London Novello Ensemble - taking concerts out of the concert hall
Gavin Davies (violin)
Murray Hipkin (piano)
The London Novello Ensemble believes that no one should need to be experienced, formally dressed, uncomfortably seated or even sober to enjoy classical music performed at the highest level, and the success of their concerts in alternative cabaret-style venues speaks for itself.
Following the immensely entertaining “Two Brewers Goes All Classical” in September 2022, core members Gavin and Murray return to the Brewers with an eclectic programme of music for violin and piano.
The programme will include music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Sarasate and Piazzolla
Gavin Davies has combined a career with most of the London orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra alongside playing for a wildly diverse array of artists spanning Barbra Streisand to Dame Edna Everage. Recording soundtracks for over 100 films and TV shows, he has also worked in the West End on shows such as Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, and appears regularly as a soloist. His unconventional style when presenting London Novello Concerts has been described as 'like the Jo Brand of the violin'
Murray Hipkin
has spent most of his career as a member of the music staff at English National Opera, where he has conducted The Pirates of Penzance, The Gondoliers, The Mikado, Kismet, Chess, Carousel and Man of la Mancha for ENO, and in 2008-09 was musical director of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium. Murray was musical director of the Pink Singers, Europe’s longest running LGBT+ choir from 2001 until October 2023. He recently appeared as a mentor and musical supervisor in the Sky Arts/ENO reality show Anyone Can Sing and would like to have been described as 'like the Keith-from-the-Pottery-Throwdown of the piano' but sadly wasn’t.