Biography

I fell into brass playing entirely by accident. When I was eight years old, my local music hub brought tenor horns and alto trombones to my primary school – I chose the tenor horn because I thought three valves looked easier to learn than a whole slide! I was totally gripped, and was soon combining tenor horn playing in local brass bands with French horn lessons and beginner orchestras.

My early orchestral experiences were both totally overwhelming and completely magical – I played in every band and orchestra I could, and after some early chances on the podium, fell in love with conducting too. I was lucky enough to play with the National Children’s Orchestra, and later joined the National Youth Orchestra too. I can still remember sitting in my NYO first rehearsal and hearing the string section play the start of Sibelius’s Second Symphony – all I could think of was that it felt like I was inside a CD!

After leaving school, I read Music at the University of Oxford, which allowed me to explore the full breadth and depth of musical disciplines – everything from global hip hop to thirteenth century French song! I spent almost all of my time playing in and conducting ensembles and orchestras, and later moved to London to pursue performing full time at the Royal Academy of Music. There, I met amazing musicians and formed two of my own projects that now form a really significant part of my musical life. I’m a proud founder member of Queentet, an all-female brass quintet, and am also the conductor and director of Ensemble Iris, an orchestral collective I founded in 2025. Both projects challenge me to take on new roles and challenges every day – from producing and programming to writing, arranging, and directing!

Orchestral music still lies at the heart of everything I do – freelancing with professional orchestras over the past few years has been a dream come true, and it’s been exciting to start exploring new kinds of orchestral playing, such as opera and commercial sessions. I’m excited to keep building my portfolio career, combining arranging, teaching, and learning and participation with my life as a performing musician.

Outside of music, I’m a keen runner – having grown up in the countryside, I love getting out into nature whenever I get the chance, and love hiking and wild swimming with friends and family.