Naomi Okuda, recorder
Chris Hartland, recorder & oboe
Robin Bigwood, harpsichord & organ

Naomi Okuda

Naomi Okuda studied modern flute at the Osaka College of Music in Japan. After graduation she became interested in early music and studied recorder with Pamela Thorby at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (the postgraduate early music course) in London. She also studied recorder with Piers Adams, and baroque flute and baroque studies with Stephen Preston. After graduation from the GSMD, she returned to Japan and has performed widely as a baroque music specialist ever since; giving recitals, playing with orchestras such as Bach Collegium Japan, and recording for NHK. She was one of the recommendation artist of Osaka City in 2003. In 2010, Naomi moved permanently to the UK where she continues to develop her performing career and teaches recorder at Wellington College. She has also taught the Advanced Baroque Recorder Course at Benslow Music Trust, Morley College and has recently begun regular teaching at the Blackheath Conservatoire, teaching recorder and Baroque Ensemble. Naomi has given many solo recitals, recordings and teaches actively in both UK and Japan. She has made a number of recordings and her solo CD ‘Airs Anglois’ was released to considerable critical acclaim in the Japanese and English musical press. Her latest CD ‘Shakespeare’s Music’ from the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments (Japan), on which Naomi is one of the principal players has just received the highest critical acclaim in ‘The Record Geijutsu’, the principal Japanese music journal.

Naomi’s website

Chris Hartland

Chris Hartlandstudied recorders with Philip Thorby and historical oboes with James Eastaway, for a BMus (Hons) degree at Trinity College of Music, London, remaining there to complete a Postgraduate Diploma.  Chris performs regularly on the recorder and oboe in orchestral, chamber and solo roles, with ensembles such as: The Hanover Band, The Dunedin Consort, Oxford Baroque, The London Handel Orchestra, The Gabrieli Players, Norwich Baroque and La Nuova Musica. Recent highlights have included performances of Bach’s second and fourth Brandenburg Concertos in Norwich cathedral, and a concert of Sammartini, Telemann and Vivaldi concertos at the Stoke Newington Early Music Festival.  Chris also enjoys teaching pupils of all ages, from young children to adults, and has taught widely in schools and on residential courses. In his spare time, he can usually be found climbing in the mountains of the UK.

Robin Bigwood

As a harpsichordist and organist Robin is a core member of Passacaglia and Feinstein Ensemble, and with them has played in most of the UK’s major festivals, in London’s concert halls, and in Europe. He has also performed, toured and recorded with many of the UK’s leading period instrument groups, including London Baroque, Florilegium and The King’s Consort.

Alongside his work in the purely classical sphere, Robin is a respected music technologist. He founded the ensemble Art of Moog, which plays ‘21st century Hyper-Bach’ on synthesizers. His record label, BCR, now has nearly 20 albums in its catalogue, and was set up to give entrepreneurial musicians a platform for specialist projects.

robinbigwood.co.uk