Elizabeth Layton
- Instrument Violin
Elizabeth Layton enjoys a varied career performing recitals and chamber music throughout Australia and New Zealand. She appears regularly as guest concertmaster with major symphony orchestras and combines performance with her position as Head of Classical Performance at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide.
Born in London, Elizabeth made her UK concerto debut with the Philharmonia and appeared as soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Bournemouth Symphony, English Sinfonia, Calgary Philharmonic, City of Barcelona Symphony, Lahti Symphony and many others. Festival appearances include Bath, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Cheltenham, Valencia, Gstaad and numerous music societies.
Elizabeth was Associate Leader of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Concertmaster of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, regularly broadcasting for the BBC as soloist and director. She has toured chamber music worldwide with the Nash Ensemble and CD recordings include the complete Beethoven piano trios (nominated for a Gramophone Award) and violin and piano works by Schubert (Daily Telegraph ‘CD Choice’). Other recordings include chamber music by Ravel, Schubert, Brahms, Fauré and Shostakovich for DG, Hyperion, Naxos, BIS and Chandos. Elizabeth is currently recording the complete chamber music of the 18th Century English composer William Shield for Naxos with the newly formed Dorrit Ensemble.
Recent performances include George Town Festival, Penang, Coriole Festival, Music by the Springs, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra Series, ASO ‘She Speaks Festival’ and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville. Her appearances as soloist/guest director this season include the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and AYO Chamber Orchestra at National Music Camp.
Elizabeth received a doctorate from the University of Adelaide in 2019.
