May 2006

GILLIAN CRACKNELL studied the piano with Marjorie Clementi as a Junior Exhibitioner at the Royal Northern College of Music in her home town of Manchester. She continued her musical education at the Royal Academy of Music with Guy Jonson, Joy Mammen and Rex Stephens. While still a student she gave recitals with the leader of the Hallé Orchestra, Martin Milner; who had also been her violin teacher from the age of ten. During this time she was also privileged to accompany Felicity Lott and Lesley Garrett who were fellow students.

On leaving the Academy Gillian taught as a voice coach at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. A keen linguist and committed French speaker, she is especially interested in the study and interpretation of French Classical Song. She has performed in theatre as Clara Wieck in the duo “Schummanic” devised and played by the actor Michael Wilcox. For the Independent Television series entitled “Will Shakespeare” she played in scenes with Tim Curry and Patience Collier. Gillian has played at the Purcell Room in the Westmorland series of concerts sponsored by the Royal Academy of Music. She has performed with cellist John Ehrlich of the Fine Arts Trio, Iowa, American flautist Nancy Ruffer, and international bassoonists Valery Popov, Roger Birnstingl, John Whitfield, Kim Walker and Gareth Newman. As pianist of the Muhlfield Ensemble, Gillian toured South-West France, culminating in their award winning concert at the Bordeaux International Competition. Gillian performed with Hae-Sun Kang, first violin soloist with the Orchestre de Paris, in the Roussillon Quartet’s French chamber music recital in Canterbury. Between 1996-2000 she partnered Chinese violinist Maxim Xue Wei in concerts in London, Birmingham, Bordeaux and Paris.

Gillian also enjoys coaching young musicians in preparation for concerts, examinations, scholarships, festivals and competitions. She has adjudicated post-graduate keyboard prizes at the Royal Academy of Music. Her piano teaching commitments have included the King’s School, Canterbury, Harrow School, King’s College Choir School, Cambridge, the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music, and she has been teaching piano at St. Paul’s Girls’ School since 1988. Gillian is an Honorary Friend of the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust. She is actively involved on the committees of the Friends of the Musicians’ Chapel and the Royal Academy of Music Club, and is a member of the Court of Assistants of the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain.