Frances Bartlett
POSTED IN Frances Bartlett Music 8.01.2014
FRANCES BARTLETT- CELLIST
Frances Bartlett is a sought after musician by chamber groups, dance and theatre companies. She performs internationally as a soloist and collaborator, playing Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary repertoire, as an improvisor and her own compositions.
Frances is a cellist from Salisbury, UK who lives in north-eastern Catalonia. Having studied Music in the University of Manchester, she went on to complete her Post Graduate Diploma in Performance with Naomi Butterworth in Trinity College of Music, London. Other teachers include Sue Lowe, Lluís Claret, and masterclasses with Alexander Baillie, Melissa Phelps and Clans Cello Courses with Johannes Goritzki.
Frances’ desire to perform the cello in situations where it’s not usually seen and heard has lead her to set up two ensembles “Wave Ensemble”, “Follia Project” and many chamber projects.
Frances gives compelling solo recitals, and has given premiers of composers from around the world such as Norman Yamada (New York), Felipe Péres Santiago (Mexico) Liz Liew and James McWilliam (London). She has been accompanied by the pianists Simon Callaghan, Luis Parés, and Jean Pierre Armengaud and has performed in venues such as LSO St Lukes, Oxford University, Festivals in Dieppe, Salisbury, Corsham and Hebdon Bridge.
As an orchestral musician, Frances is Continuo Cello for BZM Barcelona and Bachcelona Festival and was rotational principle of the Academia Orchestra of the Liceu Opera House in Barcelona for two years, has performed with the Liceu Chamber Orchestra, London Studio Orchestra in Abbey Road Studios, the New London Soloists Orchestra and the Baroque group “La Nuova Musica” directed by David Bates and the “Barcelona Band of Improvisers”, directed by Pablo Rega .
Much of Frances’ work is multi disciplinary, working with Los Cartografs spontaneous theatre company, Compañía Pendiente /Ana Eulate (choreographer), Tapeplas Dance Company, Thomas Noone Dance and Students from the London School of Contemporary Dance (Gabriele reuter and Lee Bamford) performing throughout Europe and Russia in dance festivals and theatres.
Frances has recorded for the film “King Arthur” by Hans Zimmer, Catalonia Radio, BBC Radio 3 for the Cultural Olympiad with the piece XX/XY by Liz Liew and Andy Leung, many international composers and is a regular session musician for the producer Dave Bianchi (New York/Barcelona) and his label Whataboutmusic.
“Bartlett is a consumate cellist who played the melancholic and moving Requiem with extraordinary power.”
Archive Home From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk © Newsquest Media Group 2007
Frances’ current solo program is with the Catalan Percussionist Jordi Rallo (Tabla, Tumbak). Together they present “Cello Beats”, tracing a path through Baroque Solo Cello repertoire that culminates in maximum harmonic, melodic and rhythmic expression in J.S. Bach’s Suite of Solo Cello in D minor.
But this journey began two centuries earlier in the Ricerdades for solo Gamba by Diego Ortiz. Jordi and Frances develop their rhythmic exploration of G.B.Vitali and D.Gabrielli, proposing Ricercadas with a Damascan Tumbac drum and Sarabande by Flamencan “Seguiriyas” on Indian tablas.
