Cathy Elliott joined the London Mozart Players in the early 1990s
Where else do you teach/play?
I also play with Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Musici/Rambert. I teach privately and at Junior Guildhall. I am Chair of Management Committee of British Branch of European String Teachers’ Association and am active in training string teachers. I am author and publisher of various books for young string players.
Where were you born?
Pinner, Middlesex.
How old were you when you started playing, and why did you take up the double bass?
I started the bass when I was 15 years old, having looked over from the viola section of my local youth orchestra and decided the boys in the bass section were, on the whole, better looking than those in the viola section!
What has been your most fun/interesting musical experience so far?
Shepherding six young bass players, with double basses, to New York for a double bass convention.
Who have you enjoyed working with the most and why?
The intensity of the experience of working with Joseph Swensen both in the London Mozart Players and with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields is hard to beat.
Do you play any other instruments?
I still play the viola occasionally and often find myself having to practise the piano parts of pieces my pupils are learning. On rare occasions I can also be seen leading classes of young string players from the violin.
Do you have any hobbies you manage to fit into your spare time?
Spending time with my three nephews is a happy pastime. Making habitable a newly-acquired apartment in Venice is also a happy relief from work, but does tend to distract me from my garden.
Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere in Italy, but increasingly Venice!
What's your favourite sound?
The cork being pulled from a lightly-chilled bottle of Tokaij
