ABOUT
Sequoia is a partnership between violinist Alice Rickards and cellist Sonia Cromarty. Since joining forces in 2010 we have firmly rooted our place in the Scottish arts scene, performing recitals and creative collaborative projects in festivals, concert halls, public spaces, schools and gardens around the country and holding a two year post as Chamber Music Scotland’s ensemble in residence.
We passionately believe that live music has the power to enrich and connect people . Goethe described chamber music as “rational people conversing" and we aim to bring audiences into our conversations with intimate performances that travel beyond notes on the page. We are keen to widen access to live performance, and education work is central to our identity.
Our artistic journey over the past 10 years has revealed an innate desire to use music to explore the world around us, inviting greater engagement and connection with nature. We aim to use our role as performers to promote social-environmental sustainability and in turn create a positive butterfly effect.
For us connecting with the environment begins at home, and we are committed to championing Scotland's music and nature through our collaborative projects. We love being involved in the creation of new work and have commissioned composers across a wide range of genres.
Our duo is named Sequoia in recognition of an extraordinary tree and the conservation movement it inspired.
"I have found my own interactions with the duo to be unexpectedly thought-provoking, and it’s been energy-giving to have worked directly with the performers through all stages of the commissioning and composing process"
- Judith Weir, Master of the Queen's Music
Alice Rickards
violin
I am green fingered and love my garden, wildflower meadow and allotment in Glasgow. When my hands aren’t covered in soil they are playing the violin in the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
I have also performed with the RSNO, Dunedin consort and the Australian Haydn Ensemble in my home state of New South Wales.
Over the past year I have enjoyed seeing more of Scotland, with highlights including trips to the
forests of Glen Affric and the peat bogs and coastline around the
Flow Country.
Sonia Cromarty
cello
I love the diversity of life as a
musician and have enjoyed playing across the globe, from symphony orchestra concerts in South America to school workshops in Japan and trio performances on a ship in the Arctic.
I freelance with Scotland’s leading orchestras: the BBC SSO, Scottish Opera, SCO, GRIT orchestra, RSNO and the Scottish Session Orchestra. I also teach cello and enjoy helping students of all ages and abilities discover the joys of music making.
Chamber music is my biggest love, especially performing in remote corners of Scotland. When I'm not playing cello I like being outdoors and searching for Sequoia trees with my two young daughters.
