Philippa Mo - Violin

“The ingenuity of the writing was quite dazzling: so was the playing – the expertise of Mo’s near- instantaneous transitions from one style to another was often starling and always impressive” Classical Source 

“A little cracker” The Times

“Philippa Mo has a lovely warm sound in the lower register that can turn remarkably dark; she possesses a silky-smooth legato” Musicweb International 

Philippa studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London and at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. Philippa now performs extensively as a chamber musician. She has given concertos and chamber performances all over Europe, including her acclaimed debut at the Wigmore Hall, recitals at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, St John’s, Smith Square, London, the Deutsches Museum, Munich, the Natural History Museum, Ulaan Bataar, when she was invited as the only British musician to participate as soloist in the International Music Festival of Contemporary Music, Mongolia in 2002. Philippa has also been invited to play at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and The Tate St Ives in the UK and more further afield at the Ankara International Music Festival and the Lincoln Center, New York.
A champion of contemporary music, Philippa has given workshops on British music at the Central Conservatory, Beijing and at Bilkent and Hacettep Universities in Ankara, Turkey. She coached students of the Kurmangazy National Conservatory of Kazakhstan in Almaty 2007-09. She has worked closely with many leading British composers including David Matthews, John McCabe, Jim Aitchison and Errollyn Wallen and has given premieres of their solo and violin duo works.
In March 2015 Philippa premiered a new solo work  by composer Jim Aitchison alongside his monumental solo work Shibboleth at CAST, Helston and at the Porthmeor studios, St Ives. She gave the world premiere of a work by Frederick Frahm for violin and organ at St George's Hanover Square in January and this year, continues her successful collaborations with cellist Mats Lidstrom and organist Robin Walker.  She gave a premiere of Retracing, a violin concerto by Jim Aitchison in Truro Cathedral commissioned by Falmouthh University and part of the first ever performance of the Online Orchestra linking musicians from four separate locations via the internet . This year, she is also recording solo and chamber works by Priaulx Rainier to accompany a forthcoming book by composer Douglas Young with cellist Rohan de Sarum and oboist Chris Redgate. 
Philippa is a member of Retorica, a violin duo with Harriet Mackenzie.  Retorica have performed all over the world to great acclaim. Highlights of their performing career include recitals in the most prestigious halls in China, including the Beijing NCPA and Shanghai SHAOC; performances in Odessa, Ukraine, tours of Japan, Germany and the Channel Islands. In the UK they have performed in the Barbican Centre as part of the Park Lane Young Artists Series and at International festivals including the Jersey Liberation Festival, Bury St Edmunds Festival and the Ripon International Festival. Retorica were also ‘Artists in Residence’ at the Prestiegne Festival and have broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.
Retorica’s debut CD English Violin Duos  was chosen as Gramophone Magazine's 'Editor's choice' and the 'must hear' CD for chamber music: "superbly responsive playing from Harriet Mackenzie and Philippa Mo.... faultless technique and unfailing insight" - Richard Whitehouse. Retorica have also received critical acclaim for their recording of John McCabe's Double violin concerto on the Dutton Label.
 Philippa also regularly plays with the award winning contemporary opera company Music Theatre Wales. Philippa plays a violin by Julius Cesare Gigli from 1786. 
She was awarded Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in 2015 and has just been appointed Senior Lecturer in Violin at Leeds College of Music.