George Nicholls (organ) originally from Warwickshire in England, George began his musical journey at the age of ten. Educated at Old Swinford Hospital, his passion for church music grew during his time as a chorister at the school chapel, St Mary’s, where he also received organ lessons from Paul Carr. From 2017-2019 he was the Organ Scholar at St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham, where he played for the renowned liturgies and found a passion for improvisation - this now plays an important part in his musical practices.

As a graduate and Organ Scholar of Royal Holloway, University of London, George worked with Rupert Gough and the Chapel Choir, whom he accompanied in regular services, concerts, recordings and broadcasts. These included live appearances on BBC Radio 3, BBC Television and various commercial CD recordings; most noticeably a disc of music by Flor Peeters on the Ad Fontes Label.

George now continues his studies, in organ and harpsichord, at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris, France. His current teachers are Christophe Mantoux and Jean-Christophe Revel. He is also an improvisation student of Samuel Liégeon.

Maxim Calver (cello) - Praised for the “elegance of his technique, overall sound and natural poeticism” (Charlotte Gardner, Strad Magazine), Maxim Calver first gained public recognition as a BBC Young Musician 2018 Grand Finalist and Strings Category winner where he made his concerto debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Since the competition he has been in high demand as a soloist across the UK and Europe and in October 2021, he made his European Concerto Debut in the Grosse Saal of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, where he performed Schumann’s Cello Concerto.

In recent seasons, Maxim has appeared as a soloist in many of Europe’s other leading venues including Tonhalle Zurich, Cadogan Hall, St. Johns Smith Square and Kulturcasino Bern. He has also appeared as concerto soloist with the Bath, Stockport, Plymouth, Ipswich, Maidstone and Young Musician Symphony Orchestras, the Orpheus Sinfonia and Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra. As a recitalist he has performed at Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, Norwich Chapel Concert Series, Kings Lynn Festival, Oranjewoud Festival, Hay Festival and Cambridge Summer Music Festival amongst others.

A passionate chamber musician, Maxim has performed at the Verbier Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, IMS Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music and the Gstaad-Menuhin, Lewes, Schiermonnikoog, Stamford and International Pau Casals Chamber Music Festivals. He has also performed live radio broadcasts from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, Royal Holloway Chapel and most recently the Casals Forum of the Kronberg Academy as part of the ‘Chamber Music Connects the World Festival 2024’, where he was invited to perform alongside Gidon Kremer, Antje Weithaas and Lawrence Power. Maxim also regularly collaborates with the Choir of Royal Holloway, releasing an album of music by Matthew Coleridge entitled ‘Requiem’ in 2023 to critical acclaim. A further two albums featuring music by composers Matthew Coleridge and Nathan James Dearden are scheduled for release in 2026.

Originally from Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk, Maxim started the cello at the age of 4 with Maja Passchier before moving to the Yehudi Menuhin School to study with Thomas Carroll aged just 8 years old. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music with Professor Melissa Phelps and from September 2025 will be an Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium studying with Gary Hoffman and Jeroen Reuling. Maxim has received guidance and inspiration from many of the worlds leading musicians including Steven Isserlis, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Frans Helmerson, Colin Carr, Ilya Gringolts, Steven Doane, Nicolas Alstaedt, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt and the late Heinrich Schiff. Maxim has also received masterclasses at the Verbier Festival Academy, Kronberg Academy Cello Mastercourse and International-Musicians-Seminar at Prussia Cove amongst others.

Maxim is very grateful to have received support from the Amaryllis Fleming Foundation, Geoff and Val Richards, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Drake Calleja Trust and the Hattori Foundation. He is also grateful to the Young Classical Artists Trust for their generous support in their aftercare scheme for BBC Young Musician Finalists.

Maxim plays an Alberto Aloyisius Blanchi cello dated 1906 and bow by John Dodd.

Amelia Smith (soprano)