Patricia Noall

Patricia Noall was educated at Truro High School and in her last year reached the finals of the Daily Mirror ‘Young Pianist of the Year’ national competition.  She entered full time study at the Royal Academy of Music with piano and violin as equal first studies for three years but relinquished the piano in her fourth and final year to concentrate on the violin.  During her time at the R.A. M Patricia was awarded several prizes including the Beare Prize, receiving a gold mounted engraved bow.

Patricia’s violin studies continued with Professor Wilhelm Stross at the Musikhochschule in Munich with scholarships from the Bavarian Government and the Arts Council of Great Britain. Two years later she studied with Professor Yfrah Neaman, first privately, with funding from the Chase Charity, and then as a Secombe Scholar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  She remained a regular pupil of Professor Neaman for the next five years during which time she married another of his pupils, Mark Knight. Mark is Professor of Violin and Viola at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. They have been married for forty-five years.

During this period Patricia became a freelance player as well as undertaking a little teaching.  She worked with many ensembles, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  In 1969 the family (daughter and dog!) moved to Southampton.  Here she formed a duo with the pianist June Evans presenting many recitals.  She also worked at the university leading and coaching the symphony and chamber orchestras where she gave many solo performances. Involvement in the performances of new works by lecturers, including Jonathan Harvey, was frequent.

In 1979 Patricia was invited to join the Specialist Music staff at Wells Cathedral School where she still currently teaches. Since then she has taught many successful violinists and violists the most notable being Philip Dukes, who has been both a soloist at the BBC Promenade Concerts as well as a regular performer for BBC Radio 3, with an international reputation. Mark and Patricia’s daughter, Josephine Knight is a professional solo ‘cellist who has also been a soloist at the BBC Promenade concerts as well as playing regularly with the BBC and who is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music.

Patricia has played as a chamber musician in many European countries. She taught at the Junior School of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for thirteen years and was a Guildhall Examiner for several years.  She is a regular reviewer for the European String Teachers Association magazine “arco” and is an extremely busy teacher.