The Skylark Quintet
The five Skylarks met as freelance professional musicians and saw the potential for making wonderful chamber music together. Now based in the South West, they come from the far corners of the world and have enjoyed international careers spanning five continents. With a core group of five, the musicians also take on recordings and collaborative projects including educational programmes, performing alongside other instrumentalists, narrators and artists in other disciplines. They can appear in a quartet formation if a smaller group is required.
Judith Hall - Founder
Judith Hall came from Australia for study with Jean-Pierre Rampal, and was then appointed by Sir Colin Davis to the position of Principal Flute of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She has freelanced also as guest principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Philharmonia, with whom she recorded Mozart’s Flute Concertos.
As a soloist she has undertaken many world tours, including some in conjunction with the British Council, and has played in major festivals all over Britain. The BBC has broadcast her live recitals from St David’s Hall, Cheltenham International Festival, and Broadcasting House, where she has recorded much of the flute repertoire. Her CD of Mozart’s Flute Quartets was chosen for the BBC’s ‘Building a Library’, and other CDs have been given top ratings.
She taught at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and played with groups such as Divertimento Ensemble, and a duo with guitarist Craig Ogden. Judith was an active member of the Skylark Quintet until her retirement in 2023.
Lynn Carter
At the age of 21, American Lynn Carter was offered the job of Principal Oboe of the Orquesta Filarmonia de la UNAM in Mexico City, where she also took part frequently in solo and chamber concerts. After further study in Germany with the celebrated Heinz Holliger, she played in many German and Swiss orchestras, including the West German Radio (WDR), Bonn, Dusseldorf, Bochum, Konstanz and Biel/Bienne orchestras.
Lynn was soloist with the Heidelberg Chamber Orchestra, touring extensively throughout Europe, North America and further afield. Having settled in the South West of England, she works with groups such as Ten Tors Orchestra, Orchestra West, Somerset Opera, Bristol Philharmonic, Exeter Bach Society, Taunton Sinfonietta and Welsh Sinfonia. Apart from orchestral work she often appears as a soloist and chamber musician.
Lucille Burns
Lucille enjoys a combination of teaching and orchestral and solo performing and is based in the South West. As a performer, she has performed as a soloist at St George’s, Bristol, The Stratford International Festival and as a Selected Artist for the Concert Promoters’ Network, performing concerts across the whole of the UK. As a teacher, she has worked as tutor to the National Children’s Orchestra, has given workshops at Trinity College of Music and worked in educational outreach for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Lucille is based in Devon and coaches students at Blundell’s School, Devon and Wellington School, Somerset and is currently a tutor for the South West Music School.
Since 2023, Lucille has been performing with the Skylark Quintet when Judith Hall retired earlier in the year.
Victoria Loram
Tor began her career when she qualified as a regional finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Musician competition. After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester, she worked with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Northern Ballet Theatre, Goldberg Ensemble and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tor has been a member of several chamber groups including Quintessence Wind Quintet, The Clarinet Section, Chinook Clarinet Quartet and currently, Just Us Musique (bass clarinet and violin), which takes music to venues such as National Trust properties.
She has recorded CDs with two of these groups, and has appeared on BBC Radios 2 and 3. As a recitalist she has played in St John's Smith Square, St James' Piccadilly, and as a concerto soloist appeared in places as diverse as Montepulciano, Aix-en-Provence and Snape Maltings.
Jo Arnason
Jo Arnason was an outstanding student at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, graduating with a Masters Degree in Music Performance, and winning first prizes in The Governors' Competition for Woodwind Recital and The Governors' Competition for Chamber Music. She was chosen to perform as a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. During her time in Scotland, Jo worked as a freelance musician with orchestras such as The Royal Scottish Opera, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Paragon Ensemble and others.
After a time in the USA, Jo worked for 10 years in Iceland, forming a bassoon quartet and performing in chamber ensembles. Since moving back to the UK, she has established a busy schedule as a freelance bassoonist and teacher, performing with Dartington Sinfonietta, Duchy Opera, Ten Tors Orchestra and other groups. Her love of music has drawn her to a wide variety of styles and instruments, including the Armenian duduk, Irish whistle and Celtic Harp.
Nicky New
Nicky spent her childhood years in the Netherlands before accepting an Exhibition Scholarship at the Royal College of Music, where she won the Fanny Hughes Horn Prize, and the Brass Chamber Ensemble Prize, with her brass quintet.
Nicky has a varied playing life, including engagements and recordings with Philharmonic Brass, Ten Tors Orchestra, The Bristol Ensemble, Dartington Sinfonietta, the Divertimento Ensemble and the Dave Hankin Big Band. As a visiting tutor for musicians working in the Royal Marines Band Service, Nicky teaches advanced horn players with HMS Raleigh and Lympstone barracks. Furthermore, she works as an accompanist on the piano. Having been a teacher in a school for children with special needs, she has taken part in many community music schemes, with chamber ensembles and with orchestra projects involving the Philharmonia and The Elastic Band.