Cambridge Announces Four New Duos for Prestigious Lieder Scheme in 2025-26
The University of Cambridge has selected four exceptionally talented singer-pianist duos to participate in its renowned Lieder Scheme for the academic year 2025-26. This highly competitive program offers intensive coaching and performance opportunities, nurturing the next generation of art song performers.
The Lieder Scheme, established in 2013, provides participants with regular instruction in art song performance and collaborative keyboard skills from distinguished pianist Joseph Middleton. Additionally, the duos will benefit from masterclasses led by leading singers and access to performances within the Bliss International Song Series at Pembroke College.
This year’s selected duos are: soprano Lydia Baldwin, a third-year music undergraduate at Murray Edwards College, paired with pianist Just Eyres, also a third-year music undergraduate at Gonville and Caius College; soprano Edie Behr, a second-year MML undergraduate at St Catharine’s College, collaborating with pianist Rosalyn Cheng, a second-year medicine student at Newnham College; bass-baritone James Gooding, an MPhil student at St John’s College, performing with pianist Zosia Dzimitrowicz, a second-year music undergraduate at Trinity College; and tenor Harry Gant, an MPhil student at King’s College, alongside pianist Isaac Chan, a third-year music undergraduate at Clare College.
The incoming cohort joins a distinguished lineage of over 100 musicians from 18 colleges who have participated in the Scheme since its inception. The program has demonstrably launched successful careers, with alumni including Vienna Staatsoper member Hiroshi Amako, Gramophone Award-winning mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, Kathleen Ferrier Award-winning countertenor and recent BBC New Generation Artist Hugh Cutting, composers Hession and Owain Park, multi-award-winning bass-baritone Florian Störtz, and Philadelphia Orchestra Assistant Conductor Nather.
“The Lieder Scheme is a cornerstone of our commitment to fostering exceptional young musical talent,” stated a senior official at the University. “It provides a unique environment for collaborative growth and artistic exploration.”
The University Lieder Scheme is part of a broader suite of talent development programs at Cambridge, including the Instrumental Awards for Chamber Music Scheme, the Advanced Popular Performance Scheme, the University Conducting Scholarships programme, and the University Repetiteur and Symphony Choral Conductor Training Scheme. These initiatives are made possible through generous philanthropic support and a collaborative partnership between the Centre for Music Performance and Pembroke College.
A comprehensive record of past participants demonstrates the Scheme’s consistent impact. The following lists detail the duos selected for each year since 2013:
2013-14: Anna Cavaliero (Trinity) & Cameron Richardson-Eames (Trinity); Hiroshi Amako (Trinity) & Eleanor Kornas (Trinity); Joel Williams (King’s) & Douglas Tang (King’s); Jonathan Hyde (St John’s) & Edward Picton-Tubervill (St John’s)
2014-15: Helen Charlston (Trinity) & Keval Shah (Trinity Hall); Hannah King (Trinity) & Owain Park (Trinity); Jonathan Pacey (Trinity) & Cameron Richardson-Eames (Trinity); Hannah Partridge (Fitzwilliam) & Edward Picton-Turbervill (St John’s)
2015-16: Hugo Herman-Wilson (King’s) & Richard Gowers (King’s); Helena Moore (Trinity) & Ian Cheung (Trinity); Toby Ward (King’s) & Joseph Wicks (St John’s); Judith Lebiez (King’s) & Naomi Woo (Clare)
2016-17: Ian Cheung (Trinity) & Richard Gowers (King’s); Beatriz Santos (Clare) & Toby Hession (Clare); Humphrey Thompson (Caius) & Henry Websdale (King’s); Stephen Whitford (King’s) & Sebastian Johns (King’s)
2017-18: Michael Bell (St John’s) & Glen Dempsey (St John’s); Olivia Brett (Clare) & Sven Wang (Trinity); Edward Cunningham (Trinity) & Adam McDonagh (Queens’); Helena Moore (Trinity) & Henry Websdale (King’s)
2018-19: Hugh Cutting (St John’s) & Joshua Geddes (Pembroke); Louis Watkins (St John’s) & Noaki Toyomura (Hughes); Chloe Allison (Selwyn) & Adam McDonagh (Queens’); Henry Websdale (King’s) & Donal McCann (King’s)
2019-20: Joshua Geddes (Pembroke) & Jason Richards (Jesus); Alice Webster (Queens’) & George Herbert (St John’s); Simon Grant (St John’s) & Ursula Perks (Gonville and Caius); Nina Vinther (Trinity) & Robin Pillinger (Queens’)
2020-21: Molly Noon (Trinity) & George Herbert (St John’s); Hannah Dienes-Williams (Clare) & Madeleine Brown (Trinity); Francis Bamford (St John’s) & Timon Stahler (St John’s); Florian Stortz (Trinity) & Dominika Mak (Trinity)
2021-22: Hannah Dienes-Williams (Clare) & Madeleine Brown (Trinity); Paul Greally & Henry Brearley (King’s); Sumei Bao-Smith & Harrison Cole (Trinity); Oscar Simms & Alistair Burton (Clare)
2022-23: Alisdair (Tom) Unwin (Wolfson) & Tammas Slater (Caius); Ruth Murphy (St John’s) & Benjamin Markovic (Queens’); Joseph Hancock & Alex Trigg (St John’s); Katherine Gregory (Newnham) & Madeleine Brown (Trinity); Ailsa McTernan (Pembroke) & Matthew Cresswell (Pembroke)
2023-24: Hugo Williamson (Robinson) & Daniel Blaze (Clare); James Gant (St John’s) & Edd Campbell-Rowntree (Girton); Henry Montgomery (Magdalene) & Alex Trigg (St John’s); Alexander Semple (St John’s) & Kyoto Canaway (Caius Alumna); Calvin Leng (Trinity College) & Sumei Bao-Smith (Trinity College)
2024-25: Hugo Williamson (Robinson) & Daniel Blaze (Clare); Harry Gant (King’s) & Isaac Chan (Clare); Doraly Gill (Sidney Sussex alumna & Clare) & Calvin Leung (Trinity); Adrianna Forbes-Dorant (Pembroke) & Eliza Ruffle (Newnham); Theo Horch (St John’s) & Tingshuo Yang (St John’s)
The continued success of the University Lieder Scheme underscores Cambridge’s dedication to nurturing exceptional musical talent and providing a platform for these artists to flourish. .
