James Halsey studied cello at the Royal College of Music with Eileen Croxford, and whilst still a senior student in the early 1980s joined the Auriol String Quartet and was straightaway involved in more than 40 recitals each season. This love of chamber music stayed and developed though his career and he is now cellist of the Bingham String Quartet and the Tagore String Trio, and was cellist of the Dartington Piano Trio. With these ensembles he has played all over the world, broadcast frequently, and made numerous recordings. At present he coaches on seven annual chamber music courses.

As a solo cellist, James has performed widely in the British Isles, and has played Beethoven Sonatas and unaccompanied Bach in Japan and Australia as well as the UK. He is much in demand as a teacher and several of his former pupils are cellists in professional string quartets. He is Professor of Cello at the North East Scotland Music School and the Royal College of Music Junior Department as well as being Director of the Aboyne Cello Festival.

Our scheduled concert was due to feature James Lynch (cello) and Sally Birkett (piano). We are extremely grateful to James Halsey for stepping in at short notice, to replace Joshua Lynch whose accompanist Sally Birkett is indisposed.

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