JONATHAN SPAREY (violin) was born in Keswick and won an Associated Board scholarship to the Royal Manchester College of Music, studying with David Martin, Bela Katona, Sascha Lasserson, and Gyorgy Pauk. Together with his sister Carolyn he was invited by Alfred Deller to accompany him on a six-week tour of the USA in 1969, and the two of them have performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante over twenty times together; he has also appeared as a soloist in his own right under such conductors as Sir Andrew Davis and Sir Charles Groves.

He joined the Fitzwilliam in 1974, taking part in all their foreign tours and recordings, and (like Alan George) received an Honorary Doctorate of Music at Bucknell University, Pennsylvania – conferred by Shostakovich’s son Maxim. He has since played in the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, Southern Sinfonia, The King’s Consort, Classical Opera Band, the Schiller Piano Trio, the San Petronio Players, the Avison Ensemble, Florilegium, and the Finchcocks Collection.

Jonathan has held a number of violin teaching posts over the years, including the University of York and Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester. He has a deep knowledge and passion for instruments and bows, and many of his fine collection are on loan to students and young professionals.

The violin on which he is himself currently playing was made in the Antonio Stradivari workshop (Cremona, Italy) in 1731. He has lived in Yorkshire since 1977, firstly in York but now in a village in Wensleydale.