The Reid Sisters
Violin Duo
Currently in their early twenties, Alexandra and Charlotte Reid have been
performing violin duets together for over fifteen years. While at school both
sisters led the National Children’s Orchestra before going on to lead the National
Youth Orchestra of Great Britain from 2004-2006. As a Violin Duo they have given
numerous recitals, including for the Amersham Festival, Wendover Music Society,
Wooburn Festival, Little Missenden Festival AGM, and for Maidenhead Music
Society at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts. They have also given a series of
performances in London and in Cambridge at venues such as Kettle’s Yard, West
Road Concert Hall, and the Fitzwilliam Museum. Concerto appearances have
included a tour of Germany performing Bach’s Concerto in D minor for two violins
with Wycombe High School, as well as performances of concerti by Bach, Vivaldi and Mozart in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
In 2006 both sisters received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music where they have given frequent duo
performances, as well as receiving tuition from Thomas Brandis, Hartmut Rohde, Aleksander Pavlovic, Marianne Thorsen,
and Jennifer and Angela Chun. They have each won chamber music prizes at the Academy, Charlotte as recipient of the Sir
John Barbirolli Prize and Alexandra of the Max Pirani Award.
As keen chamber musicians, Alexandra and Charlotte are the violinists of the Hampden Quartet. Formed in 2006 with
friends from the Academy, the Quartet has given numerous recitals including a series of performances in Great Hampden,
Buckinghamshire, from where they took their name. Following a concert in March 2009, an article in the Financial Times
stated: “I don’t think anyone was unmoved by the ardour and commitment with which this group delivered the soulharrowing slow movement of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden quartet and the exuberant finale of Beethoven’s opus
130″. In 2004 Alexandra and Charlotte performed live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune as the violinists of a quartet representing
the National Youth Orchestra. Both sisters also love orchestral playing, and in 2006 were appointed Leader and Principal
2nd Violin of the Orchestra of St Paul’s, Covent Garden. They both take an active interest in education work, and have twice
toured the UK as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Music Quest project.
Music for Violin Duo is not widely known in the chamber music world, but Alexandra and Charlotte enjoy exploring the
wealth of repertoire that exists for this combination. This includes works by composers as diverse as Purcell, Handel,
Mozart, Haydn, Boccherini, Suk, Sarasate, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Martinu and Milhaud. As well as performing many
unaccompanied pieces the Duo works frequently on accompanied repertoire, performing in the past year with pianists such
as Elizabeth Burgess and Hester Crombie. In 2010 they are looking forward to a series of recitals in London and further
afield.
Alexandra Reid graduated in June 2008 with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music where she completed her
Postgraduate Diploma under Erich Gruenberg. Whilst at the Academy she led the Concert Orchestra, was a member of the
Academy Soloists, and in her final year was Project Manager of the Leverhulme Orchestral Mentoring Scheme. As a
member of the Pirani Horn Trio she won the Academy’s piano trio prize, and was invited by the British Horn Society to give
a performance of the Berkeley Horn Trio, op. 44 at a Memorial Concert for Dennis Brain.
In 2006 Alexandra completed her undergraduate degree in Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating with first class
honours. Whilst at Cambridge she received a University Instrumental Award, led the University Chamber Orchestra, and
appeared as soloist in Mozart’s Violin Concerto in A major. From 2007 - 2008 she was a member of the European Union
Youth Orchestra, with whom she toured Europe and the Far East. Alexandra has also studied with Peter Hanson and Sophie
Langdon, and is now working in London. She plays regularly with several professional chamber orchestras, and last year
took part in a recording with the Dmitri Ensemble which was BBC Music Magazine’s Disc of the Month in June 2009.
Charlotte Reid is currently in her fourth year studying with Clio Gould at the Royal Academy of Music, prior to which she
studied with Marianne Thorsen and Peter Hanson. Since arriving at the Academy she has been awarded the Franz
Rezenstein prize and the Goetze Bequest Award. In her first year she led the Royal Academy of Music String Orchestra, and
most recently she led the Academy Symphony Orchestra under Pablo Heras-Casado. She has also led the Academy
Composers’ Orchestra and has been Principal 2nd Violin of the Academy Opera Orchestra.
Charlotte performs extensively outside the Academy, including in 2009 a series of solo recitals in Oxford and London with
pianist Daniel Swain. In 2006 Charlotte completed her fifth year with the National Youth Orchestra, having been accepted
as the year’s youngest violinist in 2002. During her time with the orchestra she performed under Yan Pascal Tortelier, Sir
Roger Norrington, Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Colin Davis at the BBC Proms. She was appointed leader for the orchestra’s 2005
and 2006 seasons, which included leading the NYO Sinfonietta in a Chamber Prom at Cadogan Hall. In 2007 Charlotte played
in the Charles Hazelwood Christmas Show which was broadcast on BBC Radio 2, and in July 2009 she performed on BBC
Four as part of the documentary How to be a Composer. She has recently been accepted onto the London Symphony
Orchestra's String Scheme for 2009/10.
Alexandra and Charlotte Reid
www.reidsisters.co.uk
07952 346461
Repertoire list
*Bacewicz – Suita for two violins
Bach – Concerto in D minor for two violins and orchestra, BWV 1043
*Bartók – 44 Duos for two violins
*Bériot – Duos, op. 57
*Berwald – Duo Concertant in A major for two violins
*Boccherini – Three Duos for two violins, op. 5
Corelli – Six Chamber Sonatas, op. 4
Gál – Sonata for two violins and piano, op. 96
Handel – Six Trio Sonatas, op. 2, HWV 386-391
*Haydn – Three Violin Duos, op. 99
*Leclair – Six Sonatas for two violins, op. 3
Martinu – Sonate pour deux Violons et Piano (1932)
Martinu – Sonatine pour deux Violons et Piano (1930)
*Mazas – Kleine Duette, op. 38
*Mazas – Six Duos, op. 46
Milhaud – Sonate pour deux Violons et Piano
Moskowski – Suite for two violins and piano, op. 71
Mozart – Sinfonia Concertone in C major for two violins and orchestra, K190
*Mozart – Twelve Duos for two violins, KV Anh. 152
*Mozart (attributed) – Four Playful Duets for two violins
*Pleyel – Six Duos, op. 24
*Prokofiev – Sonata for two violins in C major, op. 56
Purcell – Ten Sonatas of Four Parts
*Reger – Three Canons and Fugues for two violins, op. 131b
Rubbra – Phantasy for two violins and piano, op. 16
Sarasate – Navarra (Danza Espagnole), op. 33
Shostakovich – Three Duets for two violins and piano
Sinding – Serenade No. 1 in G major for two violins and piano, op. 56
Sinding – Serenade No. 2 in A major for two violins and piano, op. 92
*Stamitz – Six Duets for two violins, op. 27
*Suk – Melodie for two violins
*Telemann – Six Canon Sonatas for two violins, op. 5
Vivaldi – Concerto in A major for two violins and orchestra, RV 519
Vivaldi – Concerto in A minor for two violins and orchestra, RV 522
Vivaldi – Concerto in D minor for two violins and orchestra, RV 514
Alexandra and Charlotte Reid
www.reidsisters.co.uk
07952 346461
* indicates that a work is unaccompanied