Pip Clarke

• Violinist

Biography

Pip Clarke is a unique musician at the very peak of her talent, and it is said that her tone warms and haunts the listener long after the music has ended. Loved by audiences wherever she goes, critics have described her playing as “dazzling”, demonstrating “incredible emotion” and often noting an “audience spellbound”.
On October 26th 2007 Pip will give her Carnegie Hall debut at the Isaac Stern Auditorium performing the violin concerto by Erich Wolfgang Korngold with the New York Pops. Other highlights of Pip’s 2006/07 season saw the release of her second album, 'After a Dream' featuring a collection of short romantic concert pieces (available from www.classicjewel.net) as well as a performance of the Beethoven concerto under William Boughton and the London Sinfonia, and in spring of this year, she performed Mozart’s 3rd violin concerto with the Long Island Philharmonic and David Wiley conducting.
Pip has become highly respected for her interpretations of such romantic works as the Korngold concerto, the Bruch Scottish Fantasy, the Bruch first and second concertos, the Glazunov Concerto, the Walton Concerto, the Saint Saens 3rd Concerto, the Dvorak Concerto, the Prokofiev Concertos, the Goldmark Concerto and the Barber Concerto. During the 2005/06 and the 2004/05 seasons her concert performances took her across the United States and into Canada with appearances with the Calgary Philharmonic (Stefan Sanderling) and the Regina Symphony (Victor Sawa). Highlights of her 2003/04 season included three performances with the Florida Orchestra and Stefan Sanderling. Other recent concerts included performances with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Hege and six performances with the Utah Symphony Orchestra and Keith Lockhart in Salt Lake City and on tour in Southern Californian performing in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Pip also toured Scotland with critically acclaimed "sell out" concerts with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. She was also the featured violin soloist in the major motion picture '15 Minutes' (with Robert De Niro and Edward Burns). Pip has also appeared with the Buffalo Philharmonic under the baton of Timothy Muffitt, the Colorado Symphony under Marin Alsop, the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra under Samuel Wong as well as a guest appearance at the opening Gala Concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
To date, she has performed with over 70 orchestras in the United States alone. Critics have been unanimous about her playing. Her sound and style have been called "hauntingly unique" and "unforgettable" and her performances described as "commanding", dubbing her "Superwoman of the Strings", having a "fascinating presence". Pip gave her London debut at just 16 years of age at the famous South Bank Center and quickly began touring throughout her native country England. Her performances took her to such London venues as St. James' Piccadilly, St. Martin in the Fields and several return performances at the South Bank Center. She also appeared on national British Television including a concerto performance with Sir Michael Tippett conducting.
After the release of her debut recording, 'Romantic Violin Showpieces', Musical Opinion (one of Europe's premier classical music magazines) wrote that the disc included "one of the most compelling accounts on record of Chausson's Poéme". Pip has also appeared in recital as one of the “Rising Stars” at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago and regular trips to England have seen performances at leading International Festivals including the Wyastone Summer Festival in 2006. In a competitive age of solo violinists, Pip Clarke stands out. With her breathtakingly romantic style of playing, she is always easily identifiable. The passionate artistry, impeccable technique and luscious tone tell us that there is little doubt that she is one of the brightest stars on the musical platform of the world. She is featured in the 2007 book, 'The World of Women in Classical Music' by Dr. Anne Gray and the revised 2004 edition of 'The Great Violinists' by Margaret Campbell.