Backstage

When I’m not playing I like to sit in cafés and watch the world go by, preferably with a friend, a latté and an almond croissant. I love to read, especially novels by Hardy. The despair is so beautiful that I always want to read over and over again and never stop crying. My other great passion in life is for New York. Such an amazing city (almost as amazing as London) – I hope to travel there many more times and eat many more brunches.

I have recently set up a series of events in London called Café Muse, inspired by the artistic coffee-house culture of Paris. I would like to revolutionise the way people see classical music – by presenting world-class performance in the more laid-back setting of bars, cafés and restaurants, I hope to attract an audience who might not otherwise attend a concert and show that this wonderful music is still a vibrant and relevant art-form. The musicians chat about the works and their context, as well as any related poetry, art or literature, and there are breaks throughout the evening in which to order some food or another coffee and to socialise. Please come along if you’re ever in London on a Sunday – I’d be so pleased to see you.