Violinist May Robertson has won praise for her ‘lovely gaiety’ (Daily Telegraph) and for her ‘virtuoso fidel playing’ (Lark Reviews). Playing violin, viola and vielle, May performs baroque, medieval, and South Asian music, has a particular interest in the seventeenth century and the French baroque, and is a natural improviser.
May’s solo performances include Bach’s Fourth Brandenburg Concerto under Sigiswald Kuijken, and the first recording and BBC Radio 3 broadcast of a newly-discovered Vivaldi violin sonata. May has worked with the London Handel Players, the Academy of Ancient Music, Armonico Consort, Charivari Agréable, Chelys, and Eboracum Baroque. She has also performed in ensembles with Frans Brüggen, Judy Tarling, Barthold Kuijken, Margaret Faultless, Richard Egarr, and Jaap ter Linden.
As a medieval musician, May has worked with Joglaresa for over a decade, performing on numerous recordings and in concerts at the Brighton Early Music Festival, the National Centre for Early Music, and the International Medieval Congress. May is a member of BREMF Live! as part of a new medieval ensemble supported by the festival.
May’s work also regularly crosses cultural boundaries. She has co-created theatre music, improvised accompaniments to Sufi songs with Arieb Azhar, and collaborated with leading specialists of South Asian dance in performances at the Southbank Centre.
May holds degrees from Cambridge University, Trinity Laban, and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. She grew up in Cornwall, and lives in London.
