The Portrait Players are an all-female trio whose engaging programmes are inspired by historical characters. Featuring Claire Ward (soprano), Kristiina Watt (theorbo/lute) and Miriam Nohl (cello/viola da gamba), the trio, founded in January 2023, has quickly established a busy concert schedule across the UK.
Upcoming engagements the for 2025-2026 season include a collaboration with Dame Emma Kirkby at Clare Hall, Cambridge, an appearance at the International Handel Festival, as well as the world premiere of the Louise Labé Song Project.
The ensemble made its debut at St. Martin-in-the-fields in autumn 2023 in a recital hosted by City Music Foundation. Further concerts include Buxton International Music Festival, St. George’s Bristol, Peak Music Society, Brighton Early Music Festival, Amersham Festival, MUSICON, Surrey Hills International Music Festival, St. Pancras Clock Tower, Northumbria University, Barts’ Great Hall in the City of London, New College Oxford, The Workshop Series Lewes, University College Oxford, and collaborations with Opera Prelude in London and Henley.
Since its genesis, the trio have been supported by a number of emerging ensemble programmes, including the Stoller Hall Emerging Artist Programme (2024/2025), Making Music/Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist Scheme (2024/2025) BREMF Live! (2023/2024) and Live Music Now (2023-2025). They took part in the 2024 RCM/NCEM/BBC Radio 3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble Development Day and have had the opportunity to develop their work with Dame Emma Kirkby, Sophie Daneman, Laurence Cummings, Christopher Suckling and Liz Kenny.
Graduates of the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music, the three members of The Portrait Players each lead busy freelance lives and work with many of Europe’s leading orchestras and ensembles including The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Academy of Ancient Music, La Nuova Musica, The English Concert and The Monteverdi Choir.
If you’d like to support us and our future projects, you can donate at our “Buy Me A Coffee” page.
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