Priya Mitchell (violin)
Priya Mitchell has been described as ‘one of the foremost violinists of her generation’ (The Strad). She was brought up in Oxford and went to the Yehudi Menuhin School where she studied under David Takeno. Two years at the Conservatoire in Vienna were followed by a period of study with Zachar Bron in Germany. In 1994 the Young Concert Artists Trust in London selected her for representation.
She was chosen as the British representative in the European Concert Halls Organisation ‘Rising Stars’ Series and her year as ECHO ‘Rising Star’ included recitals at Symphony Hall Birmingham, Cité de la Musique (Paris), Konzerthaus (Vienna), Alte Oper (Frankfurt), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels) and her critically acclaimed New York debut at Carnegie Hall.
She has given highly acclaimed performances with, amongst others, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov at the Royal Albert Hall, the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox, and the Walton Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis at Symphony Hall, Birmingham; the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; the English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Philharmonia. She has recently toured Scotland with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and played with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields at the Barbican under Emmanuel Krivine.
Priya Mitchell is a regular concerto soloist with many major European orchestras. She has appeared with the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia and the Polish Chamber Orchestra. In August 2000 she made her debut in Australia with a very successful nationwide tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. In 2003 she toured the UK with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra performing the Sibelius and Stravinsky violin concertos. Her most recent successes include concerts with the Deutsche Sinfonie-Orchester at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.
As a recitalist and chamber musician Priya Mitchell has performed extensively at many international music festivals including Schleswig-Holstein, Lockenhaus, Stavanger, Heimbach, Rheingau and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festivals in Germany. In November 2000 she gave a highly praised recital tour of Northern Ireland and Eire and was subsequently invited to play in the 2003 Sligo Festival. Additionally she has performed at the Schwarzenburg Festival, Bath International Festival and the Perth Arts Festival, Australia; Cheltenham, Bath Mozartfest and recitals at the Philharmonie, Berlin; Chatelet, Paris and concerto performances with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
In July 2000 Priya Mitchell launched her own festival – the Oxford Chamber Music Festival – of which she is Artistic Director. The Independent acclaimed ‘this is a festival that should really put Oxford on the map of the classical music world’ and the majority of the concerts have been broadcast on BBC. Priya Mitchell plays a Balestieri violin (1760).