Taking its name from two British composers – Sir Lennox and Michael Berkeley – the Berkeley Ensemble was founded in 2008 with the aim of exploring the wealth of little-known twentieth- and twenty first-century British chamber music. Its innovative and thought-provoking programming of this and other repertoire has attracted acclaim and informed its debut disc, released in March 2014. Clarion Call, on Resonus Classics, featured world-premiere recordings of works by John Casken, Michael Berkeley and Charles Wood, as well as Howard Ferguson’s popular Octet.

WildKat PR also worked on the ensemble’s competition, the New Cobbett Prize for Composition, in 2014. The winner and runner up compositions were recorded by the Ensemble for release on Resonus Classics.

Photo credit Nigel Luckhurst