Anna Shuttleworth - Professional Life

Professional Life

In the 1960s, Anna’s career took off and she became a member of several ensembles and performed for many BBC broadcasts. In 1964 Novello published “Learning the cello” which Anna wrote jointly with Hugo Cole. Anna had a lesson with Rostropovich who complimented Anna on her beautiful cello sound and musicianship. This is also the year when she is invited to teach the cello at the Junior Department at the RCM, followed by the appointment to the Senior Department in 1967. In 1968 she is approved as an Associated Board examiner and also buys her very first Renault 4, the car that was to become her habitual transport, travelling around the country.

The 1970s was Anna’s golden period and through the connection with Hilary Finzi, Jacqueline du Pré’s sister, Anna was allowed to play on Jacqui’s Davidov Stradivarius for two years. She became a “sought after” cello professor at the RCM and taught many of today’s well-known musicians, including Adrian Brendel, Alexander Baillie, Clare Finzi, Elizabeth Wilson and Jonathan del Mar. But, as Anna felt like she had neglected her academic career, and partly to better understand David’s work at the Leeds University, she took an Open University course 1971-75 and was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in 1975. In 1972 Anna put Stuart Lowe (a keen amateur cellist) in contact with Sue Jennings (one of Anna’s cello students at the RCM) and later Stuart and Sue married. Later Anna taught Matthew, Daniel and Time Lowe at Sue’s request. Anna and Sue developed a longstanding teaching relationship and together, and with the Lowe family members and Alexander Baillie, they created “Gathering of the Clans”, a long running cello course with teachers such as Baillie and Johannes Goritzki as well as Alexander teachers/cellists Vivien Mackie and Rhuna Martin. Other cellists included Joan Dickson, Amanda Truelove, Paul Feehan, Sasha Boyarsky, Lowri Blake, Andreas Burzik, Melissa Phelps, Louise Hopkins, and Moray Welsh.

Since the 1960s Anna has performed many successful piano and cello recitals with some of the leading pianists in Britain, including Bernard Roberts, Ian Brown, Martin Roscoe and John Thwaites. Since leaving the RCM in the late 1940s Anna has been a member of numerous chamber music ensembles including a string trio with Elisabeth Watson (viola), Georgian String Quartet, Leonardo Trio (first with David Roth, later with Maureen Smith, violin and with Ian Brown, piano), London Harpsichord Ensemble, Glickman Trio and Aulos Ensemble. When in London she knew Sylvia Cleaver who in 1964 asked Anna to become the principal cellist of the Midland Sinfonia Orchestra (later renamed the English Sinfonia). She held this post until she retired from the orchestra in 1996. Apart from this, Anna has worked with many orchestras over the years such as the Alexandra Orchestra (founded by Denys Darlow) which later became the Tilford Bach Orchestra, Chelsea Opera Group, Kalmar Orchestra, Sadler’s Wells Opera Orchestra (now English National Opera) and Orchestra d'Amici.