About
Breakfast Club is a quartet of flutes (Detta Danford and Evi Nakou), recorders / voice (Rhia Parker) and cello (Natasha Zielazinski) brought together through a love of music, sounds, colours and people.
Since forming, we has performed in various UK venues and have partnered with Barbican/ LSO Culture Mile (London), the Stegi - Onassis Foundation (Greece) and the Greek National Opera. Our work is deeply rooted in environments and communities, engaging with people with important stories to tell, in particular migrant and refugee women.
Passionate about the way in which music can express the human condition, Breakfast Club is a celebration of stories and the unique sonorities of this particular ensemble of instruments.
Rhia Parker
Recorders / Voice
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Rhia Parker is a recorder player, composer and workshop leader. Her work encompasses a diverse range of settings and contexts with a focus on connection, communication and quality. Rhia leads a practical research project into music and dementia at two leading London Hospitals, and is training staff and students at de Montford University to deliver creative music workshops in care homes. She is also a musician for Music in Hospitals through which she has performed and facilitated workshops in nursing homes and special needs schools. Rhia is a leader for a drumming project and works specifically with children who are deaf and/ or hearing impaired. She is a tutor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has lead creative music sessions in schools, with community groups and with adults with disabilities.
As a composer and musician, Rhia has performed her own work at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Aus); the Sydney Fringe Festival (Aus); and the Curious Festival (UK) amongst others. She was invited to the Bang on A Can Summer Institute (MA, USA) where she work with a collective of international musicians and composers, before returning for a 5 week residency in New York. She toured Australia with the Helpmann Award winning theatre production, Namatjira and was co-founder of the Sydney based ensemble The Alaska Orchestra which performed at venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art. Now based in London Rhia performs extensively with her recorder duo Gold Vox and her ensemble Breakfast Club.
Recorders / Voice
Rhia Parker is a recorder player, composer and workshop leader. Her work encompasses a diverse range of settings and contexts with a focus on connection, communication and quality. Rhia leads a practical research project into music and dementia at two leading London Hospitals, and is training staff and students at de Montford University to deliver creative music workshops in care homes. She is also a musician for Music in Hospitals through which she has performed and facilitated workshops in nursing homes and special needs schools. Rhia is a leader for a drumming project and works specifically with children who are deaf and/ or hearing impaired. She is a tutor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has lead creative music sessions in schools, with community groups and with adults with disabilities.
As a composer and musician, Rhia has performed her own work at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Aus); the Sydney Fringe Festival (Aus); and the Curious Festival (UK) amongst others. She was invited to the Bang on A Can Summer Institute (MA, USA) where she work with a collective of international musicians and composers, before returning for a 5 week residency in New York. She toured Australia with the Helpmann Award winning theatre production, Namatjira and was co-founder of the Sydney based ensemble The Alaska Orchestra which performed at venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art. Now based in London Rhia performs extensively with her recorder duo Gold Vox and her ensemble Breakfast Club.
Evi Nakou
Flutes
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evi nakou is a performer, sound artist and project leader with a diverse practice in the arts. Splitting her time between Athens and London, her work sits at the intersection of context-led devised practice and interdisciplinary performance. As a performer and sound artist she has collaborated with artists, ensembles and orchestras spanning a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. evi is the co-founder of the music ensemble Breakfast Club quartet, while she is a member of the multimedia arts collective Medea Electronique. She has performed at the Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, London, and SNFCC, Onassis Cultural Centre, Electric Lights festival, Athens, among others.
As a project leader, evi has worked extensively in Greece and internationally including collaborations with the Barbican Centre, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Culture Mile, Drum Works, PAN Intercultural Arts for victims of human trafficking, Paxos International Music Festival, Edward Said Conservatory and Beit al Musica, Melissa Network for Migrant Women, Women for Refugee Women. As a tutor and mentor, she has worked with undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2013-2017).
Between 2016 and 2019, evi was appointed as Head of Learning and Participation at the Greek National Opera, where she curated, led and produced a vast number of multidisciplinary projects in the community. In 2019, the Greek National Opera’s program “Co-OPERAtive: an intercultural and collaborative hub for young people”, was awarded with the 2019 Fedora Prize for Education.
Since October 2019 evi has been an curator for the Athens & Epidaurus Festival.
Flutes
evi nakou is a performer, sound artist and project leader with a diverse practice in the arts. Splitting her time between Athens and London, her work sits at the intersection of context-led devised practice and interdisciplinary performance. As a performer and sound artist she has collaborated with artists, ensembles and orchestras spanning a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. evi is the co-founder of the music ensemble Breakfast Club quartet, while she is a member of the multimedia arts collective Medea Electronique. She has performed at the Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, London, and SNFCC, Onassis Cultural Centre, Electric Lights festival, Athens, among others.
