Lyric FM. They have also been warmly received by reviewers including BBC Classical Music Magazine, Classic FM, Classicalear (Online reviewer), Mail on Sunday 'David Mellor' Column and James Manheim (US Music reviewer).
Quotes & Reviews
'Luminance' CD - 'Anna Stokes & Lisa Friend are superb flautists and here they turn their attention to predominantly French repertoire…..All in all a charming collection, beautifully played and recorded'
(Classic FM - Jan 2014)
'Luminance' CD - 'And if the sound of one flute is attractive, the sound of two, played as well as they are here, is exhilarating'
'Luminance' CD - 'Her concertino for solo flute and piano is full of good things, and brilliantly dispatched by Lisa'.
(David Mellor - Album of the Week - Mail on Sunday ★★★★★ - Jan 2014)
'..Beautiful Playing'
BBC Music Magazine (April 2014)
'Sweet-toned, superbly stylish performances all round from Lisa Friend and Anna Stokes, who enjoy alert support from Mark Kinkaid at the piano. Truthful, nicely balanced sound too.'
Andrew Aschenbach - Classical Ear
Lisa Friend
British flautist, Lisa Friend has gained recognition as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist.
As a soloist, Lisa has appeared with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic, Virtuosi Pragenses Chamber Orchestra (As a soloist in the Smirice Easter Festival-Prague), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and has toured throughout the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, China and the USA.
She has recorded for labels including Universal, Silva Screen, Champs Hill and Signum Records - (Deep In My Soul - Solo CD. She has also featured on a recording for Malcolm Martineau and friends of songs by Poulenc)
Lisa recently released a CD entitled 'Luminance - Solo & Duo Works for flute and piano' – Lisa Friend, Anna Stokes (Flutes) & Mark Kinkaid (Piano) under Champs Hill Records (Jan 2014 Release). Their CD was chosen as 'Classic FM CD of the Week' (Jan 2014), David Mellor's Album of the Week (5 Star Review) in the 'Mail on Sunday' (Jan 2014) and aired on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 2, Classic FM and RTE Lyric FM.
Notable solo appearances include Lisa Friend's track 'Deep in my Soul' for Steven Spielberg (for his foundation 'SHOAH'), BBC ChildLine, House of Commons, soloist for the Bill Kenwright production – Music 2000, live recitals for Classic FM and Radio 3, Wigmore Hall solo recital, a concert for the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace as soloist with the late Yehudi Menuhin, soloist for the ‘Cinematic Classics’ series at the LG Arts Center-Korea, a performance in the Britten Theatre with the late Sir George Solti, and performing alongside Liza Minnelli in aid of the White Rose Ball Holocaust Trust Fundraiser. Live television appearances have included Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in Spain with her father the international violinist Rodney Friend.
After signing a deal with Universal Publishing, Lisa wrote original arrangements for her trio based on some of the great film scores as well as her own compositions, performing at venues such as St Martin- in-the-Fields, St. John’s, Smith Square, and the British Embassy in Paris.
Lisa spent her early years growing up in America where she studied with Renee Siebert of the New York Philharmonic. At 17, she won a scholarship to study with Susan Milan at the Royal College of Music and continued her postgraduate studies as a 'Martin Music Scholar' with the late Alain Marion of the Paris Conservatoire.
She has given masterclasses in Korea and the UK, and runs an annual international flute masterclass in London ‘The Friend Flute Academy London’.
Anna Stokes
Anna Stokes has worked with numerous orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Brandenburg Sinfonia, Arts Symphonic, National Theatre Orchestra (‘Light Princess’ by Tori Amos) and session work for EMI, Universal, Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and Mercury.
She has also performed in a number of duo recitals with flautist Lisa Friend. In 2014, she released a CD entitled 'Luminance - Solo & Duo Works for flute and piano' – Lisa Friend, Anna Stokes (Flutes) & Mark Kinkaid (Piano) under Champs Hill Records (Jan 2014 Release). Their CD was chosen as 'Classic FM CD of the Week' (Jan 2014), David Mellor's Album of the Week (5 Star Review) in the 'Mail on Sunday' (Jan 2014) and aired on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 2, BBC London, Classic FM and RTE Lyric FM.
Anna founded the Emanuel Ensemble in 2001 and they have since gone on to perform in recitals at the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Conway Hall, Leighton House and various UK concert societies. Anna recorded her debut CD with the Emanuel Ensemble (John Reid, pianist and Louisa Tuck, cello) for Champs Hill Records (released in 2011). She has also given solo flute / piano duo performances for the Qatar Foundation in Doha, at the Beethovenhaus in Bonn, the Cheltenham International Festival, various UK concert societies and performed concertos and solo works by Bach, Chaminade, Mozart, Quantz, Reinecke and Rouse.
Awards and sponsorship include; Haynes International Flute Competition Prize Winner (USA), David Bowerman Charitable Trust Sponsorship, Sir James Galway International Masterclass ‘Gold Nagahara Headjoint Award’ for ‘Best Performer by popular vote’ 2007, Marc Rich Scholarship for Artistic Achievement, LPO Future Firsts (2006-2007), Solti Foundation Award, EMI Sound Foundation Award and a Brannen-Cooper Flute awarded to her from the ‘Foundation for Sport and the Arts’.
She has given workshops in the UK, Hong Kong and Qatar and assists on the annual ‘Friend International Flute Academy’. Anna was awarded a scholarship to the Purcell School of Music where she studied with Anna Pope. She was subsequently awarded a Foundation Scholarship to the Royal College of Music where she studied flute with Susan Milan and Stewart McLlwham, graduating in 2004 with First Class Honours. Anna was selected to participate in the Sir James Galway International Masterclass, Switzerland 2006-2008. Anna plays on a silver Powell Flute.