Winner of the 2008 London Handel Competition, Erica Eloff was born in South Africa. She graduated from the Potchefstroom University with a B.MUS degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Performance (Cum Laude), studying voice with Werner Nel. Amongst her tutors in Master Classes have been Elly Ameling, Susan Bullock, Helmut Deutsch and Joan Rodgers. In the UK she studied with Lillian Watson and currently with Sheila Barnes.
During her studies Erica is awarded several prizes and scholarships by national institutions including the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Societies (FAK), the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) and the University of South Africa (UNISA). She went on to win several prizes including the First UNISA National Singing Competition (2005), the UFAM Concours Internationaux de Chant - degré Honneur (2003), the ATKV Forté (2000), and special awards at the Fifth UNISA International Singing Competition (2006), and the Great Elm Vocal Awards (2006).
Her many oratorio performances in the UK, Germany and South Africa include the Johannes and Mattheus Passions and other cantatas by Bach; Beethoven Missa Solemnis in D; Messiah and Theodora by Handel; Haydn Creation; Gounod Messa di St. Cecilia; Krönungsmesse and Exsultate, jubilate by Mozart; Carmina Burana by Orff; Schubert Mass in G major; Vaughan Williams' Benedicite, Hodie and Serenade to music; Vivaldi Gloria; Dvorak Te Deum; and the Requiems of Brahms, Fauré, Mozart, Rutter, Lloyd-Weber and Martin Watt, many of these performances taking place in major concert venues like St John Smith's Square, Cadogan Hall and the De Montfort Hall, Leicester. A career highlight includes The Messiah from scratch with Sir David Wilcocks in the Royal Albert Hall in December 2007.
Operatic roles for the Potchefstroom University Opera on Tour includes Barbarina Le nozze di Figaro, Despina Cosi fan tutte, Adèle Die Fledermaus, Adina L'elisir d'amore and the Queen of the Night Zauberflöte. Since living in the UK she has sung Fiordiligi Cosi fan tutte for British Youth Opera and Garsington Opera, the Queen of the Night Zauberflöte for Bearwood Opera, and First Lady Zauberflöte for Opera Project.
In recital, Erica has performed Handel cantates and arias at St George's, Hanover Square and Handel House, and numerous recitals at all the major South African Arts Festivals. She made her Wigmore Hall solo début in their 2008/09 season as a Kirckman Young Artist, and was also a Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Young Concert Artist. As an active chamber musician, she has performed world premiers of works by South African and English composers, including James Wilding's Slaap, klein beminde, Hannes Taljaard's Wiegieliedjies and Stabat Mater and Patrick Hawes's Lazarus Requiem. Erica has been interviewed by Petroc Trelawny on In Tune for BBC 3, by Bob Jones for Classic FM, and has appeared several times on South African Radio and Television (SABC).
Future plans include the Beccles Music Festival opening concert with the London Mozart Players, Bach's B minor Mass at the Ripon International Festival, Mozart's C minor mass in St John's Smith Square, Carmina Burana in Cadogan Hall, and various recitals throughout the UK.
James Baillieu was born in South Africa. He graduated with distinction and a class medal from the University of Cape Town in 2004 where he was awarded all the piano prizes. In 2005 he received a full scholarship, the Avery Picker Award, from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied with Michael Dussek, Malcolm Martineau and Kathryn Stott. He was the 2007-2008 Hodgson Junior Fellow. In recognition of his achievements, he was presented with the Christian Carpenter Award by the Academy.
In 2004 he participated in the International Russian Music Piano Competition in California at which as a laureate he was awarded a scholarship to study in Vienna. At the Vienna International Pianists Academy, James was awarded the prestigious Rosario Marciano Prize. At the Royal Academy he has won the Flora Nielsen Song Prize, the Ludmilla Andrew Prize for Russian Song the Major V Someren-Godfrey English song award, the Helen Eames and Brenda Webb accompaniment prizes. In 2006 James was awarded the Elias Fawcett Award at the Royal Overseas League Competition, the MBF accompanist’s prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Competition and the Ferdinand Rauter Accompanists award at the 2008 Richard Tauber Prize.
He is a regular pianist and coach at the George Solti Accademia di Bel Canto in Italy where he has worked with Mirella Freni and Leo Nucci, and the Encuentro de musica y Academia de Santander in Spain. He was also a participant at the 2006 European Liedforum in Berlin and is an alumnus of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme. He recently attended the International Musicians Seminar held in Prussia Cove. He is a music coach for the Jette Parker young Artists Programme of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
He has participated in masterclasses with Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake, Thomas Quasthoff, Philip Langridge, Jan Philip Schulze, Richard Stokes and Maxim Vengerov. James's recent performances with singers include recitals with Jared Holt, Ronan Collett, Martene Grimson, Allan Clayton, Jacques Imbrailo, Katherine Broderick and Kishani Jayasinghe. His performances have included solo and chamber recitals throughout the UK, including BBC broadcasts, as well as in Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, South Africa and Poland. Recent performances include the Aldeburgh, Aix-en-Provence and Norfolk and Norwich Festivals and recitals in Europe.