I began flute lessons at the age of 8 and before long I was really absorbed in learning more. It rapidly took over more of my free time as I gained an appetite for learning new music and taking part in groups and ensembles in the area. Growing up in Hertfordshire, I was fortunate enough to be involved in the fantastic youth orchestra programme in the area, which I joined as a teenager. This introduced me to a range of new music and really ignited my passion for orchestral playing.
After gaining a place at the Guildhall School in London, I continued to develop and immerse myself as much as I could, gaining a passion for composition and contemporary music in the process. During my time at music college I had the privilege to work on several occasions with DeCoda - the affiliate ensemble of the Carnegie Hall - a group that inspired me to approach outreach in an entirely new way. The sense of engagement and interest that our work managed to achieve with several groups of school children was really influential and to this day is one of the most rewarding projects I have been a part of. As my studies came to an end I began to broaden my repertoire and as a result of my work with the DeCoda ensemble, I helped start the Snaps Ensemble with some colleagues and began developing outreach opportunities and performances with the emphasis on bringing live music to places where it wouldn’t often be heard, and to audiences that otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to hear it. I hope that during my time with Southbank Sinfonia I am able to continue developing as a player and musician, in a creative environment looking to experiment and develop new ways of keeping music fresh.
Alongside music I love reading, embarrassing myself trying to play tennis and I have a great passion for languages and as a result, Duolingo.
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
London, UK
Where’s your favourite place to listen to music and why?
On the Victoria line - anything to block out the noise.
How would you persuade someone who has never heard ‘classical music’ before to come with you to a concert?
Tell them it’s just music, there’s no way of listening to it ‘wrong’ - then let the players do the rest of the job.
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.
Due to an obsession with puzzles when I was younger, I still remember how to solve all the Rubik's cubes up to a five by five.
Marcus is a member of the 2020-2021 fellowship.