Avenue Ensemble
Avenue Ensemble is a Leeds-based group of musicians that brings classical music, music from film and TV shows and live musical entertainment into unusual venues and locations in the North of England. Determined to bring the music we love to new and more diverse audiences, we aim to break down some of the barriers that people face when approaching this genre of music.
More quality, less formality
Whether you are already a fan of classical music or someone that might be interested in coming to see live classical music for the first time, Avenue Ensemble presents a high quality live music experience in a very different way. Our goal is to remove those ‘turn offs’ that prevent people from coming to see a symphony concert, an opera or a ballet - you’ll be actively encouraged to chat with friends, get up and grab a drink from the bar, and use the facilities without feeling you need to wait for a break in proceedings! In short, this is classical music and it’s for everyone to enjoy in a fun, social setting.
the line up - Spring 2022
TOM GREED
Hi, I’m Tom and I’m a violinist with Avenue Ensemble. I love my instrument because we always get all the best tunes, kind of like being the lead singer of a band! I really hope this group gets the opportunity to perform in front of lots of people who haven’t experienced this kind of music before. Sharing what we do with new audiences is one of the most exciting things about this job in my opinion, and I’m really looking forward to this upcoming series.
My favourite composer is Jean Sibelius, and I enjoy other artists including Joni Mitchell and Bon Iver, and also love a bit of Motown! When I’m not playing the violin I like to watch football, make home-brewed beer, and most of all hang out with my little boy.
Dan Bull
Hi, I’m Dan, I’m a cellist and I play with Avenue Ensemble. As a cellist I get the best of both worlds, because the cello often has the bass line that is the foundation of the music, but we also get to play a good tune once in a while! I’m really passionate about making all sorts of music available to people who might not normally experience it, because whilst it might seem like a different language at first, there’s so much to be shared if you get underneath the surface.
I have a mixed taste in music, my favourite classical composer is Mendelssohn, I love electro swing, the Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, Radiohead, Stevie Wonder and anything with a good driving bass line!
I’m a big foodie, a cyclist and one of the chief tasters of Tom’s home-brew.
Philip voldman
Hi, I’m Philip and I’m a Repetiteur and Conductor from New York, born to Ukrainian parents.
Playing the piano, especially for singers and instrumentalists as opposed to solo, is that I can be an orchestra and manipulate what I have in terms of keys and strings to sound like either a flute, tuba, soprano or bass.
I love all sorts of music from Bach to film music and playing with this group let’s me do both with some of the most wonderful players in the business and we get to have fun playing it for you.
LIZ WYLY
Hi, I’m Liz, playing viola with Avenue Ensemble. The rich and mellow sound of the viola has grabbed me since my early teens, and I love the sumptuous inner harmonies it often gets - sometimes referred to as “the meat in the sandwich”! I’m also excited about bringing Avenue Ensemble’s brilliantly curated selection of music to a wider audience. Hard to pick, my favourite composers most days are Bach, Wagner and Rachmaninov, with some close runners up. I enjoy chilling with jazz, swing, bluegrass, folk and exploring world music.
Jack Greed
Hi, I’m Jack, and I’m one of the violinists of Avenue Ensemble! I love pretty much all classical music, but also film music - Jurassic Park and Back to the Future are two of my all time favourite film scores. Outside of classical stuff, I’m a huge fan of Everything Everything, Snarky Puppy and Muse (although to be honest I’m a bit ‘meh’ about Muse’s newer stuff...). When I’m not playing or listening to music, I can usually be found cooking, gaming, or shouting at a TV somewhere when Leeds United are playing football.