Birmingham Conservatoire : Robin Ireland

• Senior Viola Tutor
• Birmingham Conservatoire
• Faculty of Performance, Media & English
• Phone: c/o +44 (0)121 331 6903

Robin Ireland is the son of viola player Patrick Ireland and pianist Peggy Gray. After attending St Paul's Cathedral Choir School, he studied at Cambridge University and at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He was a founder member of Domus, the innovative chamber ensemble who toured with their own portable concert hall, and had great success also in conventional concert venues. From 1985 to 2005 he was the violist with the Lindsay String Quartet, with whom he recorded most of the major quartet repertoire on the ASV label. As a soloist he has performed with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Players, as well as on BBC Radio3. He is a dedicated teacher with particular interest in helping students overcome postural problems and discomfort while playing. He composes, and gives classes in improvisation, as well as being in much demand as a chamber music coach. In addition to his work at Birmingham Conservatoire, he teaches at the University of Sheffield, Cambridge University and on courses run by ESTA, Pro Corda and Candenza.

He is a member of the Primrose Piano Quartet and the Anton Stadler Trio. He has guest-led the viola sections of the CBSO, RLPO, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Opera North. He runs weekend Viola Workshops near Sheffield and directs the String Orchestra, 'Mainly Baroque' in Sheffield and Nottingham.

Recent Recordings

• Unaccompanied Bach transcribed for viola (Quartz label)
• CD of own compositions, including String Quartet performed by the Lindsay String Quartet
• Various CDs with the Lindsay String Quartet
• Shostakovich : Viola Sonata and Prokoviev :Romeo and Juliet Suite, with Tim Horton (Nimbus)