Alison Eales was an Exhibitioner at the Royal College of Music,
studying clarinet and piano as joint first instruments. Whilst
studying for her degree, Alison formed a piano duo with a fellow
student, Sally Rose, which thrived for thirty years thereafter.
Together they gave numerous duo recitals and concerto
performances in the UK and Europe, including double concertos
by Mozart, Poulenc and Saint-Saens and made recordings for the
BBC.
Alison is currently a member of several chamber ensembles
playing piano or clarinet, including the Yorke Piano Trio, Max
Bruch Trio and the Gregynog Ensemble, a clarinet quintet which
has performed many works, both well known and less familiar. As
a member of the British Clarinet Ensemble, Alison has toured
abroad in Europe, the U.S.A. and Japan as well as taking part in
the Ensemble's second and third CD recordings. As a clarinet
soloist, Alison has recently performed the Finzi Clarinet Concerto
with the Crendon Chamber Orchestra in Thame and Bruch's
Double Concerto for Clarinet and Viola as well as Finzi's
Bagetelles in Tring, Hitchin and at Anglesey Abbey. Recent
performances of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto have taken place in
Welwyn Garden City,Tring and Hitchin, as part of the town's 2022
Festival. She performed Malcolm Arnold's 2nd Clarinet Concerto
with the Hitchin Symphony Orchestra and again with Leicester
Sinfonia and Letchworth Sinfonia. Alison also gave the first
performances of Paul Rooke's Saxophone Concerto and is due to
premiere a new concerto for clarinet, piano, strings and percussion
by James Marshall in October 2022.
Alison is known locally as conductor of Hitchin Concert Band,
which celebrates its Silver Anniversary this year. She is an
examiner for ABRSM.