Led by a professional conductor but jointly run by an elected student committee, The Royal Holloway University of London Symphony Orchestra meets weekly, giving three concerts per year in the Windsor Auditorium. The orchestra has most recently performed alongside the London Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Magna Carta 800 celebration in Runnymede, in the presence of HM the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William Duke of Cambridge, and Prime Minister David Cameron.
The orchestra endeavours to create a lively, challenging, and social basis for orchestral life at the College and comprises students from across the university. The orchestra meets on Wednesdays from 6-9pm, enabling students from across the University to participate for there are no lectures on Wednesday afternoons. Some weekly rehearsals are used for special workshops, reading sessions, come and conduct sessions, and other activities that will serve to enhance orchestral training, complement repertoire, and enrich the orchestral life at Royal Holloway. Social activities take place throughout the year and are run by the Orchestra Committee.
Sectionals take place throughout the year, led by members of our Instrumental Faculty, and professional orchestral coaches from Royal Holloway's associations with the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Past soloists have included Tim Hugh, David Pyatt, Roger Chase, Nicola Eimer, Gemma Rosefield, James Kirby, and Mark van de Wiel. There are opportunities to perform with the orchestra through the concerto competition that takes place each Spring.
Entry is by audition during the first week of term, and comprises performing a short excerpt from a solo piece together with some sight-reading.
2017-18 Artistic Leadership
Conductor Rebecca Miller
Assistant Conductor Claire Clyne
Performance Manager Nathan James Dearden
Orchestral Manager Sophie Glenny
Assistant Orchestral Manager Jess Cooling
Tour Manager Rock Lee
Stage Manager Emily de Gruchy
Assistant Stage Managers Sophie Hooper, Liesl Chan, Sing Yee Tan
Orchestral Librarians Sue Ling Chan, Beth Penny
The Royal Holloway Chamber Orchestra features the most distinguished musicians in the department, and features a professional conductor. It operates on an intensive weekend rehearsal process (during the week preceding each concert) in an effort to train students for the short-rehearsal processes found commonly in the professional world. The orchestra gives two concerts per year, midway through each term, and features prominently as part of the ‘mini-festivals’. Repertoire focuses on Baroque and Classical pieces, but also integrates 20th century works for chamber orchestra. Soloists will be a mixture of professionals and student winners of the concerto competition. The RHULCO is the only orchestra to participate in our London Mozart Players side-by-side scheme.
Entry is by audition in the second week of September, and comprises performing a short excerpt from a solo piece together with some sight-reading.
2017-18 Artistic Leadership
Conductor Rebecca Miller
Performance Manager Nathan James Dearden
Orchestral Manager Sophie Glenny