Coffee Concert – Corinne Frost (cello) and Janine Parsons (piano)

The Rhythms of Spain!

At the age of 17, Corinne won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and after graduation continued her studies with Pierre Fournier, having been awarded scholarships from the Royal Society of Arts and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Her early career included recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room and the Manchester Midday Series. In 1979 she joined the Philharmonia Orchestra and over the course of the next twelve years travelled extensively and worked with some of the world’s most eminent conductors.

In 1993 she moved to Worcestershire to take up the position of Co-principal Cellist of the English String/Symphony Orchestra, a position she still holds. She soon became an Associate Member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), a position she held for 23 years.

Corinne was Musical Director of Volante Strings for a number of years and is Co-principal of Orchestra Pro Anima. She is passionate about bringing live music to people in care homes and hospices, and initiated the ESO Care Homes and Hospices programme in 2007. She has since developed her own regular visits to care and dementia homes, giving themed concerts and playing in individual rooms. She specialises in improvisations and musical sound portraits, and includes them in her visits to care homes, as well as in her recitals and at weddings and funerals.

 Janine studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire, where she gained a B Mus (Hons) degree and a Post Graduate Diploma. She studied piano with Frank Wibaut and Professor Malcolm Wilson. In 1997, she appeared as finalist in the Young Accompanist of the Year competition and during the following years worked as a repetiteur for The Birmingham Royal Ballet.

As soloist she gave her debut recital at the Purcell Rooms, London and since then has worked as a soloist, chamber musician and has given concerto performances including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Chopin’s piano concerto no 1, Haydn’s piano concerto in D Major and Mendelssohn’s concerto in A Minor.

As accompanist, she has worked with numerous singers and instrumentalists in concerts and competitions, including performances broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio Shropshire. She performed for many years as part of an all-female trio ‘The Sirens’ giving concerts nationally and internationally.