Born in London in 1995, violist Timothy Ridout was praised in The Strad music magazine for his “warm and expressive tone.” He began playing the viola at the age of eight and is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Martin Outram, having previously been taught at the Junior Academy by Jonathan Barritt. He attended master classes with Lawrence Power, Maxim Rysanov, Hartmut Rohde and Thomas Riebl. He is also a scholarship holder of the International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein and takes part in the intensive weeks there.
Timothy Ridout has already won numerous competitions. In 2014 he was awarded the prize of the European String Teachers Association at the “International Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach”. In the same year he also won the “Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition”, where he was also awarded the “Britten-Pears Prize” and the “Bishop Instruments Prize”. In 2015 he received the 2nd prize at the “Windsor Festival International String Competition” and a special prize for 4th place at the “Max Rostal International Competition”. In March 2016, he became the first English violist to win 1st prize at the “Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition 2016”.
In 2011, the young violist made his concerto debut with Martinu’s Rhapsody Concerto and has since appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Zagreb Soloists, Rotterdam Philharmonic Strings, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music Soloists Orchestra and Birmingham Conservatoire String Orchestra. Recent highlights include a performance at the Royal Academy of Music of Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante together with Maxim Vengerov, the performance of William Walton’s Viola Concerto at St John’s Smith Square with the support of the William Walton Trust, concerts at Wigmore Hall and Colston Hall, and a concert at the 42nd International Viola Congress in Porto.
A passionate chamber musician, Timothy Ridout has performed at numerous festivals in Europe, including Open Chamber Music in Prussia Cove, Kissinger Sommer in Germany, Schubertiade Hohenems in Austria, Musique à Marsac in France, Accademia dei Cameristi in Italy, and FESTIVAL NEXT GENERATION Bad Ragaz in Switzerland. From 2011 to 2014, he was a member of the Celan Quartet, which was “Quartet in Residence” at the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival and the Music Village of Ernen. Currently, the young violist is a member of the “Ensemble Esperanza”, which consists of scholarship holders of the International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Future projects include concerts with the Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Orchestra of the Swan, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, Bedford Symphony Orchestra, and the premiere of a work at Milton Court with the orchestra Melos Sinfonia. In 2016, Timothy Ridout will record a CD of works for viola by Henri Vieuxtemps for Champs Hill Records.
Timothy Ridout, thanks to the generous support of the Amaryllis Fleming Foundation, plays a viola by Giovanni Grancino from 1677, kindly made available to him by the Royal Academy of Music.