About me
Photo by Bethany McLeish
I am originally from Caernarfon in north Wales and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales for six years. Whilst in sixth form I commuted to and from Manchester every Saturday to attend the Junior RNCM where I studied the violin under Steve Wilkie. I moved to Manchester in 2015 to study music at the University of Manchester and had violin lessons with Jonathan Martindale. Soon after starting I formed the AdLib Quartet with whom I regularly performed at functions and concerts up until June 2019. Highlights include two collaborations with Manchester-based jazz trio ‘Tom Barber Trio’ and a performance of Thomas Adès’ ‘Four Quarters’ at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in 2019. As well as becoming a member of the university’s music society (MUMS) and leading the orchestra on several occasions, I also became a member of the Manchester-based new music ensemble ‘No Dice Collective’ who put on concerts twice a year to showcase new works, often in collaboration with other art forms.
During my time at university I took part in a recording session at Maida Vale Studios as a part of BBC Cymru Wales’ ‘Horizons’ scheme, recording sessions for up and coming rock, pop and folk musicians. Since graduating from the University of Manchester with a First-Class Honours degree in music, I have continued to seek out performance experiences and freelance opportunities. I am a current member of the ‘Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra’ who are regularly involved in outreach projects and performances at events and concerts around Manchester as well as ‘North East Wales Sinfonia’ with whom I played in the world premiere of Rebecca Dale's ‘Materna Requiem’ at the North Wales International Music Festival in 2018. I also toured with ‘Opra Cymru’ for their production of Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ in April/May 2019, played in the premiere of Jonny Greenwood's ‘Horror vacui’ at the BBC Proms in September 2019 and have experience depping in one-off concerts with several orchestras.
I am currently studying for a Masters degree on the violin under Leland Chen at the Royal Northern College of Music.