Biography
I began playing the violin when I was 6 as my parents encouraged me to take up an instrument. My reasons at that time may have included how this particular violin my school had was purple and sparkly (my two favourite things at that time). However, once I started playing, I quickly knew that the violin was going to be a big part of my life. I think I developed my love for chamber music very early on as my favourite part of each lesson would always be playing Telemann duets for five minutes at the end with my teacher, Ron.
I soon joined the Royal Academy of Music Primary and Junior Departments and really enjoyed being in a community of like-minded young musicians. As a teenager back in my hometown, I won the position of leader with the Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra. There, I got to play the mesmerising solos in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, and even toured China as soloist in Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. I happen to know that I was in Anne Sophie Mutter’s dressing room a day after her, and that made me feel pretty cool…!
I attended the Royal College of Music for both my Undergraduate and Masters degrees, and relished having crazy opportunities ranging from playing in a masterclass to Nicola Benedetti to performing The Planets at the BBC Proms. My proudest achievement at the RCM was forming my own string quartet, The Morassi Quartet, and since we have performed recitals in venues such as the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall and Southwark Cathedral, and even in the Muzyka u Źródeł Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. I still continue solo performing, and most recently feel such an affinity to the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Violin Concerto, which I performed with the Kew Sinfonia and will again this season with the Hertford Symphony Orchestra.
If I had to suggest my ideal career then it would be to find a balance of professional orchestral playing and building a successful career with my Morassi Quartet. I believe that being a good chamber musician makes you a better orchestral player and its a part of my life I simply couldn’t be without. I’m also very passionate about music education and teaching so am thrilled to currently be a Benedetti ambassador.
Other things that bring me endless amounts of joy are discovering beautiful places, badminton with the people I love and going for walks on sunny days.