Barbara Grunthal cello & Ryan Breen tuba

Barbara Grunthal

Barbara attended the Royal Northern College of Music where she won two prestigious scholarships. Her chamber music commitments have included a British Council tour of Greece and Cyprus and duo recitals in Greece and Cyprus. She works with chamber ensembles and major orchestras in the northern region including Manchester Camerata. For the last 17 years she has been involved in many Camerata Education projects. Her freelance career includes teaching at Chetham’s which she attended as a pupil. In 2008 she toured Japan with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. We are pleased to welcome her back for a ninth time to ‘Music for Life’!

Ryan Breen

Whilst still at school in Wigan, Ryan learnt to play a tenor horn, piano and euphonium. During his time as a member of Wigan Brass band he toured Australia, Germany & Denmark. Then, playing for the Orrell Silver Prize Band, he won Best Euphonium prize at a major national brass band championship competition.

Ryan went to study at Chetham’s School of Music where he changed instruments again to become a tuba player. He won the Northern Guild Music Competition and was principal tubist with the National Youth Orchestra.

After Chetham’s he studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal Northern College of Music where he was invited to become a member of Tubalate.

As well as being highly experienced with the brass band movement, he has freelanced with many of the country’s leading orchestras including overseas tours.