Catherine Mandelbaum, violin, is from England and has been living in New York since 2002. Catherine studied the violin and viola with Roger Raphael at the Royal Northern College of Music. She graduated with honors from RNCM and, in addition to a Post-Graduate Diploma, was awarded the Professional Performance Diploma for excellence in performance. She won the Philip Newman Prize for violin, the Craxton Memorial Trust Award together with a scholarship from the RNCM Association of Friends. Baroque violin lessons with Andrew Manze enabled her to combine period performance with her studies and were the start of a great interest in early music.After leaving college in 1998, Catherine worked as a free-lance violinist with many of the major orchestras and ensembles in the north of England. These included the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra and Hallé Ensemble, Manchester Camerata, Northern Chamber Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia, before accepting a permanent position with the BBC Philharmonic first violin section. Her orchestral experience also includes free-lance work with the New York Pops Orchestra and other orchestras in the New York area.
Catherine is a passionate chamber musician and has performed with a variety of chamber music ensembles. She was invited to work with the Deakin String Quartet on the violin and viola, performing throughout the north of England and has given chamber music concerts with members of the BBC Philharmonic, recorded for BBC Radio 3.
Catherine has been a violin tutor at Manchester University and the RNCM junior department, and was assistant to Richard Deakin at Chetham’s School of Music. Her enthusiasm for teaching continues with increasing numbers of private pupils.
This is the best picture we’ve managed to take of Catherine so far. We apologize to her, and we’ll try to get a better one soon.
Musica Bella concerts: November 30, 2003; January 17, 2004; January 18, 2004; February 29, 2004; May 2, 2004; October 24, 2004
This bio last updated December 16, 2003 (Beethoven’s Birthday!!)