Biographies

Kati Debretzeni, violin

Photo by Jorn Pederson

A fourth generation musician born in Transylvania, Kati studied the violin with Ora Shiran in Israel, and the baroque violin with Catherine Mackintosh at the Royal College of Music in London. Since the year 2000 she has been leading the English Baroque Soloists under John Eliot Gardiner, and since 2008 she has been one of the leaders of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Her recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the orchestra grew out of a collaboration she initiated with the Henri Oguike Dance Company. 
Kati has recorded numerous chamber music CDs with Florilegium (Chanel Classics), Ricordo (Linn Records), and Trio Goya (Chandos). Her most recent recording is that of J.S. Bach’s violin concertos with J.E. Gardiner and her colleagues from the English Baroque Soloists, including her own arrangement of the harpsichord concerto BWV 1053. She has directed and appeared as soloist with various ensembles in Israel, Poland, Norway, Iceland and the UK, and teaches historical violins at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague. She lives in St Albans with her husband and daughter. 

Huw Daniel, violin

Huw Daniel was a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, South Wales, and Organ Scholar at Robinson College, Cambridge, from which he graduated in 2001. He then studied the Baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music with Simon Standage. In 2004 he was a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, members of which formed Harmony of Nations and went on to record two CDs. He was the leader of Orquestra Barroca Casa da Música, Porto, 2004–21, and is now one of the four leaders of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. He is also a member of the Dunedin Consort and the Irish Baroque Orchestra. As guest-leader Huw Daniel has performed and recorded with EUBO, The English Concert, The King’s Consort, The Sixteen and the Norwegian ensemble Barokkanerne. He plays a violin by Jacob Stainer, 1665.

Debbie Diamond, violin

Photo by Gilead Limor

Debbie is a regular member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has performed with most of the period performance orchestras in London. She is also first violinist with the Hanover Square Quartet. As soloist, she has given recitals in Ireland, Canada, the United States, Israel and Germany. Her playing has been described as “…intense…graceful…”, “…passionate and full of energy”, “one who has the ability to rise to the occasion in a public performance in a special and dramatically persuasive way…”.

Debbie teaches extensively, and has taught masterclasses in Baroque violin performance in Princeton University (U.S.), the San Francisco Conservatory (U.S.), the Royal Academy (London), Sligo Festival (Ireland), the Irish Academy of Music and Dance (Limerick) and City Lit (London). She has also been invited to coach student orchestras at Millfield School (Glastonbury) and Royal Holloway (University of London). In 2019 Debbie was elected an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Kinga Gáborjáni, cello, gamba and lirone

Originally from Hungary, Kinga studied baroque cello with Jennifer Ward Clarke and viola da gamba with Richard Campbell at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She gained her postgraduate degree with distinction in 2007.

Kinga performs with many UK period instrument orchestras with whom she has toured all over the world. Since 2008, she has played with the English Baroque Soloists, under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, for whom she is currently a principal cellist and gamba player. She was co-principal cellist for the English Touring Opera for eight years and she has been guest principal cellist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the English Concert.

She also plays the lirone, an instrument with 14 strings, used by Monteverdi and other 17th century composers in operatic works.

Additionally, Kinga works as a mindset coach, helping fellow musicians cope with performance anxiety as well as non-performers develop in confidence.

Steven Devine – harpsichord, organ

Photo by Guy Carpenter

Steven Devine is the Principal keyboard player with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and also the principal keyboard player for The Gonzaga Band, The Mozartists and performs regularly with many other groups around Europe. He has recorded over thirty discs with other artists and ensembles and made many solo recordings. His recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations (Chandos Records) has received critical acclaim – including Gramophone magazine describing it as “among the best”. The complete harpsichord works of Rameau (Resonus) received five-star reviews from BBC Music Magazine and Steven’s recording of Bach’s Italian Concerto was voted Classic FM’s Connoisseur’s choice. His most recent release for Resonus is Bach’s Harpsichord Concertos with the OAE. He is Early Keyboard Consultant to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Welsh Colleges and teaches harpsichord, fortepiano and Performance Practice at the Royal Academy in London.