Biography
I grew up in Bishops Stortford surrounded by lots of music as my dad played fiddle in many folk bands and for morris dancing. When I was 6 my school sent home a letter offering music lessons, so I signed up to learn violin and instantly loved it. I would rush home to show off what I had learnt and as soon as I was able, I played tunes with my dad and sight-read through his folk books. I was fortunate that my teacher taught at Junior Guildhall, and it was there that my love of playing really took off in chamber music and orchestra rehearsals. Junior Guildhall was a huge part of my life growing up, and I was really proud to go there every Saturday between the ages of 7 and 18.
After leaving school I studied music at the University of Birmingham where I did as much performing as possible, alongside composition and studying the academic side of music. The highlights were performing Beethoven Violin Concerto with the university orchestra and being a member of the CBSO Youth Orchestra. My time at university really helped my confidence grow and made me realise that I wanted to pursue playing as a career. I subsequently completed a Masters in Violin Performance at Trinity Laban before starting to build up my freelancing and teaching portfolios.
My time since graduating has been exciting and varied. I’ve worked with a wide variety of orchestras, and I was the leader of 2nd violins at the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra as part of their Young Talent programme. I have also enjoyed playing for shows and functions, gaining as much experience as possible. Alongside performing I’m passionate about music education and making learning an instrument fun! I teach at Saffron Centre for Young Musicians, The Leys School Cambridge and was a Benedetti Ambassador for 2 years. It was completely inspiring witnessing the joy the sessions brought to young people all over the country.
Sharing music in different communities, whether that be in schools, concert halls, hospitals, prisons or other community spaces, is some of the most rewarding and enjoyable work that I’ve done. For me music is about connecting with people, whether that be with audiences, students or fellow musicians, and I’m really looking forward to the diverse range of performances we will get to experience together in the orchestra this year!