The Smart Trio was formed in 1998 by Helena Smart, Gavin Meredith and
Leandro Silvera when they met at the Royal Northern College of Music in
Manchester. Since then they have played many recitals across the country and
have supplied high-class background music to countless weddings and corporate
events. Their popularity as resident musicians for SAGA Cruises has resulted in
several trips abroad, delighting their audiences with a combination of great
musicianship and slick presentation. Their success as a trio is undoubtedly due
to the great musical experience they each have as individuals:
HELENA SMART was born in 1980 and started playing the violin when she
was three. When she was ten she won a scholarship to Chetham's School of Music,
where she studied with Roger Raphael and Wen-Zhou Li. Whilst studying at
Chetham's she led a string quartet and the Chamber and Symphony orchestras, and
performed Ravel's Tzigane at the Bridgewater Hall. In 1998 she gained an ABRSM
scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she won the
Eleanor Warren Prize for Salon Music and the Hirsch Prize for String Quartets.
She was a string finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and has won
awards from the Martin Trust and the English Speaking Union.
LEANDRO SILVERA was born in Argentina in 1973, and after graduating
from the Buenos Aires Conservatoire he won a scholarship from the British
Council to study at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has led the RNCM
Chamber, String and Symphony orchestras and has won the John Webster Prize for
String Playing, the Granada Prize for Chamber Ensembles and the Sir Malcolm
Arnold Prize for Chamber Music. He has played in masterclasses to Steven Doane,
Karine Georgian and Ralph Kirshbaum. He graduated in 1999 with a Commended BMus
(Honours) Degree and a Diploma in Professional Performance, and is currently
studying with Emma Ferrand and working as teaching assistant to her RNCM class.
GAVIN MEREDITH graduated from Liverpool University in 1994, having been
awarded the highest mark in over twenty years for his final recital. During his
time there he gained valuable musical experience in many different forms, from
playing Poulenc's double piano concerto to participating in masterclasses, most
notably with Peter Donohoe. On leaving Liverpool Gavin worked in the field of
light music on cruise ships, including the QE2. In December 1998 he completed a
two year Master's degree in accompaniment at the Royal Northern College of
Music. This brought about further masterclasses including Malcolm Martineau and
Ian Brown, and recitals in venues such as Preston Guildhall and Bretton Hall.
He now enjoys work across a broad musical spectrum. Recitals have recently
taken him across the UK from London to Aberdeen and the Isle of Man. He is a
resident pianist at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester, and has also
worked with the Rambert Dance Company and the Paris Opera Ballet. He is in
demand as a cocktail pianist, and has played for corporate clients such as
British Aerospace and the Commonwealth Games committee, as well as countless
private functions. Gavin's enthusiasm for teaching the piano has led him to
develop an internet project for music teachers called
musicteachers.co.uk .Started in
partnership with a friend from music college, he anticipates it becoming a
valuable aid in the world of online education. |
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