Since studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Cilla has had a varied musical career – concerto soloist, repetiteur for two opera companies, orchestral pianist, resident pianist for instrumental courses, some run by the London Mozart Players’ wind section, and arranging standard SATB choral works for SSA. For five years, Cilla was Principal Pianist for the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in the UK and USA, then toured with a revue on the life of Daphne du Maurier and was musician aboard a luxury cruise ship, playing piano and bagpipes. Since moving to Cumbria in 2003, she played for Cumbria Opera for three years and is currently pianist for Cumbria Rural Choirs, the Solway Singers, Gretna Choral and Cockermouth Harmonic Societies. She has been
Official Accompanist for the Carlisle Music Festival, has played for concerts by the Penrith Singers, Keswick Choral Society, Wigton Choral Society, the Carnegie Singers and others, and is playing for Cumbria Opera’s autumn 2010 concert. She has been pianist for the Lanercost Festival since its inauguration in 2004, for the Young Musician’s Competition, for rehearsals of the Festival’s major choral work, performing Rossini’s Messe Solonelle with Ian Hare in 2005, Elgar’s Sea Pictures with Carolyn Dobbin in 2007 giving two-piano concerts with David Sutton in 2006 and 2009 and playing in the performances of ‘Edward’ and Carmina Burana in 2008 and 2009.
Last updated 22 August 2011