Orpheus

Sinfonia

Orpheus Sinfonia is a young and vibrant, bright beacon of the UK’s orchestral scene, producing high-quality performances for public benefit. The orchestra explores new and ground-breaking avenues for performance, outreach work, and community interaction. Orpheus exists for musicians to succeed and discover their creativity, whilst investing in music’s future with meaningful, inspiring audience engagement.

Orpheus Sinfonia was founded in 2009 with the aim to support and nurture talented young musicians, often emerging from conservatoire, to embark on professional careers, by enabling opportunity, work and professional experience. Over the last decade the orchestra has continued to grow and its charitable initiatives and musically enterprising spirit have been recognised and supported through the patronage of Dame Judi Dench, and Sir Antonio Pappano. The orchestra is currently under the artistic direction of international cellist and conductor Thomas Carroll, with Oliver Gooch featuring as principal guest conductor.

Orpheus Sinfonia is the resident orchestra at St George’s Hanover Square in London, but regularly makes appearances throughout the UK with recent notable venues including Royal Festival Hall, London Coliseum, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hackney Empire, and Windsor Castle. Since 2017, Orpheus Sinfonia has been the official orchestra of the International Opera Awards. The orchestra specialises in delivering wide-ranging high-level performances incorporating symphonic repertoire, world premières, curated and bespoke programmes, children’s interactive performances, workshops and introductions, choral works, and orchestra live to film and opera.

The versatility of Orpheus Sinfonia has allowed it to carve out its own special place in an exciting but also highly competitive music industry. Understanding how important it is to nurture a spirit of collaboration amongst artists, Orpheus has recently worked with inspiring and exciting performers such as with Dame Felicity Lott, Tasmin Little, Heinrich Schiff and our Patron, Sir Antonio Pappano. The orchestra has enjoyed performances in festivals including Windsor, Cheltenham, Newbury, Hampstead and Cambridge, welcomed soloists such as Sir Roderick Williams, Anne Sophie Duprels, Brindley Sherratt, Bryan Hymal and Jack Liebeck and toured The Snowman live to film at Christmas in 2018 and in 2019 for the 40th anniversary tour, alongside our programme of core concerts in London. Orpheus Sinfonia has also featured on BBC Radio 3, BBC World Service, Times Radio and released its debut CD on Signum Classics.

Adjourned Concert Series

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Throughout the Covid-19 Global Pandemic, Orpheus Sinfonia has been highly active in
supporting its musicians and keeping their creativity alive. Orpheus has produced over fifty online concerts through its innovative digital Adjourned and Synergy series, and while forging a new partnership with the Wallace Collection, the orchestra has been able to support the livelihoods of its artists and bring joy to audiences around the world. Orpheus, led by its musicians, has evolved as quickly as possible, adapting and exploring its creativity to meet the changing circumstances of this new, constantly changing, and challenging musical landscape. It is part of the orchestra’s mission to provide these performance opportunities throughout these times and these digital concert platforms have enabled the exploration of its musicians creativity, whilst offering those at home momentary escape and respite from the situation, emotional uplift, further well-being and cultural connection. Orpheus Sinfonia is most grateful for the invaluable support of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, Arts Council England, Westminster City Council and private benefactors who have made an extraordinary difference and have made this possible.

Orpheus Sinfonia has received great critical acclaim and a nomination for operatic productions with Iford Arts and Grimeborn Opera Festival. Orpheus’ production of the Rape of Lucretia with the Arcola Theatre won the Offies Best Opera Production in 2019. The same team returned with Das Rheingold, which was selected as one of the Evening Standard’s Top 10 of 2019. The orchestra recently reopened the Hackney Empire in 2021 with a bold reimagining of the second act of Wagner‘s Ring Cycle, Die Walküre for the Grimeborn Festival, which is nominated for Offies Best Opera Production in 2021.

Orpheus Sinfonia strongly believes it has a responsibility to reach new audiences and inspire younger generations with our performances and various bespoke educational projects and programmes, under our Multiplay initiative. We address young people’s lack of musical access, evidenced in government reports, by increasing provision and availability of creative opportunity, through invigorating innovative approaches, educational programmes and targeted outreach opportunities. Orpheus through its work focuses on well-being and relief to bring music to those in need, such as the elderly, vulnerable and isolated. Our partnerships in this area have included working with the Tim Henman Foundation, Trinity Hospice, Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta, Windsor Festival, Iford Arts and Newbury Spring Festival. Recent performances in this area have included the Snowman Tour, with bespoke interactive festive introduction, and with a brand new cinematic and interactive work ‘Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub’.