About the Authors

Richard Bratby

Richard Bratby was born in Wirral and studied the ‘cello with Jean Colt at Calday Grange Grammar School, later performing in the Merseyside Youth Orchestra. In 1991 he took up a place to read Modern History at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he was treasurer of the Oxford University Opera Club, co-founder of The Aularian Singers, and, as a member of the Oxford University Orchestra, played under the baton of Klaus Tennstedt. Between 1994 and 1996 he was Principal Violoncello of the Lanka Philharmonic in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and while there worked extensively with Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Music Director Premasiri Khemadasa, performing Khemadasa’s music on SLBC television and making several studio recordings. Khemadasa wrote the solo ‘cello part in his opera Dora Madala specifically for Richard, and he performed it at the world première in September 1995, on SLBC television, and in performances throughout Sri Lanka. During the season 1997-1998 he worked as Acting Concerts Administrator for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, with specific responsibility for the RLPS chamber concerts in Preston, Birkenhead and Liverpool, and during this period was also a member of the West Kirby-based Dee String Quartet. In August 1998 he took up his current position as Hall Manager at the new CBSO Centre in Birmingham, where he manages the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s "Centre Stage" chamber music series, working closely with CBSO musicians and guest artists including Peter Donohoe, Mark Elder, Joseph Swensen, Vadim Repin, Nicholas McGegan, Sakari Oramo and many others.

Richard has been writing programme notes since 1992, and has written for musical organisations of all types, including the Lanka Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Wrexham Symphony Orchestra. His special interests are 19th Century Russian nationalist music, late-romantic composers, and string chamber music – particularly Haydn, whose complete quartets he performed in Cambridge in December 1998.