About

Conceptus is an international, multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary ensemble with a membership drawn from the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and Australia. Formed in 2021 during the Coronavirus Pandemic, the ensemble is dedicated to bringing new life to great works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and beyond, with a particular emphasis on Late Romantic British vocal music and song cycles. Their debut album, “Gods, Ghosts and Monsters” was released by Divine Art Records in May 2024 and features music by Butterworth, Warlock, Holst, Bridge and Collins.

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Works

Conceptus has a close relationship with Australian composer Timothy Collins and have recorded his arrangements and compositions extensively. His “Sea Song”, set to the poetry of New Zealand author and poet Katharine Mansfield, also features in the debut album, and has been made into a film directed by James Cardell-Oliver. Tim has also composed the “Rilke Lieder” for the group, a cycle set to poetry by Austrian poet and writer Rainer Maria Rilke.

Conceptus has also commissioned works by German composer Christoph Ritter, and performed the world premiere of his “Meditationes Crucis” in the 2025 Düsseldorf Festival. His Requiem is set for a world premiere and recording in 2027.

Scott Robert Shaw, tenor

Artistic Director

Born and raised in Australia, Scott has been performing as a professional singer since childhood. He began his career and musical education in the British choral tradition, singing as a boy soprano in the St George’s Cathedral Perth choir, where he sang for five years. After his voice change he attended the McDonald College of the Performing Arts in Sydney, where he studied music and acting in the Stanislawksy/Laban tradition, and was awarded a full scholarship for Excellence in Performance. He then attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music Studies and was given the Most Exceptional Contribution to the Arts award from Wesley College, University of Sydney.

Upon moving to London he continued his studies with the English National Opera’s Baylis Programme for young performers and was regularly engaged to perform as a recitalist and operatic tenor in festivals and opera companies in both the United Kingdom and France. He then completed his studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague where he studied Early Music and Classical Singing, and now based in Düsseldorf, is regularly engaged as a soloist in The Netherlands and Germany, with a particular focus on Bach oratoria and Evangelist roles in the Passions.

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Klara Gronet, violin

Klara Gronet was born in Warsaw, Poland in 2000. She started playing the violin at the age of six in Anna Rzymyszkiewicz’s class in Warsaw. Having obtained her Bachelor Degree with Prof. Robert Szreder in the Conservatorium of Maastricht (NL) and Master's with Prof Mihaela Martin in the Hochschule für Musik and Tanz Cologne, Klara is now continuing her studies, Konzert Examen, in Cologne with Prof Ye Eun Choi.

She has won a number of prestigious national and international competitions and has given several critically acclaimed solo recitals in the Netherlands and in Poland. She has also performed as a soloist with Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, The Symphony Orchestra of Delft and others. Klara has participated in masterclasses with many prominent musicians, such as Prof. Dora Schwarzberg, Prof. Stephan Picard and Prof. Marianne Piketty. She has performed in Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Phillips Hall in Eindhoven, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Duke’s Hall in London, as well as the Warsaw Philharmonic, NOSPR, Studio S1, the Royal Castle in Warsaw and many other concert halls. In 2022 Klara has become an Alumni of the prestigious Academy Villecroze in France. She has been also supported by the Julian Cochran Foundation and received a scholarship for her musical development. Klara Gronet plays a highly valuable violin made by Max Muller (Amsterdam 1928) which has been loaned by M. C. Rijsemus (Maastricht).

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Hugo Eedle, cello

Hugo Eedle is a 25-year-old cellist from Scotland. He began playing the cello at the age of ten, studying with Alex McQuiston from age 13. From 2013 to 2017 he was a student at Chethams School of Music, where he was taught by Nicholas Jones. During this time, he won the Dewhust Torevell Competition with his string quartet.

In 2017, he was accepted as a student in Thomas Carrolls class at the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied with the support of the Dewar Arts Award and a scholarship from the college. Since 2018, he has continued his undergraduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne with Thomas Carroll. Hugo has participated in master classes with Karine Georgian, Frans Helmerson, Guy Johnson, Robert Cohen, Francis Guten, and Torleif Thedéen. He has also performed with Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra at venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Milton Court and Dukes Hall. Hugo has been supported by the Hollywood Trust award for a number of years. He won the ‘South of Scotland youth award’ in 2019 and 2020, the Beatrice Harrington award for cellists in 2021, and In 2023 he was a prize winner in the Brigitte-Kempen competition in Aachen, Germany.

Hugo also enjoys playing chamber music, and has performed with his string quartet at venues such as Bridgewater Hall (in Manchester), Barrat Dur institute (Oslo), Mansfield street (London), and the Royal Northen college of Music. He is Scholar of ‘Yehudi Menuhin live music now’ and has performed many concerts around Cologne.

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Fabrizio Ferrari, piano

Italian pianist Fabrizio Ferrari began his musical training at the age of seven. He started his solo piano studies at the Stanislao Giacomantonio Conservatory with Prof. Antonella Calvelli at the age of ten and completed his Bachelor's degree there. This was followed by an academic year at the Cenacolo della Musica International School.

Since 2017, he has been studying in Germany and completed a Master’s degree at the Cologne University of Music and Dance under the tutelage of Prof. Fabio Bidini.

At a young age, Fabrizio participated in national and international competitions, such as the Maggio Musicale Competition in Rossano (1st Prize), the Casa delle Culture Piano Competition in Cosenza (1st Prize), the Orfeo Stillo International Competition (3rd Prize), the Luciano Luciani Piano Competition (1st Prize), the Città di Bucchianico Piano Competition (1st Prize), and others.

Masterclasses with Alexander Kobrin, Leonel Morales, Andreas Frolich, Nina Tichman, Siegfried Mauser, Cristiano Burato, Aldo Ciccolini and others accompanied his musical career.

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