Gabriel Francis-Dehqani, Cello William Harmer, Piano

In 2024, Gabriel Francis-Dehqani won First Prize at the Muriel Taylor Cello Competition and the Irish Heritage UK competition, held at Wigmore Hall. He was also awarded First Prize at the International Contemporary Music Competition (2023). Gabriel has broadcast numerous times as a soloist and chamber musician on BBC Radio stations 3 & 4 and performed extensively throughout the UK, Europe and Asia. He is a 2024/25 Britten Pears Young Artist and has been invited to festivals around Europe such as The Encounter of Music and Academy of Santander, International Summer Academy (of the University of Vienna), Schiermonnikoog, IMS Prussia Cove and has enjoyed giving recitals, masterclasses and jury work across China.

Will is a London-based pianist and composer. As a collaborative pianist, Will has performed recitals at Cheltenham Festival, St James’s Piccadilly, SJE Arts Oxford and Queen’s College Oxford. He was the St Hilda’s College Graduate Musician-in-Residence 2021-22, performing a series of solo recitals at the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building. He has worked as an accompanist for Temple Church, Oxford Youth Choirs, Primrose Hill Choirs, Cambridge Holiday Orchestra and Oxford Music Faculty. As a composer, Will won the BBC Proms Inspire Composition Competition and has been commissioned by the BBC Singers, Oxford International Song and Ludlow English Song festivals. His composition ‘Cetus’ for Annemarie Federle was premiered on BBC television as part of the BBC Young Musician competition. He was a 2023-24 National Youth Choirs Young Composer and his pieces ‘Fireworks’ and ‘Three Madrigals’ were released on NMC Records as part of the scheme, the latter published by Stainer and Bell in their Choral Now series. Will is also active in the London choral scene and performs regularly with St Martin’s Voices, having been a 2023-24 Emerging Artist with the group. Will recently completed a MMus in composition at the Royal Academy of Music, having previously studied at Worcester College, Oxford.