Biography
Please see below some biographies of people that we regularly work with and also soloists who join us for certain works.
Elisa Bergersen
Ensemble leader / 1st Violin / 1st Viola
Elisa Bergersen first picked up a violin at the age of five, following in the footsteps of her violinist grandfather and professional guitarist father.
In 1996 Elisa graduated with an Honours Degree in Music from the University of Surrey, where she studied violin on a scholarship with Maureen Smith, daughter of Eta Cohen, creator of the well-known 'Violin Method'. Elisa then completed a post-graduate degree in teaching. Her first professional playing job came in 1997 as a violinist for the London Festival Orchestra. Elisa continued freelancing on violin for the next six years, until 2003 when she first picked up a viola.
Today, she makes her living almost exclusively on viola as a session musician and chamber player. Elisa is violist for the Bergersen Quartet, a string quartet specialising in the performance and recording of contemporary music by acclaimed international artists and composers. The Quartet has recorded extensively for film and pop sessions – with artists for labels such as Sony, Warner, and EMI as well as 'standard' contemporary works for the classical label 'Claudio Records'. They have most recently performed sell out gigs with 60’s rock legends The Zombies, in St Alban’s Cathedral; and with former Beta Band front-man, Steve Mason, at the Barbican.
As a freelance violist, Elisa enjoys a busy and diverse playing career. Regularly performing at the BBC Proms and International Jazz festivals – amongst them, the London Jazz Festival – Elisa works extensively as a principal violist for both Guy Barker and Clare Teal, as broadcast on all major British radio stations. Other regular orchestral work has been with the Heritage Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, and the National Symphony Orchestra.
Elisa has performed live with – and recorded for – artists such as Shirley Bassey, Paloma Faith, Clare Teal, Beverley Knight, Brian May, Kerry Ellis, Boy George, Gregory Porter, Pete Tong, Richard Ashcroft, Hot Chip, Mica Paris, Chris Difford, Cathal Smyth, Madeleine Peyroux, Imelda May, Tony Christie, Massive Attack, Jonathan Antoine, Alison Balsam, Craig Ogden, Jacqui Dankworth, Russell Watson, Lesley Garrett, The Military Wives, Nicola Benedetti, Natalie Clein and many more...
Elisa also records regularly for film, TV and pop sessions, including numerous soundtracks for all major British TV channels – some of her recent TV credits include Poldark, Grantchester, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Planet Earth 2, The Interceptor, The Halcyon, The Night Manager, One of Us, The Crimson Field and Great Expectations. Recent films include King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Edge of Tomorrow and The Legend of Hercules.
John Pierce
Welsh Tenor
Originally from Holywell, North Wales, John studied classical singing at the Royal Northern College of Music with renowned tutor Jeffrey Lawton. He continued his advanced training at the National Opera Studio in London.
Early in his career, John represented Wales at the Cardiff Singer of the World 2011 competition for emerging young opera singers, which was broadcasted on the BBC.
John has performed at many of the UK's leading Opera Houses and concert venues which include Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish National Opera, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre London and St David’s Hall Cardiff.
John has won many competitions and scholarships which include Young Welsh Singer, Welsh Singer of the Year, Prince of Wales scholarship, Susan Chilcott Scholarship and theCountess of Munster scholarship. Whilst studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, John was also awarded the prestigious Elizabeth Harwood Memorial Prize.
Careers highlights include meeting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace during a reception for Young People in the Performing Arts. John also had the privilege of performing for HRH Prince Charles to celebrate his 50th year of being the Patron of Wales.
Internationally, John has performed in many notable venues around the globe in locations as diverse as Singapore, Hong Kong, Seville, Dubai, Brazil, Venice and India.
Claire Filer
Mezzo Soprano
Mezzo-Soprano Claire Filer was born in Auckland, New Zealand, where she began a career that has involved studying and performing in the US, the UK and Europe.
Claire holds a Master of Arts with Distinction from the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff, a Master of Music from The Boston Conservatory in the US and a Bachelor of Music with first class honours from The University of Auckland in New Zealand.
While at the University of Auckland, Claire was awarded the Kathleen Mary Reardon Scholarship and Postgraduate Scholarship, and upon graduation from The Boston Conservatory, Claire accepted a place in the Gamma Psi chapter of the prestigious American music honours society Pi Kappa Lambda.
Claire has also attended the Intermezzo Young Artist Program in Portland, Maine, the Franco-American Vocal Academy in Périgueux, France, and New Zealand Opera School in Wanganui, New Zealand.
Claire made her UK Opera debut as Dido Dido and Aeneas followed by Dorabella Così fan tutte, both with West Sussex Opera in Chichester and West Wittering. Claire has since performed with Opera Holloway at the 2013 Edinburgh fringe festival as Mother Hansel and Gretel, the roles of Suor Dolcina Suor Angelica (Talent Unlimited), Second Witch Dido and Aeneas (Opera Alumnus) and Sorceress Dido & Aeneas (Ursula’s Arrow), and was a finalist in the 2013 Croydon Symphony Orchestra concerto competition.
Other operatic roles include the roles of Zweite Dame Die Zauberflöte and Lola Cavalleria Rusticana at the 2014 Woodhouse Opera Festival in Surrey, title roles in La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein (Franco-American Vocal Academy), Dido and Aeneas and Serse (both The Boston Conservatory); Cathleen Riders to the Sea (Cantata Singers); Florence Pike Albert Herring (Intermezzo Young Artist Program); Suzy La Rondine (The Boston Conservatory); Zita Gianni Schicchi and Maid Amelia Goes to the Ball (both Opera Factory, New Zealand).
In 2015, Claire performed the role of Annina in an abridged version of Verdi La Traviata for London Festival Opera and the Counsel in Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta Trial by Jury for Eastwood Chorale. More recently, Claire sang the title role in Rossini La Cenerentola at the 2015 Woodhouse Opera Festival, and performed at the first ever Opera Sark Festival on the Isle of Sark.
Ian Walker
Musical Director
Ian is a dedicated supporter of the local musical community, having served as treasurer, chairman, concert organiser and musical director of local musical groups, latterly focusing on choral direction.
Recent performances have included a range of classical music including Beethoven's 9th (choral), Handel's Messiah and Orff's Carmina Burana. Plus requiems by Mozart, Verdi and Faure.
Ian also regularly directs a more popular repertoire, such as songs from the sixties and seventies and music from stage and screen.
Ian is an ardent supporter of local musical talent, always seeking to promote local singers and players to perform in our concerts.
He has been director of the Eastwood Chorale for over 20 years.