About us
Welcome to Pitchstone Music, where we believe in the transformative power of chamber music to connect and uplift communities.
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Our vision centers around bringing world-class classical music to St John's Church in Leytonstone, where we aim to create experiences that touch the hearts of diverse audiences.
Beyond concerts, we are dedicated to making chamber music accessible to all through outreach activities designed for local schools, care homes, and interest groups, including those affected by dementia and autism.
Our goal is to use music to bring a sense of relief, joy, and community spirit to all who listen, fostering moments of connection and beauty in our neighborhood. ​Guided by conversations with music therapy experts and in collaboration with esteemed musicians, we are continuously learning how best to reach and support our community.
At Pitchstone we are committed to bringing passion, skill, and commitment to each performance, hoping to share the powerful, unifying force of music.
On 20th February 2025, we will be so lucky to be joined by international concert pianist Tim Horton, for a solo piano recital of Haydn and Chopin.
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As we grow, we invite volunteers, patrons, and music lovers to join us on this journey.
our MUSICIANs:
Rachel Roberts
Founder
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Rachel Roberts is the founder of Pitchstone Music. She is a member of the award-winning 'Ensemble 360', nominated for the Royal Philharmonic Society award for Best Ensemble in 2023. She performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician in venues such as Carnegie Hall New York and Musikverein Vienna with artists including Christian Tetzlaff, Steven Isserlis and Joshua Bell.
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Rachel has received the Diapason d'Or three times for her chamber music recordings (2009, 2021, 2023) and has broadcast live for BBC Radio 3 and other networks many times. She was Principal Viola at the Philharmonia Orchestra for ten years, from 2000-2010. Rachel currently teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
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Josephine Knight
Cellist
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Josephine Knight holds the Alfredo Piatti Chair as Professor of Cello at the Royal Academy of Music. She made her Proms debut in 2005 and has gone on to perform as soloist with leading orchestras in the UK and abroad with conductors Sir Colin Davis, Ed Gardner, Vasily Petrenko and Jac Van Steen.
Josephine has recorded for EMI Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos and Orchid Classics, and appears at multiple international festivals. Her edition of Schumann's Cello Concerto is the first ever publication of the original version published by Edition Peters and her recent CD release 'Schubert Reimagined' was chosen for the Apple Ten Best, receiving over 150,000 streams.
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Visit Josephine's website here.
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Sergey Levitin
Concert Master & Violinist
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Sergey Levitin is Concert Master of the Royal Opera House. In 1996, he became the youngest ever concert master of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg with whom he toured and recorded extensively, notably Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherezade under the baton of Valery Gergiev for Decca.
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Sergey performs as a soloist internationally and has collaborated with highly acclaimed artists including Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Antonio Pappano and Alison Balsam. He regularly guest leads British and European orchestras including Tonhalle in Zurich and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Sergey has won many international competitions, including the Paganini International Violin Competition.
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our VALUES
QUALITY
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Musical excellence is at the heart of our work. Pitchstone Music delivers performances of the utmost artistic integrity and skill, and provides musical experiences of the highest quality.
EDUCATION
We believe education is about the development of the whole individual and their well-being. We provide an open-minded, creative approach to learning, and a safe environment for the individual to explore opinions that contribute to personal growth.
community
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At Pitchstone Music, we believe that sharing experiences is a vital part of our humanity. We work to engender a sense of belonging, shared experience, robust communities and lifelong friendships through all our activities.
INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY
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We believe that everyone has the right to access classical music, regardless of race, gender, religion, socio-economic status or educational background. We offer concessions to our programmes to those in need, and we run events in non-traditional venues such as care homes, prisons and community centres.
mental health
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Classical music possesses a unique ability to evoke profound emotional responses in listeners. There is a deep connection between music and our innermost feelings. With this impact on emotions and mood in mind, we seek to alleviate stress, depression, anxiety and loneliness by creating safe environments in which to experience relaxation and togetherness.