Claudia Hoffmann

Claudia undertook her graduate studies as a violinist in Freiburg Germany, then gained post-graduate degrees in Early Music, studiing with Michi Gaigg (Straßbourg, France), Chiara Banchini (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland) , Ryo Terakado and Sigiswald Kuijken at the Koninklijk Conservatorium The Hague (Netherlands), finishing with Concert Diploma in 1997.
In addition, Claudia did masterclasses with J.E. Gardiner, Fabio Biondi, Ingrid Seifert and Reinhard Goebel.
She has been performing with the Barockorchester Stuttgart, "la stagione" Frankfurt, the Barockorchester Bremen and La Petite Bande, Brussels and many others. She has worked with the Madrigalchor Freiburg, the Kammerchor Zürcher Unterland, Knabenkantorei Basel, the Orchestra of the Baroque and the Ensemble Vocale München and various broadcasting stations.

Claudia is the founder and leader of LA BEATA OLANDA, Freiburg, Germany.
www.la-beata-olanda.de

The Early Music ensemble - founded in 1992 - performs in groups from duo (Claudia Hoffmann: violin, medieval fiddle and harp and Thorsten Bleich: theorbo, guitar and musette) to orchestra.
The ensemble concentrates on the following aspects within Early Music: the research and performance of lesser known and un-edited compositions, the performance of works by female composers of the baroque and the early classical period, the performance of works from the courts in France and Austria including musette as well as Crossover with Irish Folk.

LA BEATA OLANDA were the first ensemble to record the violin sonatas by Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre in 2000 which was very well received by both critics and audiences.

Recent events with LA BEATA OLANDA include the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Thüringer Bachwochen, Barockfestspiele Arolsen, Kultursommer Nordhessen, Tavistock Festival 05, Festival Bach de Lausanne 2007 and Gruyéres Festival 2006 (CH) where Claudia was also holding a masterclass.

Claudia lives locally since three years.

Stella Pendrous

Stella Pendrous, Pianist was born in Carlisle and educated at Chetham's School of Music and Cambridge University, where she gained a First in English and an MPhil in Medieval literature.

She was also awarded a Performance Diploma in Piano, with Distinction, from the Conservatoire National de Genevilliers, Paris, continuing her studies in London with Valeria Szervanzsky.

She has given solo and concerto performances in venues such as the Purcell Room, Cheltenham Town Hall, Carlisle Cathedral, St Giles,' Edinburgh, the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester.

Stella has toured Europe as pianist for the Richard Alston Dance Company and the Bash Street Theatre and performs regularly as recitalist on cruise ships.