Patrons: Levon Chilingirian, John Ludlow, Roy Massey

The Kenneth Page Foundation is a registered charity, with the aims, primarily, of promoting talented young string players, in competitions, masterclasses and in concert. So far, the Foundation has established annual competitions with violin and viola alternating. In February 2008 we held our third successful violin competition adjudicated by one of our patrons, Levon Chilingirian, in February 2009 out second viola competition with adjudicator Brian Hawkins.

The Foundation was established in 1999 following the death of the man who was associated with music throughout the Midlands for over 50 years. Ken was principally though not exclusively associated with Orchestra da Camera, which he led from 1957 and conducted from 1964. For 27 years he was conductor of the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, and he founded Leicester University’s resident Archduke Trio. He had played with the Element String Quartet and later founded his own Voces Intimae Quartet which gave innumerable lunch-time and evening concerts at Leicester, and many at Aston University. He also gave many solo violin recitals, and in Leicester taught the violin to countless students. He was awarded honorary degrees by the universities of both Aston and Leicester.

Ken was always ready to promote new music, and in 2006 we commissioned a string quartet from the conductor/composer Ben Palmer, a former post-graduate student from Birmingham University. Performances took place in Leicester and Birmingham in 2007 by the Birmingham Conservatoire’s Nero String Quartet. Further commissions are planned.

If you would like to contribute to the work of the Foundation, the trustees welcome donations of any size from individual or business sponsors. If you are a tax payer, the foundation can claim relief from the Inland Revenue. A form is available on this website.

Trustees: Anthony Pither (Chair), Robert Meikle, David Hadwen,
Philip Gallaway, Eugene Critchlow, John Todd, Nick Hadwen