Archives

News

Dominic Wells – Conductor

Having graduated with first-class honours for a B.Mus at Royal Holloway, University of London, Dominic received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to continue with an M.Mus at the same institution. He then spent a year working (and living) at Westminster Cathedral, before returning to academia for a PhD, supported by a Doctoral Fellowship, at Durham University. In 2012 he was awarded his PhD, which focused on the concept of retrospection in the music of James MacMillan, with regard to religious, political and musical traditions. He has published book chapters and journal articles for Cambridge University Press and Routledge on the music of MacMillan, Thomas Adès and David Lang, and his research interests include issues of modernism and postmodernism, religious music and the contemporary British music scene.  For the last decade, Dominic has worked at BBC Radio 3, where he is lead producer for the Wigmore Hall lunchtime concerts series. At Radio 3 he also produces Essential Classics, Night Tracks, Radio 3 in Concert, Proms, and the New Generation Artists scheme. He writes for ABRSM publications and record companies including Naxos and Ondine, and is also the conductor of the Orpington Chorale.

Soloist profile: Zoe Barnett

Zoe Barnett is a classical guitarist who is currently studying at the Royal College of Music for a Master of Performance where she is generously supported by the Derek Butler Trust and the Sussex Young Musician Award. In 2022, Zoe enjoyed performances in Wigmore Hall, Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. She was awarded the title of Sussex Young Musician of The Year 2022 and first prize in the Guitar Competition at the RCM. Zoe is currently an awardee of the International Guitar Foundation’s ‘Young Artist Platform’ where she has performed in the London Guitar Festival at Kings Place and has premiered new repertoire for the guitar.

Soloist profile: Izzy Cheesman

Izy completed both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music in London, winning a scholarship place in 2015 and graduating in 2021 with Distinction. Izy studied oboe under the tuition of John Anderson, Fabien Thouand, Juliana Koch, and Olivier Stankiewicz, and cor anglais with Christine Pendrill and Jane Marshall.

Solist Profile: Stone Tung

Stone Tung was born in Hong Kong and has started learning trumpet at the age of 6, alongside piano and voice. A graduate of the Chetham’s School of Music, he is now studying at the Royal College of Music, London, with Mark Calder, James Fountain and Kate Moore on a full scholarship supported by the Croucher Hong Kong Charitable Trust. He has participated in masterclasses with Gustav Melander, Paul Archibald and Henning Kraggerud

Tickets now available online!

Our concert tickets are now available online. Simply visit Ticketsource to purchase yours for our Summer Concert before 18th June. Tickets will also be available on the door for both cash and card payments.

Emily Singh – Conductor

Emily Singh, 26, is a conductor, clarinettist, and pianist based in Kent.

Described as “poised and precise”, Emily has been conducting since university where she founded and led several ensembles: she co-founded the university’s first auditioned wind ensemble while studying a Bachelor’s degree in Music…

Soloist profile: Zoë Perkins

The Soloist for our Christmas Concert on Saturday December 14 2019 is Zoë Perkins.

Zoë began her musical career at the age of 7 playing the cornet but soon moved to playing the trumpet when she began lessons with Cambridge based teacher Michel Sedgwick. In 2013 Zoë commenced her studies at the Royal Academy of Music …

Introducing Daniel Hogan

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel Hogan as Musical director for our 70th season. Daniel Hogan is 22 and an aspiring conductor who, as described by players in the Watford Youth Sinfonia, ‘draws emotion out of each individual player’ and ‘has a similar musical maturity to much older conductors’.

Soloist profile: Akito Goto

Our next concert will present Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, featuring Cello soloist Akito Goto.

Akito Goto was born in 1995 and started playing the cello at the age of 5; from the age of eight to thirteen he studied at the renowned Toho Gakuen School of Music in Japan under the tutelage of Hakuro Mori. At thirteen he was accepted to study with Pal Banda at the Purcell School of Music in London, and since 2013 at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the class of Louise Hopkins.

Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Fauré & Poulenc

Here’s a small taster of the extensive programme notes that Sean has written for our next concert. It’s easy to get caught up in his passion for music, particularly when the notes run to three pages in the programme! You’ll have to come along this Saturday to read the rest… and of course to hear the concert.

Soloist profile – Nelson Sinclair-Strong

Our next concert will feature soloist Nelson Sinclair-Strong performing Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No.1.

Nelson is currently studying in his fourth year at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) where he enjoys a varied schedule of solo, chamber and orchestral engagements. He has been Principal clarinet with the Royal Academy Opera in their performance of Don Giovanni, 2nd Clarinet and Eb clarinet with the Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra and performed with the Manson Ensemble alongside the London Sinfonietta performing Stockhausen’s Trans. 

Our new conductor

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new conductor, Sean Morris for our 69th Season, and we’re excited for the future of Orpington Symphony Orchestra with Sean at the helm.

An evening of Mozart, Mendelssohn and Haydn

Concert: Saturday 1st April, 2017 – 7.30pm
The Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, commonly known as the Italian is an orchestral symphony written by German composer Felix Mendelssohn, and inspired by his travels in Italy.

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto featuring soloist Haru Ushigusa

Our next concert will present Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Symphony no.3 (Eroica) and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with soloist Haru Ushigusa.

Tchaikovsky, Lehar and John Williams

Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony is one of his most popular works, despite his own opinion, written after its second performance; “I have come to the conclusion that it is a failure”.

A programme to celebrate the bicentenary of the English composer, William Sterndale Bennett – featuring David Owen Norris

This concert celebrates bicentenary of the birth of the composer, pianist, conductor, and influential music educator, William Sterndale Bennett. Born in Sheffield on 13th April 1816, and brought up by his grandfather after he was orphaned at the age of 3, Bennett was a child prodigy as a singer, violinist and pianist. He won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 10.

Repetoire

These are some of our previous concerts’ repertoire

 

March, 2019

Mendelssohn – Overture – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mozart – Symphony No.35 (Haffner)
Weber – Clarinet Concerto No.1 (Soloist Nelson Sinclair-Strong)

 

June, 2018

Beethoven – Overture: Coriolan
Beethoven – Violin Concerto (soloist: Haru Ushigusa)
Beethoven – Symphony No.7

 

March, 2018

Schubert – Symphony No.4 in Cmin
Brahms – Symphony No.3

 

December, 2017

Mendelssohn – Overture: Ruy Blas
Liadov  – Six  pieces
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No.1

 

June, 2017

Mendelssohn – Hebrides Overture
Schubert – Symphony No.6
Schumann – Symphony No.4

 

April, 2017

Mozart – Movements from Idomeneo Ballet Music 
Haydn – Symphony No.99 
Mendelssohn – Symphony No.4 (Italian) 

 

December, 2016

Beethoven – Overture: Egmont
Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto (soloist: Haru Ushigusa)
Beethoven – Symphony No.3 (Eroica)

 

June, 2016

Tchaikovsky – Symphony no 5
Tchaikovsky – Waltz and Polonaise from Eugene Onegin
Lehar – Selection from the Merry Widow
John Williams – Suite from Star Wars

 

March, 2016

William Sterndale Bennett – Overture: The Naiades
William Sterndale Bennett – Piano Concerto no 4 – Soloist: David Owen Norris
Beethoven – Symphony no 5 in C minor

 

December, 2015

Verdi – Overture: La forza del destino
Dvorak – Cello Concerto – Soloist: Madeleine Ridd
Brahms – Symphony no 4 in E minor

 

June, 2015

Brahms – Movements from Serenade in D Op11
Brahms – Hungarian Dances
Rachmaninov – Symphony no 2

 

March, 2015

Strauss – Overture: Die Fledermaus
Schubert – Symphony no 5
Schumann – Symphony no 3 (Rhenish)

 

December, 2014

Mozart – Symphony no 35 (Haffner)
Mozart – Sinfonia Concertante, Soloists: Susie Meszaros (Violin) and Ursula John (Viola)
Beethoven – Symphony no 7

