Jacqueline Speirs Violin

I grew up in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, where I first started learning the ‘fiddle'. I moved to St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh at 12 and then onto the RSAMD in Glasgow. I then went to The Juilliard School in New York to study with Ronny Shevalof before returning to the UK and working in London with the LSO, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, English Chamber Orchestra and Glyndbourne Opera.

In my spare time I teach, play in Glasgow String Quartet and I am musical director with the Forest Theatre Company. I take my children swimming, canoeing, football, drama, NYCOS and dancing. And there's not much time left after that!

Robert Yeomans Violin 

I started playing the violin when I was 7 years old. When I was 13 I led the National Children's Orchestra and later my local youth orchestras.  I studied at the Royal Northern College of Music from the age of 18 and began work as a freelance violinist when I was 19. As leader of the Yeomans String Quartet I recorded, competed and toured regularly with discs of Haydn String Quartets and had the honour of making the world premiere recording of the recently re-discovered String Quartet works by Arthur Sullivan. Shortly before I joined the RSNO in 2001 the Yeomans String Quartet became semi-finalists in the 5^th Shostakovich International String Quartet Competition, Moscow.

My most memorable concert with the RSNO was my first concert as a contract player. Lazarev was conducting Shostakovich 10, (3 October 2001). Never before had I played with an orchestra that really gave it everything. The standing ovation at the end was justified. What a feeling!

In my spare time I enjoy sport. With a couple of colleagues, I race in Triathlons (Run, Cycle, Swim), but my passion lies in Cycling. I just love the Countryside in Scotland, even if the weather puts a dampener on things from time to time...