The Rehearsal Orchestra has always engaged an experienced professional to lead the orchestra, and thanks to a grant from the Musicians' Union, began engaging professionals to lead each of the string sections during the annual residential course at the Edinburgh Festival. We now engage professional section leaders for every course.
Peter studied at the Royal College of Music with Jaroslav Vanecek and later with Emanuel Hurwitz and David Takeno. He continued his studies in Aldeburgh at the Britten-Pears School on courses under Mstislav Rostropovich, Colin Davis & Tamás Vásáry.
He was a member of both the BBC Philharmonic & Radio Orchestras before joining the Bournemouth Sinfonietta as Sub-Principal First Violin. He later spent ten years full-time with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Now a freelance player, Peter also coaches and directs various amateur orchestras and deals in fine stringed instruments and bows.
While studying for her first degree in Genetics at Edinburgh University, Charlotte had worked independently towards her LRAM Violin Teacher's Diploma which she was awarded at the early age of 19. Having completed a further PhD in Human Biochemical Genetics at University College London she decided to return to her first love which was playing the violin. She won a scholarship to study for a Master's Degree in Violin Performance at The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated with distinction 2 years later.
Charlotte has enjoyed a full and varied career as a musician involving teaching and performing. She is currently leader and soloist with The Amersham Festival Orchestra and Academy of St Mary's, Wimbledon and has been leading the Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra since 1981.
In addition, Charlotte has a busy schedule as a principal player in The Oxford Philomusica and several other professional orchestras. She was a founder member of the Edlian Piano Trio who performed widely in the UK and abroad.
Charlotte has been chivvying along the Rehearsal Orchestra second violins for many years and also gave the Prynn Violin Concerto during the 2002 Edinburgh week
Stephen has been Principal of the BBC Concert Orchestra and Co-Principal of the Royal Philharmonic as well as holding principal viola appointments in all the major Scottish orchestras. More recently, he has concentrated on freelance work, particularly in chamber music and solo work, mainly in Cirrus Ensemble, The Lochrian Ensemble and Cantilena, which he co-founded in 1970 and with whom he participates in the Cantilena on Islay Festival each summer.
Stephen first appeared with the Rehearsal Orchestra as guest soloist in the Walton concerto and has been professional principal of the viola section for several years.
Léonie studied in Moscow, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London. She has been Principal with Scottish Opera, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria & Northern Ballet, No.2 with the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and the Philharmonia and No.3 with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also played as a soloist for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, recorded at Abbey Road and played with artists including Jason Donovan, Shirley Bassey and Jeff Beck as well as live on BBC Radio 3 and as a soloist on Radio New Zealand. Léonie was the 'cellist on the Tori Amos musical “The Light Princess” at the National Theatre and deputises on Disney's "The Lion King" and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cinderella" in the West End.
Catherine has been supporting the subterranean section of the Rehearsal Orchestra for a little while now. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1985 and since 1990 has been Sub-Principal Double Bass with the Orchestra of English National Ballet, and works with its education department, taking music and ballet into schools.
Catherine is also the Co-Principal Double Bass of the London Concert Orchestra, the Isis Ensemble, Milton Keynes City Orchestra and Southern Sinfonia. She has a wide and varied freelance career playing with, amongst others, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. She also works in the early music world with the Gabrieli Consort, the Hanover Band and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Catherine is also an active teacher.