Biography

In Transit was formed in 2003, and has been involved in performing all genres of chamber music for a variety of occassions. Their performances are always of the highest standard.

The group has performed in a variety of venues, including; The Chapter Arts Centre; The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Trinity College, Carmarthen, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, and The Wales Millenium Centre. Some of its members have also been involved with Diversions Dance Company, working on a project that aimed to develop new choreography and new music alongside one another.

In July 2005, the group was involved in a performance of Samuel Beckett's radio play, 'Words and Music' with the 'Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard' Theatre Company. The play has toured a number of venues, visiting cities such as Edinburgh, Cardiff and Bristol. Its performance for this work was described as "crucial...impressive" (Western Mail). The group also appeared on 'Star Radio', Cardiff. This broadcast will later be archived at the National Museum of Wales. The group's activities with the Cardiff New Music Collective have led to them being described as "Wales' brightest young musicians" (Western Mail).

2006 has seen performances at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Trinity College Carmarthen, and the Wales Millennium Centre, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and the Conway Road Methodist Church, Cardiff. In Transit's work with the Cardiff New Music Collective has recently been supported by the Arts Council of Wales and the PRS Foundation, under their 'New Music Works' scheme. With financial support, the group has commissioned a work by Keith Tippett, 'More Than Two Sides To A Story'. In August 2006, In Transit visited Cardiff's G39 Gallery to perform works by Matt Lovett - 'Traces' and 'Natural Elements'. The group also appeared at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, alongside the "You'll Never Know: Randomness and Interference" exhibition, where they performed Stockhausen's 'Plus Minus' and Cage's 'Variations III'. The Big Issue wrote an article on 'In Transit's contribution to this event, in which they said "while displaying tremendous musicianship...the ensemble provides an unpretentious take on art and contemporary music... they deserve your attention".

The members of 'In Transit' are....

Please note that the ensemble has a large pool of players at its disposal, and will endeavour to meet any request.

Tina Hitchens – Flutes

Tina studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with Roger Armstrong and Christine Messiter, graduating in 2004 with the BMus and MMus qualifications in flute performance. During her studies she achieved a number of awards, including a scholarship from the EMI Sound Foundation and the Daniel Emlyn Davies Award for Flute Playing. She was also a finalist in the Concerto trial competition 2004, and has given various concerts in Europe, America and South Africa.

Much of Tina’s energies are focused on contemporary flute-playing, having conducted research into flute compositions from the spectral style during her studies.

Tina has also worked with Diversions Dance Company and for the Welsh National Opera’s ‘Opera Max’ department on a new work 'Magic Voices', composed by John O’Hara. She enjoys orchestral playing, and has performed with Sinfonia Cymru, the Chandos Orchestra, Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra and the South Wales Sinfonia. Tina made a television appearance with the contemporary chamber group, The PM Ensemble, and appeared at The Eighth Bolivar Hall International Guitar Festival, playing Toru Takemitsu’s Toward The Sea for alto flute and guitar. Tina also enjoys chamber music, and plays regularly in duos and trios.

Tom Jackson - Clarinets

Tom Jackson graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a first class honours degree in 2005, and also studied at the University of Newcastle, Australia. In 2006 Tom performed a solo recital of contemporary clarinet music at the University of Evora, Portugal, which included his own composition, "Sonata for Clarinet, alone". He also performed Weber's Second Clarinet Concerto in London, under the baton of David Williams.

His performances and academic interests have taken him to Australia, Asia and Europe. Currently, Tom is working in Estonia as a researcher and looks forward to rejoining the InTransit ensemble.

Junyan Liu - ‘Cello

Junyan started learning the ‘cello at the age of eight. After being awarded a first class honours degree in music at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, in 2003, she was offered a scholarship to further her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. There, she won several prizes, including the Cavatina Chamber Prize two years running, and the Cardiff violin Prize. Junyan was also a finalist in the Concerto trial 2004.

Besides taking an active involvement within the college as principal cellist, Junyan has performed in many countries throughout Asia and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. Recently she played at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Venice, and gave a solo recital at the Wales Millennium Centre. Her audition for the Thy Chamber Music Festival led to a successful tour in Denmark where her performances were recorded and played on Danish National Radio 4. Junyan has also played with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as part of the string placement scheme, and has participated in numerous masterclasses and music festivals.

Junyan completed a Master of Music degree with distinction in performance in September 2005, after studying ‘cello with Richard May and John Senter.

Sam Parratt - Viola/Violin

Sam has been studying viola performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama since being awarded a scholarship for entry in 2003. He is currently principal viola in RWCMD Symphony Orchestra and String Ensemble, plays the viola for the Bute String Quartet and has recently been awarded a place on the BBC National Orchestra of Wales placement scheme. As a violinist he has led the McCoy Jazz orchestra in performances across London and the South East, including a performance in the Royal Festival Hall in 2002, and teaches many groups of students in the Cardiff area, specialising in learning through improvisation and composition. He has won many awards as a solo violinist, violist and pianist, and has also won competitions as a chamber musician and playing jazz piano.

Sam has always had an interest in contemporary music and has composed for many years. He was recently involved in composing and performing with composers from the New Music Brighton group, and was delighted when he was invited to join the Cardiff New Music Collective earlier this year. He currently plays viola in the ensemble ‘In Transit’ and is particularly interested in works containing elements of both improvisation and extended techniques alongside more conventional ideas.

Daniel Perkin - Piano

Daniel recently completed his Master of Music degree in repetiteur studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under the direction of Michael Pollock and Angela Livingstone. During his studies, he was awarded the Bryan Davies prize for piano accompaniment both in 2002 and 2004. Since leaving college Dan has frequently worked as a repetiteur for the Max department of Welsh National Opera. Recent projects include the premier of Brian Irvine's opera The Tailor's Daughter for Welsh National youth opera, the community oratorio The Most Beautiful Man From The Sea by Richard Chew and Orlando Gough. He has also worked on the Shake and Shout 2005 project in conjunction with Diversions Dance Company.

Dan currently works training a young group of singers: WNO's Singing Club. In his spare time Dan tutors piano privately and teaches general musicianship skills at the Junior Music and Access Studies department of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Timothy Tate - Guitar

Timothy began playing the guitar at the age of nine and has studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, and with John Mills and Christopher Stell at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he graduated from with both the Batchelor degree (with a distinction in performance) and the Master of Music degree. During his studies, Timothy performed at the William Walton Festival in Oldham in spring 2004, attended by Lady Walton, and was subsequently invited to perform at her estate on Ischia, Italy. He has also performed at the Iserlohn guitar festival in Germany, and in London for the Singaporean Prime Minister and the Bolivar Hall International Guitar Festival. In 2005 he gave the first guitar recital at the Wales Millennium Centre.

In addition to duo work with ‘cello, flute and tenor voice, in 2002 Timothy formed an ensemble of mixed instruments dedicated to performing and commissioning new works. Timothy has received scholarships to attend both the West Dean and Bath International Guitar Festivals and has taken part in masterclasses led by David Tanenbaum, David Russell and John Williams. In 2005 Timothy won the John Mills Performance Prize.