As a project leader, evi has worked extensively in Greece and internationally including collaborations with the Barbican Centre, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Culture Mile, Drum Works, PAN Intercultural Arts for victims of human trafficking, Paxos International Music Festival, Edward Said Conservatory and Beit al Musica, Melissa Network for Migrant Women, Women for Refugee Women. As a tutor and mentor, she has worked with undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2013-2017).
Between 2016 and 2019, evi was appointed as Head of Learning and Participation at the Greek National Opera, where she curated, led and produced a vast number of multidisciplinary projects in the community. In 2019, the Greek National Opera’s program “Co-OPERAtive: an intercultural and collaborative hub for young people”, was awarded with the 2019 Fedora Prize for Education.
Since October 2019 evi has been an curator for the Athens & Epidaurus Festival.
Natasha Zielazinski
Cello![]()
Born and raised in the US, Natasha is a London based cellist and composer with a diverse practice in the arts. As a player she enjoys contemporary repertoire, early music, free improvisation and folk music. Natasha regularly performs, composes and collaborates with artists spanning a wide range of backgrounds such as Kate Tempest, Gaslamp Killer, Kanye West and Hofesh Shechter, with performances at Sadler’s Wells, the Southbank Centre, the Royal Court Theatre, the Barbican Centre, the Melbourne International Festival, Glastonbury Festival and Madison Square Gardens. Natasha is also a co-founder of contemporary music ensemble Jetsam, listed in Folk Radio UK’s Best Albums 2014 for their release of A Dream Life of Hackney Marshes.
Natasha teaches at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and co-leads the Barbican Creative Learning ensemble Future Band. As a leader, composer and in leading training courses she has worked with the New York Philharmonic, the Tokyo College of Music, Peabody Institute of Music, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra among others.
Cello
Born and raised in the US, Natasha is a London based cellist and composer with a diverse practice in the arts. As a player she enjoys contemporary repertoire, early music, free improvisation and folk music. Natasha regularly performs, composes and collaborates with artists spanning a wide range of backgrounds such as Kate Tempest, Gaslamp Killer, Kanye West and Hofesh Shechter, with performances at Sadler’s Wells, the Southbank Centre, the Royal Court Theatre, the Barbican Centre, the Melbourne International Festival, Glastonbury Festival and Madison Square Gardens. Natasha is also a co-founder of contemporary music ensemble Jetsam, listed in Folk Radio UK’s Best Albums 2014 for their release of A Dream Life of Hackney Marshes.
Natasha teaches at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and co-leads the Barbican Creative Learning ensemble Future Band. As a leader, composer and in leading training courses she has worked with the New York Philharmonic, the Tokyo College of Music, Peabody Institute of Music, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra among others.
Detta Danford
Flutes
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Detta Danford is a performer, composer and project leader with a diverse arts practice. Her work involves collaborating, performing and creating new work with ensembles and orchestras and within theatre, film and the visual arts. Detta is a co- founder of several ensembles who create new works within a multi-disciplinary context. These include the quartet Breakfast Club and contemporary music ensemble Jetsam. Detta has performed as part of the Bishopsgate Emerging Artists Programme, at the Bath International Festival, the Barbican Centre, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Wigmore Hall, Trafalgar Square, London and the Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens among others.
As a project leader and composer, Detta has worked extensively throughout the UK and internationally. Recent projects include work with the Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, Aldeburgh Music, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo College of Music. Since 2008, she has led the Barbican Creative Learning ensemble, Future Band, a group of young musicians from across London who create and perform original and commissioned works. She is a committed teacher, tutor and mentor, working with undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and as a guest tutor at the Royal Conservatoire in Den Haag. Detta recently qualified as a coach with the Institute of Leadership and Management in the UK and is particularly interested in combining approaches to coaching and mentoring with her work in creative, collaborative arts practice
Flutes
Detta Danford is a performer, composer and project leader with a diverse arts practice. Her work involves collaborating, performing and creating new work with ensembles and orchestras and within theatre, film and the visual arts. Detta is a co- founder of several ensembles who create new works within a multi-disciplinary context. These include the quartet Breakfast Club and contemporary music ensemble Jetsam. Detta has performed as part of the Bishopsgate Emerging Artists Programme, at the Bath International Festival, the Barbican Centre, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Wigmore Hall, Trafalgar Square, London and the Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens among others.
As a project leader and composer, Detta has worked extensively throughout the UK and internationally. Recent projects include work with the Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, Aldeburgh Music, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo College of Music. Since 2008, she has led the Barbican Creative Learning ensemble, Future Band, a group of young musicians from across London who create and perform original and commissioned works. She is a committed teacher, tutor and mentor, working with undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and as a guest tutor at the Royal Conservatoire in Den Haag. Detta recently qualified as a coach with the Institute of Leadership and Management in the UK and is particularly interested in combining approaches to coaching and mentoring with her work in creative, collaborative arts practice