Sinfonia Smith Square announces Fellowship orchestra for 2024/25

London’s Sinfonia Smith Square has revealed the musicians joining its Fellowship programme in 2024-25 which will, for the first time in the organisation’s history, include an organ fellow.

This year’s intake of 34 musicians join Sinfonia Smith Square at a pivotal point in the organisation’s history. Having recently been formally created out of the merger of Southbank Sinfonia and St John’s Smith Square, over the next few years, the organisation will embark on a restoration project that will create and improve spaces for audiences, artists and the Fellowship orchestra.

The 2024-25 Fellowship cohort will gain vital orchestral experience throughout their time on the scheme, which is designed to offer participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in their orchestral role, building skills and expanding their network. Every Fellowship place is free, and every player receives a bursary. More than just an orchestra, it is a community where promising young talents can find their own voice and develop their creative strengths, fulfil personal goals, make lasting contacts to take their musicianship to new frontiers.

As well as a bassoonist who escaped Ukraine, a violinist who was once an aspiring Olympic swimmer and a trumpeter following in her parents’ footsteps as an actor musician, the orchestra will also welcome its inaugural Organ Fellow. Ben Collyer’s experience includes organ scholarships with the University of Oxford at Christ Church Cathedral and at St Paul’s Cathedral, where he was involved in the national Platinum Jubilee Service for HM Queen Elizabeth II.

The full list of new Sinfonia Smith Square Fellows can be found below:

• Violin – Catherine Alsey, Susanna Alsey, Imogen Brewer, Carlota Combis Clara, Emma Downes, Lucy Haggerwood-Bullen, Katie Mazur, Eliza Nagle, Rachel Woo, Flora Yeung
• Viola – Gordon Cervoni, Vanessa Hristova, Yvette Kang, Sara Ramírez Rodríguez
• Cello – Lorraine Janier Dubry, Rachel Newbold, Julia Ng, Izabela Stefańska
• Bass – Chiu Yung Chan, Filipe Modafferi Dandalo
• Flute – Kamilla Dancsa, Rachael Watson
• Oboe – Noah Rudd, Poppy Webb-Taylor
• Clarinet – George Blakesley, Ivan Rogachev
• Bassoon – Vladyslav Demianov, Hannah Harding
• Horn – Isabella Ward-Ackland, Hannah Williams
• Trumpet – Toby Pringle, Eliza Talman
• Timpani/Percussion – Massimo Martone
• Organ – Benjamin Collyer