Born in London, Mark Bailey has performed throughout Europe, the UK, USA & Canada, the Far East and Middle East, both as soloist and cellist of the Edinburgh Quartet. The EQ is one of the UK’s longest running chamber ensembles and celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021. The EQ has received the much-coveted Gramophone Editor’s Choice for their recordings of the complete string quartets of Hans Gál and Mátyás Seiber. Mark studied at the Royal College of Music on a Foundation Scholarship where he won all
the major cello prizes. He was then invited by Paul Tortelier to study with him in France for two years, attracting scholarships from the British Council, The Countess of Munster and
Suggia Trusts and the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. There he was awarded the Premier Prix de Musique de Chambre de Nice. Later he worked with William Pleeth and Jacqueline
du Pré, as well as performing in master classes with, amongst others, Zara Nelsova and Johannes Goritzski.
As a soloist, Mark has broadcast for French & Spanish Radio and recorded recitals for the BBC. Works have been recorded under Meridian, Delphian and The Divine Art labels. Mark has given recitals at the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall and has appeared as soloist in many leading British festivals. Mark was lecturer for many years at the Royal Scottish Academy of
Music and Drama and now teaches cello and coaches chamber music at the Universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow – and Stirling- where EQ is Quartet in Residence.
Nicholas Ashton was educated at Chetham’s School, RNCM, and on postgraduate scholarships at the Conservatoire de Musique, in Geneva, and the Musikhoschschule
Frankfurt-am Main. He performed throughout Europe in an early soloist and subsequently worked as a teacher, translator and assistant music agent. He assumed an academic role at
Edinburgh Napier University, where he worked as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer for the B.Mus Honours in Classical Music for nearly 30 years, combining this with increasingly
extensive solo and chamber music performance as a result of encouragement form Murray Perahia and Menahem Pressler. Nicholas was a regular performer at the Hamburg Chamber Arts Association, performing over 80 separate programmes as soloist and chamber partner in the city. He has given recitals throughout the UK, Germany Italy and Lithuania, and he is also in demand for masterclasses and adjudication.
Since 2020, Nicholas has taught principal study piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and at the University of Edinburgh. He has recorded many times for the BBC, on German, Swiss and Lithuanian and US Radio as well as commercially. Nicholas has a strong interest in contemporary music for two pianos, enjoying a partnership with the Lithuanian pianist, Lauryna Sableviciute.