 

June, 2014

Beethoven – Symphony no 4
Poulenc – Piano Concerto – Soloist: Raymond Lewis, guest conductor: Crispin Lewis
Parry – Elegy for Brahms
Khachaturian – Masquerade Suite

 

March, 2014

Schubert – Overture in D
Schubert – Symphony no 3
Mendelssohn – 5th Symphony (Reformation)

 

December, 2013

Mendelssohn – Ruy Blas
Brahms – St Anthony variations
Brahms – Symphony 1

 

June, 2013

Tchaikovsky – Suite no. 3 in G minor
Tchaikovsky – Symphony no 4

 

March, 2013

Beethoven – Overture Leonora no. 1
Brahms – Concerto for violin and cello – Anna Croad violin,  Alex Barnes – cello
Mendelssohn – Symphony no 3 (Scottish)

 

December, 2012

Beethoven – Overture: The Creatures of Prometheus
Schubert – Symphony no 2 (Prometheus)
Beethoven – Symphony no. 3 (Eroica)

 

June, 2012

Guest conductor: Crispin Lewis
Tchaikovsky – Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet
Saint-Saens – Organ Symphony no. 3 (organ) – Raymond Lewis  – organ
Liadov – The Enchanted Lake and other piece

 

March, 2012

Brahms – Tragic Overture

Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite no. 1

Tchaikovsky – Polonaise and Waltz (Eugene Onegin)

Tchaikovsky – Symphony no. 2 (Little Russian)

 

December, 2011

Beethoven – Overture: Coriolan
Leo Weiner – Serenade for Small Orchestra op. 3
Weber – Clarinet Concerto no. 1 – Nadia Wilson – clarinet
Beethoven – Symphony no. 1

 

June, 2011

Mendelssohn – Overture: Fingal’s Cave

Mendelssohn – Piano Concerto no. 2 in D minor – soloist: Clare Hammond

Mendelssohn – Nocturne

Mendelssohn – Symphony no. 4 (Italian)

 

April, 2011

Schubert  – Italian Overture D. 592

Haydn – Symphony no. 103 (Drum Roll)

Schubert – Symphony no. 1 in D

Kabalevsky – Suite: The Comedians

 

December, 2010

Beethoven  – Overture: The Consecration of the House

C.H.H. Parry – Elegy for Brahms

Tchaikovsky – Symphony no. 6 (Pathetique)

 

June, 2010

Wagner – Overture: Die Meistersinger
Brahms – St Anthony Variations
Litolff – Scherzo (soloist: Sarah Mercer)
Rachmaninov – Symphony no. 2

 

March, 2010

Beethoven – Overture: Coriolan
Wagner – Sigfried Idyll
Schumann – Cello Concerto (Soloist: Richard Birchall)
Beethoven – Symphony no. 4

 

December, 2009

Haydn – Symphony no. 101
Elgar – The Wand of Youth Suite
Schumann – Symphony no. 4

 

June, 2009

Stravinsky – Pulcinella Suite
Tchaikovsky – Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin (soloist: Clare Laker-Mansfield)
Tchaikovsky – Symphony no. 5

 

March, 2009

Bizet – Jeux d’enfants
Massenet   – Suite: Le Cid
Beethoven – Symphony no. 3

 

December, 2008

Mozart – Overture: Cosi fan tutte
Schumann – Piano concerto (soloist: Raymond Lewis, guest conductor: Crispin Lewis)
Schubert – Music from Rosamund
Schubert – Symphony no. 6

 

June, 2008

Humperdinck – Overture: Hansel und Gretel
Mozart – Symphony no. 35 (Haffner)
Mahler – Kindertotenlieder – (soloist: Crispin Lewis)
Khatchaturian – Masquerade Suite

 

March, 2008

Beethoven – Overture: Coriolan
Faurè – Suite Masque e Bergamasques
Vaughan Williams – Concerto for oboe & strings (soloist: Jenni Britton)
Beethoven  – Symphony no. 2