Four young and gifted music college and university graduates first formed The Lochrian Ensemble in 1991. Since then it has become one of the leading chamber ensembles in the South West of England. Bruno Schrecker (former cellist of the Allegri Quartet) describes the group as 'delightfully talented. ...They are my favourite string quartet in the South West. They play with great imagination, passions and sensitivity.'

The group is in great demand for a wide variety of events such as recitals, weddings, charity functions and festivals. It regularly records for film and television (notably The Ghost of Greville Lodge and BBC's Songs of Praise). The ensemble has entertained royalty and also worked with pop, jazz and world music artists. Appearances have been made at numerous venues spanning the length and breadth of the country including Canary Wharf, Brunel's ss Great Britain, Clearwell Castle, the Pump Rooms in Bath, Bristol Zoo, the London Transport Museum and the British Museum.

The Lochrian Ensemble enjoys the opportunity to be versatile, working with other musicians to form smaller or larger chamber groups. It frequently accompanies choral groups (such as Clifton Cathedral Choir and the Chantry Singers of Bath) as well as many other local operatic and musical productions.

The group also has a number of recordings to its name. Its debut CD, Lochrian Lollipops, was launched in 1999 and contains a selection of arrangements from the group's lighter repertoire and is regularly broadcast on radio. In 2004 the ensemble recorded the complete string quartets of Mark Springer ('The Lochrian Ensemble play them beautifully' BBC Classical Music Magazine, October 2004). The ensemble also makes guest appearances on a number of CDs including those of folk guitarist Jim Ramsey, Cuban band Asere, and Jazz singer Louise Hall. It also accompanies Clifton Cathedral Choir in the CD 'And I Saw a New Heaven'.

The Lochrian Ensemble has just finished recording a double CD of the complete string quartets of English composer Colin Bayliss. The final one, in locrian mode, is dedicated to them.

Catherine studied music at Reading University where she gained a first class honours degree, specialising in composition and performance and winning prizes for solo and chamber music performance.

Although her first love has always been chamber music, she has also worked extensively as a soloist performing, for example, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at St. George’s, Brandon Hill, Bristol and working with Luigi de Filippi on a tour to Portugal performing the Bach Double Violin Concerto.

She also enjoys orchestral playing and regularly leads the Opera Project Orchestra and plays for the London Gala Orchestra, Travelling Opera, and Lorien Ensemble. She has worked with Andrew Shulman, Bernard D’Ascoli & Christopher Hogwood. She is also interested in Baroque playing and plays regularly with Bradford Baroque Band, Welsh Baroque Orchestra working with soloists like Andrew Manze, Cat Mackintosh, Alison Bury and Crispin Steele Perkins. She has also played for the Pump Room Trio in Bath.

Catherine has also recorded extensively for film and television including the BBC’s Private Life of Plants series, Life of Mammals, Songs of Praise, ITV’s adaptation of Catherine Cookson’s The Gambling Man, nspector Rebus and the film Shadow of the Vampire.

Alison gained a first class honours degree in Human Sciences at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. As a music scholar, she won music prizes and played a significant role in the musical life of the university.

In addition, Alison is extremely keen to promote the musical development of young children. Since the birth of her first child, Owen, she has developed a music and signing course (Top of the Tots) for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. She runs sessions in her home town of Yatton.

Nerissa graduated at Birmingham Conservatoire with an honours degree in Performing Arts also gaining performing and teaching diplomas and prizes for chamber music performance.

Nerissa currently enjoys extensive chamber music and orchestral playing in the South West. She plays for Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra and has also been a regular member of the Opera Project Orchestra playing for numerous productions at various venues throughout the country. Nerissa has played with Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra and the Police National Symphony Orchestra. She also plays in ‘pit’ orchestras for larger scale operas, stage musicals and other musical productions.

Nerissa is a founder member of The Lochrian Ensemble and relishes the opportunity as part of this group to perform at a vast number and variety of engagements and to undertake film and television recordings.

Although Nerissa spends considerable time developing her musical career, she has a full time job working for Avon and Somerset Constabulary as a Senior Fingerprint Officer.
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Matthew attended St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh and afterwards continued his studies on the cello at The Royal College of Music with Chris Bunting and Amaryllis Fleming where he was an Exhibitioner. Whilst there he won numerous awards for chamber and contemporary music performance and was part of the highly acclaimed C20 Ensemble.

Matthew left the Royal College in 1993 to pursue other interests - including two years teaching Maths and English in Namibia - before returning to music in 1999 to study with Bruno Schrecker. Besides his work with The Lochrian Ensemble, Matthew has performed throughout the UK for Music Societies and Festivals, giving recitals and performming concertos from Edinburgh to Bath.

He has also recorded sound tracks for films on Channel 4's Short Film Season and has arranged string parts for well known London rock bands. Matthew is currently working on a project to set the poetry of the ancient Persian poet Hafiz to music.