Continuo Connect — Profile // Claire Babington

Claire studied performance at the Royal Northern College of Music, and later at the University of Manchester, researching the sources and inspiration behind modern day continuo cellist's performance practices.

She performs as a freelance cellist across the UK, and locally with the Hallé, Liverpool Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata.

As a baroque cellist, Claire combines solo performance with continuo, ranging from 18th-century opera and oratorio to chamber music as well as solo cello repertoire by Bach, Vivaldi, Bononcini, Lanzetti and Telemann.

Claire is a Visiting Performance Fellow at Aberdeen University and regularly gives continuo coaching and workshops at Universities and summer schools across the country. In addition to Baroque In The North, she is a founding member of Scottish early music ensembles AB24 and Aberdeen Early Music Collective, whose recent recording of Ruggieri’s Sonatas and Cantatas is already gathering glowing reviews.

At the other end of the spectrum, Claire is also a keen advocate and performer of new music: her recording of The Seventh Door by Panos Demopolous is soon to be re-released on the Metier label. She has also recently given the UK premiere of Unidentified Edges and Into the World of Light for soprano and cello by composer Geoffrey Palmer, and the debut recording of Dance Curves for piano trio and dancer by James Redlinghueys. Claire is also a resident cello tutor at Oxford Cello School.