Justin Pearson(cello) is one of London’s busiest and most versatile musicians. He is Principal cellist and Artistic Director of The National Symphony Orchestra (UK), Guest Principal cellist of the Royal Philharmonic and English Sinfonia Orchestras, and cellist in the English Piano Trio. Justin is artistic director and manager of the Locrian Ensemble of London, one of the most sought after, and often-recorded ensembles in Britain today. He also performs regularly with the Michael Nyman Band, and is the solo cellist for Andrew Lloyd Webber, and is currently performing in the new hit musical, “Bombay Dreams”. Justin has played chamber music in Downing Street, performed by invitation to Queen Elizabeth ll (The Commonwealth Institute) and the Prince of Wales (Hampton Court) and recorded in a solo capacity with artists as diverse as Jose Carreras, Westlife, James Galway, Tina Turner, Take That, Pavarotti and U2, to name but a few. He has appeared live on stage with “Oasis” and toured on the Asian Music Network in Britain. He has been invited to perform on three Royal Variety Shows, by Royal Command ! Justin has recently written scripts for plays with music that are touring Britain : “Beethoven : Genius Unleashed”, a drama which explores the life and music of Beethoven; “Tango Madness!”, a play about the life of the tango composer, Astor Piazzolla ; “An Unconventional Love”, the lives of Percy and Mary Shelley and “The Angel of Rome”, the poignant story of the last surviving castrati singer, Alessando Moreschi. His latest drama, “Stirring the Spirit”, commissioned by the Sarratt Festival, and was so enthusiastically received that it will be touring regional theatres in 2004. Tours abroad have included performing with the Feinstein Ensemble in Egypt, playing recitals at the Edinburgh and Spoleto Festivals, touring Germany and Holland, and performing many concertos, including the Elgar, at St.Martin-in-the-Fields. Justin has recorded CDs for the following classical labels : Naxos (Malcolm Arnold- a “Gramophone” award winning disc; and Martinu), ASV (Mozart and Schubert), Epoch (Rebecca Clarke, Richard Arnell and Arthur Benjamin) and Carlton Classics (Piazzolla). He has also produced independent programmes for BBC Radio 3, featuring the chamber music of Ginastera and Gliere. Justin is to be heard playing the solo cello line in the film about the life of Oscar Wilde, “Wilde”, starring Stephen Fry, and is also the featured soloist on the soundtrack to the world cinematic success, “Female Perversions”. Currently, he has recorded on scores of the hit films such as “Gladiator”, “Hannibal”, “Harry Potter” and “Chicken Run”, and on television “Uncle Silas”, “Peak Practice” and “Judge John Deed”. Originally born in Dublin, Justin left Ireland at 14 to study in England with Derek Simpson of the Aeolian String Quartet. He entered the Royal Academy of Music where he won all available prizes for chamber music playing. Justin continues to return to Ireland to lecture and adjudicate at the Cork School of Music. With the Oxford Concert party, and the English Sinfonia Orchestra, Justin works on projects in the community, directing workshops and concerts in prisons, hospices, day centres for children with special needs, and also plays concerts in village halls and community centres where music may often not be heard. Justin has also served as a governor of the Royal Society of Musicians, a charity that helps musicians in need.