Kosmos Ensemble

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Telepathic rapport, dazzling virtuosity, serious scholarship, intellectual curiosity and impeccable musicianship. I defy you not to be mesmerised.

(The Times)

An inspirational blend of Tango, Gypsy, Balkan and music from the Far East, referencing Classical composers, with fearless improvisation and impeccable technique. Prepare to be intoxicated by entrancing dance rhythms, soulful improvisation and Gypsy passion, delivered with inimitable panache and virtuoso technique.

Kosmos Ensemble is re-defining the relationship between classical and world music. The group has won ‘Selected Artists’ by the Making Music organisation a record three times, and has gathered accolades from all over the world. United by a shared passion for improvisation, music from around the globe as well as the rigours of classical training, each member of Kosmos is an international soloist in their own right and brings individual flavour to the group.

Revelatory; their wild synthesis of tango arrangements, Jewish folk songs, Leonard Bernstein riffs and improvised takes on Vaughan Williams was an unexpected gift: brilliantly done with style

(Telegraph)

Harriet Mackenzie: international violin concerto soloist and chamber musician who has recorded concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Nova: “Superbly responsive playing; faultless technique and unfailing insight” (Gramophone Magazine)

Meg-Rosaleen Hamilton: unique viola player specialising in world and folk music styles including Celtic, Romanian, Greek and Middle-Eastern music.
“Meg Hamilton explored the highest range of sounds – the sound was beautiful and truly evocative, charming and vivacious” (Chichester Observer)

Miloš Milivojevic: Serbian classical accordionist, awarded a full scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, winner of many international competitions and the prestigious Derek Butler London Prize at the Wigmore Hall – contested by students from all four of the London conservatoires. He has recently released his debut solo album on the Nimbus Label – “a hurricane of imaginative invention” (The Times)

Kosmos has performed internationally to great acclaim, notably at London’s Southbank Centre, the Wales Millenium Centre, the ICA, and have given tours in Poland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Channel Islands; live performances on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Kosmos have released two highly acclaimed albums on the Nimbus Label.
In 2018, the acclaimed composer Errollyn Wallen wrote a Triple concerto for Kosmos which was premiered at the Jersey International Liberation Festival’s Royal Opera House and other performances of this concerto have included the headlining concert of the Festival of Chichester in Chichester Cathedral with the Worthing Symphony Orchestra and the Northampton Symphony Orchestra.

Harriet Mackenzie – violin
Harriet Mackenzie is an internationally renowned concerto soloist who has performed across five continents. Her recordings include concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Nova and the English Symphony Orchestra and these have received international acclaim and been nominated for ‘Recording of The Year’ in Music Web International.

“There is a completeness, a confidence, an honesty and a consistent lyrical beauty that has moved me again and again. These qualities all emerge in Harriet Mackenzie’s utterly magisterial performance.” (Richard Hanlon).

Her recordings frequently top the recordings of the year lists: her recording of the Wall of Water violin concerto was chosen by Guy Rickards, Gramophone Magazine as one of his top three recordings of 2015; her recording of Christopher Gunning’s concerto was chosen by Norman Lebrecht as one of his top recordings of 2016. Her recording of the solo Sonata by Nicholas Maw in 2020 was highly acclaimed, receiving ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone Magazine and garnering praise from BBC Music Magazine: “if you aren’t stirred by the panache of this half-hour sonata of solo violin I’d suggest a visit to the doctor.”

She has recorded on the NMC, Discovery, Nimbus and Dutton labels. Live broadcasts include BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and Hungarian National Radio. She has performed concertos and recitals in prestigious halls such as the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Budapest Marble Hall, Purcell Room, Bejing NCPA, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Seoul Concert Hall, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, and Kyiv Hall of Marble Columns. Harriet has performed as a soloist with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, 12 Ensemble, Bath Philharmonia, Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Piccadilly Sinfonietta, Skallsjo Sommarorkester. A multi-faceted virtuoso, she is also fascinated by world music styles and composes and improvises in many different styles. In 2016 she directed and performed Piazzolla’s ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires’ in the Auditorio National Madrid with the London-Vienna Kammerorkester which has lead to many more performances directing and to the formation of her own string orchestra, the Celoniatus Ensemble, named after her 1730 Italian violin.

Harriet graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with First Class honours, M.Mus and DipRAM. In 2015, she was awarded the Richard Carne Fellowship at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music. Also in 2015 she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for her outstanding contribution to music. In 2022 she was honoured to be Associate Artist of Salisbury International Festival.
www.harrietmackenzie.com, @harrietviolin, www.facebook.com/harrietmackenzieviolin insta: @harrietmackenzie

Meg Hamilton – viola
For Meg, Kosmos bridges the western and non-western music worlds, while providing opportunities for viola playing, daring creativity, group composing, cross-genre arranging, and in particular freedom either to use or abandon rules and labels. Having gained an Honours degree in music at Edinburgh University and a performance diploma at Trinity college of Music, she won a Millennium Award from the Jewish Music Institute, which facilitated an intensive study of klezmer music. Thus began her on-going fascination with music from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece, the Middle East and beyond. That same year she joined and has since co-led She’koyokh on violin, a group now hailed as the UK’s “best klezmer and Balkan band” (Songlines). She’Koyokh has showcased Meg throughout UK and Europe at stages such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Aldeburgh’s Snape proms, London’s Wigmore Hall and WOMAD festival. The group has produced many critically acclaimed albums including Five Stars from the Evening Standard and fRoots Magazine.
Meg’s sees her fiddle as her second passport. Her discoveries are transferable to her treasured viola and the ever evolving ingredients in the “Kosmos Kauldron”.

Miloš Milivojevic – Accordion
“A hurricane of imaginative invention” (The Times)

Serbian born accordionist Miloš Milivojevi? is a first prize winner at International Competitions in Germany, France, Italy and Denmark. In Serbia he studied with Vojin Vasovic and with Owen Murray at the Royal Academy of Music where he graduated and was awarded with Dip RAM – the highest award for graduates. In 2007 he became the first accordionist ever to win the RAM Club Prize at the Academy and in the 2008 was the Winner of the prestigious Derek Butler London Prize at the Wigmore Hall. In 2014 he was awarded ‘Associate of the Royal Academy of Music’ for his services to music.

He has premiered works by Anthony Gilbert, Howard Skempton, Elena Firsova, Stephane Altier, Patrick Nunn, Philip Venables and Robert Percy, and has given the UK premiere of Sequenza No.13 by Luciano Berio.

He has given solo, chamber music and concerto performances in Serbia, Montenegro, Russia, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Canary Islands, Iceland, Malta, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Milos has performed in prestigious venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Purcell Room, St John Smith Square, St James Piccadilly, St Martin in the Fields and was invited to perform at the Royal Academy of Music ‘Foundation Day’, an award ceremony attended by HRH The Princess Royal.
Miloš has also given live interviews and broadcasts on BBC Radio 2 – Friday Night is Music Night, BBC Radio 3 In Tune, World Music on BBC 3, The Strand World of Music BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, Classic FM, ABC and Serbian national radio and television networks. Miloš is extremely grateful to Burton Bradstock Festival for generous support towards his professional music career. He is an official artist and exclusively performs on the Pigini Accordions.

Miloš has recently released his debut solo album on the Nimbus Label and composers Jonathan Dove and David Gordon have written concertos dedicated to him.
www.milosmilivojevic.com, @milosaccordion