I come from a family of musicians with both my parents performing professionally and my grandmother running a music school. As far back as I can remember I was sleeping through concerts on my mother’s knee, continuously surrounded by international musicians who visited the house and begging my parents to let me play an instrument myself! Although I used to carry one around with me from as early as I could walk, I began learning the violin properly when I was six and made my first performance on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean in a Richard Baker ‘Festival at Sea’. As you can see, music is in my blood and has always been associated with fun and excitement.
I studied the violin with Pauline Scott until I was 14 and since then have studied with Paul Barritt. I recently graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford where I got many amazing opportunities. In my first year I won the Oxford Concerto Competition playing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2 with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. I also had an array of masterclasses and during my studies I continued to give recitals across the UK and Europe, often partnering my father (pianist) and sister (cellist).
My most memorable performances include playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at the ‘Battle Proms’ (Battle of Britain meets Glastonbury) with the New English Concert Orchestra and Douglas Coombes. I got rather fond of the feeling of playing through massive speakers to a field of over 12,000 people!
When musicians aren’t practising, they’re usually eating! My second big passion is cooking. In my gap year, I trained as a chef and I have been everything from a plongeur to a head chef in the kitchen. I am a particular fan of Ottolenghi’s food and have spent many an hour Instagramming my takes on his dishes. I also do lots of running, cycling and swimming in my free time.
I am very lucky to have been lent a Paul Bailly violin (c.1890) by Beare Violins Ltd.
University of Oxford
Oxford, UK
What is your favourite piece of music and why do you love it?
My answer to this question seems to change almost daily! However, my favourite piece at the moment is Richard Strauss’ Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings which I have been lucky enough to play a few times. Because of the 23 individual parts, every person in the orchestra is important in the unit in a totally unique way and the resultant sound of all the different moving parts is extraordinarily intense.
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.
I’m a qualified ski instructor.