Author: The Chapel Hill Duo

The Chapel Hill Duo’s music goes beyond the boundaries of genre and challenges the ‘classical’ Violin and Cello stereotypes. With years of experience performing Pop, Jazz, Classical, Film and Folk music, and a firm grounding in the perfection of Classical virtuosity, they explore the limits of what is possible with just two musicians, a Violin and a Cello. Although the Duo are loosely based in the East Midlands, U.K., they spend much of their time touring and playing for hundreds of events across the country. Be it a Concert, Wedding, Corporate event, Party or Primary School assembly, Sarah and Jaya love performing and approach all of their engagements with equal enthusiasm. The Duo’s own intricately detailed covers and arrangements are internationally renowned, selling thousands of copies of sheet music a year. Whether they are tackling the latest top 40 chart hits, epic film-scores or old classics, Sarah and Jaya undertake each new challenge with the same energy and commitment. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide enjoy watching and listening to the Duo perform live and online every year. They have released four albums to date as well as numerous singles of their most popular covers. As a Duo, Jaya and Sarah have performed in numerous world-class venues including Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Green Note London, the Bath & Brighton Komedias, Brighton Pavilion, Europe House London and the National Piping Centre of Scotland. They have also had the pleasure of recording for, and playing live on, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Lincolnshire, among others. In 2011 Violinist Jaya Hanley and Cellist Sarah James met at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. In 2015 the Duo graduated with 1st Class Honours Performance Degrees in their respective instruments, but they came away with so much more than just a qualification. In November the following year Jaya and Sarah got engaged on top of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh – when they find the time, they might actually get around to planning their own wedding!