Diana Cummings

Biography

Diana is one of the most distinguished violinists in Great Britain, her career spanning a wide spectrum of musical activities. After winning prizes in the Niccolò Paganini and Alberto Curci violin competitions, she developed a busy international career as a recitalist and a concerto soloist, playing an extensive repertoire from the Baroque to the Contemporary. She gave the first performance in Finland of the Violin Concerto by Peter Maxwell Davies and is dedicated to the promotion and performance of new works.

As leader of the Cummings String Trio and the English String Quartet, Diana has performed widely both nationally and internationally. The English String Quartet was also the resident ensemble of the London Festival of Chamber Music, a month-long event which during the course of 13 consecutive years (1995 – 2007) gave over 200 concerts, bringing an extensive repertoire of both familiar and rarely heard works to audiences across London.

With regard to orchestral work, Diana has guest-led the London Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, the Liverpool Philharmonic and the Hallé Orchestra and has played with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra. She has performed Bach’s complete concerto repertoire with the London Bach Orchestra at London’s Southbank Centre several times, and she was leader and soloist of the Northern Chamber Orchestra. She is the leader of the Milton Keynes City Orchestra, often appearing as a soloist.

In all these capacities Diana has broadcast frequently and has made many recordings for major labels.