About
Verano Piano Trio
United by a belief in the unique expressive power of this extraordinary medium,
Verano Piano Trio brings experience, insight and imagination to every performance, seeking to reveal the drama, beauty and humanity at the heart of these great works.
Andy Massey - piano
Andy Massey studied at the Royal College of Music, where he won several major prizes including the coveted Chappell Gold Medal. His early concert career took him throughout the UK and Europe as a soloist with orchestras and in recital, before joining English National Opera in 1996 and later the music staff at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, working with conductors including Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder OBE and Mark Wigglesworth.
His career subsequently broadened into musical theatre, with highlights including Musical Director of Disney’s The Lion Kinginternational tour, Sunset Boulevard for Danish National Opera, and Sum at the Royal Opera House. He was Associate Musical Director of Billy Elliot (2007–2016), and has also worked on Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre), Porgy and Bess (Savoy Theatre), From Here to Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre) and Guys and Dolls (Savoy Theatre).
Today Andy enjoys a varied musical life as pianist, conductor and session musician, working across concert platforms, theatre pits and recording studios. He is also closely involved in organising the Music at St Leonard’s concert series.
Emma Crossley - violin
Emma enjoys a busy musical life performing with many of the London-based orchestras such as The Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, and BBC Symphony Orchestras. She has always sustained a passion for playing chamber music and has led numerous ensembles over the years, winning prizes and performing extensively across the UK and abroad.
Emma is also a dedicated violin and piano teacher who takes great pleasure in nurturing students of all ages and abilities to reach their greatest potential. She was professor of violin at the University of Sheffield, is violin tutor for the English Schools Orchestra, has coached chamber music at the Dartington and Bryanston International Summer Schools, runs her own chamber music courses, and teaches privately in Hitchin.
Toby Turton - cello
Toby has enjoyed a distinguished and wide-ranging career as one of the UK’s most sought-after cellists. He has appeared with virtually all of the country’s leading orchestras, performing in many of Europe’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. A regular guest principal cellist, he has led the cello sections of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia and extensively for Northern Ballet Sinfonia.
His versatility has also seen him share the stage with an extraordinary range of artists and public figures, including Tom Cruise, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sting, Barry Manilow, Sir Simon Rattle and Sigourney Weaver.
A passionate chamber musician, Toby is a longstanding member of the Goldfield Ensemble, performing regularly at the UK’s foremost chamber music venues. With the ensemble he has recorded for Delphian Records and has broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.