Monica Huggett

Monica Huggett (born 16 May 1953 in London, England) is a British conductor and leading baroque violinist. At the age of 16, Huggett started studying at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with Manoug Parikian and Kato Havas, baroque violin with Sigiswald Kuijken. She co-founded and served as leader of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra under Ton Koopman from 1980 to 1987. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1994, and serves as professor of baroque violin at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen, Germany. Huggett has worked with Christopher Hogwood at the Academy of Ancient Music; with Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert; and toured the US in concert with James Galway. She has served as guest director of the Arion Baroque Orchestra, Montreal; Tafelmusik, Toronto; the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; Philharmonia Baroque, San Francisco; the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; and Concerto Copenhagen. Huggett continues as artistic director of the Portland Baroque Orchestra and of the Irish Baroque Orchestra and is guest director of the Seville Baroque Orchestra. She also founded the baroque Ensemble Sonnerie and Hausmusik London as a chamber ensemble which concentrates on Romantic music. She has won Gramophone Awards for her recordings of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin (1997) and Biber's violin sonatas (2002). Huggett's expertise in the musical and social history of the baroque era, coupled with her unique interpretation of baroque music, has made her a much sought-after resource for students of the baroque violin. She has given master classes in Banff, Dartington, Vicenza, Dublin, The Hague and Medellin. In 2008 she was appointed director of the new graduate program in historical performance at The Juilliard School in New York City. In 1998 Monica Huggett toured the USA with James Galway with a programme of Mozart orchestral works using an 18th century violin. These performances were met with great critical acclaim. Recent engagements include performances as director with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, solo recitals in Oslo Chamber Music Festival, York Early Music Festival plus dates in Turin and Madrid. Monica Huggett is professor of baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She was made a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1994.