Lunch Time Concert - October (Cristina Cooper and Alis An)

Programme: 

Prelude - Suite in D minor, Marais

Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto – Cello sonata in D minor, Debussy

Sicilienne for Cello and Piano, Op. 78, Fauré

Papillon, Op. 77, Fauré

Piece op. 39 , Chausson

Cello Sonata, FP 143, Poulenc  

Alis An, a Canadian pianist and Doctor of Music candidate at the Royal College of Music, is pursuing her research under the guidance of Christina Guillaumier and Danny Driver, supported by an RCM Studentship. Alis' concerts have taken her across Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and the UK; recent highlights include an appearance as the soloist for Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 with the Orchestra dell’Università di Milano-Bicocca, in Autumn 2023, at Villa Olmo. Her performing experience, which extends to non-traditional repertoire, led her to collaborate with groups such as London-based contemporary music ensemble Cat’s Cradle Collective. Additionally, her performances for contemporary music initiative 900presente’s productions, including Bruno Maderna's Don Perlimplin (2020) and Philippe Manoury’s Hypothèses du sextuor (2022), were broadcast on Radiotelevisione Svizzera.

CRISTINA COOPER 

Cristina is a professional cellist with a strong background in performance, chamber music, and orchestral work. They completed a Postgraduate Artist Diploma in Cello with Derek Aviss, OBE, following a Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music, London, and a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. During their studies, Cristina received numerous distinctions, including the Trinity Laban Silver Medal for Outstanding Contribution to the Strings Department (2017), First Prize in the Cavatina Intercollegiate Competition (2016), and multiple Trinity Laban Scholarships. As an orchestral musician, Cristina has performed with a wide range of ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra (Dublin) as an extra and trialist and the London Film Music Orchestra and the Illuminated Orchestra. Additional experience includes performances with the Mallorca Superior Symphony Orchestra and PuzzlePiece Opera’s Chamber Orchestra in Greenwich. Their orchestral training includes work with the Royal College of Music Symphony and Chamber Orchestras in collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, as well as Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra in side-by-side projects with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Cristina is a member of the KORDA Quartet (2019–present), performing regularly in London and internationally. She was previously a member of the Isbilia Quartet, winners of the Cavatina Competition, with performances at Wigmore Hall and St. Martin-in-the-Fields and as King’s Place fellowship holders. They are also part of Sexteto Café, a Latin ensemble founded in 2016, which has appeared at the London Jazz Festival with Gary Crosby. Their recording work includes The Last Dinner Quartet by The Last Dinner Party, in collaboration with Universal Studios (2025),To Care by Ben Ramsden (2023), Pretty Red Dress, the Royal College of Music Showcase for Film Composition (2019), and the independent film Only Child. Alongside performance, Cristina is committed to music education and outreach. They served as a Cello Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation (2021–2022) and currently work as an Instrumental Tutor with several music services and independent schools across London since 2017.