Various Composers - Reflection (Tamsin Waley-Cohen; Huw Watkins)

Information

• Oliver Knussen - Reflection, Op. 31a
• Igor Stravinsky - Duo Concertant, K054
• Huw Watkins - Violin Sonata
• Sergei Prokofiev - Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80

Tamsin Waley-Cohen, violin

Huw Watkins, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Signum Classics

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Violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen and pianist Huw Watkins present a programme for violin and piano that spans four generations of musical thought. Prokofiev’s Sonata in F minor offers dramatic intensity combined with baroque-inspired clarity, while Stravinsky’s Duo Concertant unfolds as five lyrical movements marked by wit, elegance, and classical balance. Oliver Knussen’s Reflection, written for the duo, creates an intimate sound world of refined colour and introspection. Completing the programme, Watkins’s Violin Sonata blends contemporary lyricism with moments of raw vitality, shaping a dialogue rich in contrast and expressive depth.

British-American violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen (born 1986) is acclaimed for her intensely expressive performances across a repertoire spanning six centuries. Renowned for her poetic musical storytelling, she has appeared with leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hallé, BBC orchestras, and major ensembles in Europe and Japan. A committed chamber musician, she collaborates with distinguished partners and has recorded over ten critically praised albums for Signum Classics. Deeply engaged with contemporary music, she has premiered numerous works written for her and continues to champion living composers. Waley-Cohen is also an artistic director, festival founder, and an influential advocate for innovative, interdisciplinary performance.

Huw Watkins (born 1976) is a Welsh composer and pianist whose work spans orchestral, chamber, vocal, and operatic genres. Educated at Chetham’s School of Music, Cambridge, and the Royal College of Music, he now teaches composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Watkins has written major concertos and symphonies for leading orchestras, including the BBC and the Hallé, alongside an extensive body of chamber and vocal music. His compositions have received numerous awards and commissions, and his recordings appear on leading labels. Parallel to his composing career, he is an internationally respected pianist and interpreter of contemporary music.