Biography

My musical journey started with disappointment; at age seven I was desperate to learn the flute, (inspired by my Sleeping Beauty CD-ROM of course) and was saddened to find out that I was too young by my school’s standards. Luckily, I chose to pick up a cello instead! At that age I didn’t know much about the instrument, but I had enjoyed hearing it in various school assemblies, and naturally was drawn to the fact you got to sit down while playing… I’m sure lots of cellists chose it for the same reason!

As soon as I learned vibrato, I got the bug for playing. My teachers growing up were provided in school by Hertfordshire Music Service, and both of them were brilliant. More luck came through my music service as their county youth orchestras were very good, bringing in conductors such as Peter Stark and Ben Gernon. We even did a concert with Guy Johnston playing Dvorak’s cello concerto – completely inspirational for the cello section!

I went to the RNCM for my undergraduate degree, and had a fabulous four years there. Manchester has such vibrant and exciting music scene, and I stewarded at the Bridgewater Hall during my time there, managing to covertly listen to many amazing concerts. I then spent a short but sweet time studying for my postgraduate qualification at Guildhall in London, cut short thanks to the pandemic, and graduated in 2020.

I moved back to Manchester and built up a freelance portfolio as things opened up post-pandemic, one of the most fun ventures being leading Early Years music groups for children aged 0-5. I’ve come to see the huge benefits and enjoyment music brings to young children and absolutely love my work in this area – learning new things about myself too.

I’ve played in a huge variety of projects up north, a highlight being a run of the European premiere of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway revival). The weirdest gig so far has been finding four seconds of fame as a TV series extra in a period drama… but thankfully, they didn’t pay per second!

Outside of music, you’ll find me wandering around an art gallery, eating a lot of pasta, or indulging my newfound interest in F1 races with friends.