Former BBC New Generation Artists, the Galliard Ensemble is established as one of Britain’s leading chamber groups, with repertoire ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Berio and Birtwistle.
Now in its 30th year, the ensemble has performed in many of the world’s leading venues and festivals, including Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Bridgewater Hall, Sage Gateshead and at the BBC Proms.
They have also performed in Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland and Slovenia and are frequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and around the world.
The Galliard Ensemble is known for its virtuosic, entertaining and distinctive performance style and its recordings have been widely praised; the Sunday Times, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, and BBC Radio 3 have all selected a Galliard Ensemble CD as “outstanding” or as Critics’ Choice.
They have worked closely with many leading contemporary composers, including György Ligeti and with Sir Harrison Birtwistle, on his quintet Five Distances (for their performance at the BBC Proms) which led to their award-winning CD of Birtwistle’s chamber music for winds.
In 2013 they ran the ‘Galliard Anniversary Composition Competition’ to mark their 20th year. Their latest recording, ‘From the Beginning’, described by Gramophone magazine as “vivacious and well-balanced, with impeccable intonation and ensemble”, was released in 2024 to mark their 30th anniversary.
The Galliard Ensemble is passionate about bringing music to a diverse audience realising the positive impact that music can have on learning and personal development. Their educational work ranges from concerts for children to masterclasses at leading conservatoires and universities such as Royal Northern College of Music, University of Cardiff, Trinity Laban, and at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Kathryn Thomas (flute) is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where she studied with Sebastian Bell. She was subsequently awarded an Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music for achieving distinction in the music profession. Kathryn is an established recitalist and chamber musician at venues including the Wigmore Hall, the South Bank Centre, Bridgewater Hall, and at festivals including BBC Proms, Cheltenham, Two Moors and Presteigne. Her CD recordings both as a soloist and with the Galliard Ensemble have been awarded Gramophone Editor’s Choice, The Observer CD of the Week, and Critics Choice in BBC Music Magazine. Particular recommendations have been given by Gramophone magazine, The Times and BBC Radio 3 Record Review. Kathryn has an affinity for contemporary music and has worked with eminent composers and given many world and British premieres. She has also worked with orchestras including the London Sinfonietta, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and City of London Sinfonia and regularly appears as guest principal with the London Concert Orchestra. Her concerto performances include works by Ibert, Honegger, Arnold, Bach, Rawsthorne, Barber, Mozart, Telemann, Cecilia McDowall and Christopher Gunning. Kathryn has appeared on seven albums, improvising and writing for rock flute with the progressive rock band ‘Hats off Gentlemen it’s Adequate’.
Owen Dennis (oboe) read Mathematics at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and graduated with a first class honours degree in 1995. He then studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Douglas Boyd and at the Rotterdam Conservatoire with Emanuel Abbuhl, winning the Leila Bull prize for oboe as well as the 1999 Royal Overseas League Wind Final. With the Galliard Ensemble, Owen has released many CD’s including the first recording of Birtwistle’s ‘An Interrupted Endless Melody’ for oboe and piano. As a BBC Radio 3 New Generation artist, Owen has performed the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and numerous live broadcasts, in particular Britten’s ‘Metamorphoses after Ovid’ for solo oboe in the BBC Proms. In addition to his chamber music, he freelances with the City of London Sinfonia, the London Mozart Players and the London Sinfonietta. Owen continues to develop his mathematics and completed an MSc in Intelligent and Adaptive Systems at Sussex University in 2017, leading to research projects into gender bias and predictive analytics within education.
Katherine Spencer (clarinet) is principal clarinet of the City of London Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of Ancient Music and Irish Chamber Orchestra, and is a busy freelance player with Britain’s other leading orchestras. Katherine made her concerto debut at the Royal Festival Hall aged 14 and has since performed there as concerto soloist many times. She has appeared as soloist in most of Britain’s major concert venues with orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields. She has made live Radio 3 solo broadcasts, and performs regularly on Classic FM and European radio stations on both modern and period instruments. She has recorded the Brahms Sonatas and Beethoven Trio for the Oxford Classic label and a large number of her discs have had much critical acclaim. Her competition prizes include the Yamaha European Foundation Award, and she won the Concertina Praga competition, which led to tours throughout Europe. She continues to perform internationally with her piano duo partner Sam Haywood. Among Katherine’s notable performances are the first live concert broadcast in Buckingham Palace, and a private solo performance for the Emperor of Japan. Katherine gives regular masterclasses and tuition in many of Britain’s leading conservatoires and universities, including teaching at the Royal Academy of Music, and is equally committed to bringing classical music to life for the wider community, in venues such as hospices, hospitals, day centres, schools and care homes.
Richard Bayliss (horn) enjoys a varied performing career as a chamber musician, soloist, and principal player for period instrument orchestras and modern orchestras, both at home and abroad. In the past year he has been a regular guest principal for the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and is currently principal horn for the Gabrieli Consort and Players and the London Contemporary Orchestra. With the London Contemporary Orchestra, Richard has performed on numerous film, tv and computer game including ‘Saltburn’, ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and solo horn for ‘Power of the Dog’ and the marvel film ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Overseas, Richard has performed as guest principal for Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Taipei Symphony, Capella Cracoviensis, and {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna. Richard is also a regular performer in Londons west end, currently appearing as guest player in Wicked, Les Mis, and Wizard of Oz, and has held positions for Shrek, Superstar, and the Sound of Music, among others. As well as being a founding member of the Galliard Ensemble, Richard is also a member of the mixed chamber ensemble Chroma, and brass group, Symphonic Brass of London.
Helen Storey (bassoon) studied at the Purcell School of Music before continuing her studies with scholarships to the Royal Academy of Music and the Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna, studying with John Orford, Rachel Gough, Milan Turkovic, and David Chatterton. After several years of freelancing Helen took a position in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra where she was a member for 23 years, before accepting the Sub-Principal bassoon seat at the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2024. As well as being resident at the South Bank Centre the orchestra enjoys the Summer season at Glyndebourne Opera. Helen is very keen on taking music into a wider community setting and takes an active role within the orchestra’s varied education programmes. Helen became a member of the professorial staff at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 2010 where she teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as coaching chamber music and conducting ensembles.
‘Pure pleasure… This in short is wind quintet playing of great distinction…
From this admirably recorded disc you also get a very good idea of
how enjoyable the Galliard’s public concerts must be.
Strongly recommended.’ Gramophone Magazine