ARAM Associate of the Royal Academy of Music
Founder & Artistic Director - The Dionysus Ensemble
Played: Principal Cello - Scottish Opera, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Manchester Camerata, Northern Ballet & Orchestra of the Swan
No.2 - Royal Opera House, English National Opera, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra & Philharmonia
No.3 - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloist for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace
Recorded at Abbey Road & played with artists including Jason Donovan, Shirley Bassey & Jeff Beck
Performed live on radio internationally including BBC Radio 3 & Radio New Zealand
Cellist for Tori Amos musical “The Light Princess” - National Theatre 2013-14
Deputised - Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cinderella" until closing & Disney's "The Lion King" 2014 ongoing
Performed - Indian High Commission's Nehru Centre: fusion of Western Classical & Indian Traditional music with Kuljit Bhamra MBE (tabla)
Education project leader for TDE, Orchestra of the Swan, Three Choirs Festival & Ledbury Poetry Festival plus creating 3 series of community interactive children's concerts
Workshop leader: Christchurch NZ schools including ‘cello, orchestral & chamber group coaching
Orchestral cello coach - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Guest panel lecturer - Royal College of Music 2023
Masterclass professor: New Zealand Christchurch School of Music & New Zealand Hawkes Bay Music Society
Cello, improvisation, chamber music & orchestral coach - UK Summer Schools
Outreach programmes - orchestras including the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic & English National Opera : different institutions varying in age, social background, financial resources, ability & capability of participants, including SEND schools, care homes, hospices & nurseries
I created this in the first lockdown of the 2020 pandemic, a first foray into arranging, home recording, videoing and video production!
Founder & Artistic Director - The Dionysus Ensemble
Played: Principal Cello - Scottish Opera, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Manchester Camerata, Northern Ballet & Orchestra of the Swan
No.2 - Royal Opera House, English National Opera, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra & Philharmonia
No.3 - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloist for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace
Recorded at Abbey Road & played with artists including Jason Donovan, Shirley Bassey & Jeff Beck
Performed live on radio internationally including BBC Radio 3 & Radio New Zealand
Cellist for Tori Amos musical “The Light Princess” - National Theatre 2013-14
Deputised - Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cinderella" until closing & Disney's "The Lion King" 2014 ongoing
Performed - Indian High Commission's Nehru Centre: fusion of Western Classical & Indian Traditional music with Kuljit Bhamra MBE (tabla)
Education project leader for TDE, Orchestra of the Swan, Three Choirs Festival & Ledbury Poetry Festival plus creating 3 series of community interactive children's concerts
Workshop leader: Christchurch NZ schools including ‘cello, orchestral & chamber group coaching
Orchestral cello coach - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Guest panel lecturer - Royal College of Music 2023
Masterclass professor: New Zealand Christchurch School of Music & New Zealand Hawkes Bay Music Society
Cello, improvisation, chamber music & orchestral coach - UK Summer Schools
Outreach programmes - orchestras including the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic & English National Opera : different institutions varying in age, social background, financial resources, ability & capability of participants, including SEND schools, care homes, hospices & nurseries
I created this in the first lockdown of the 2020 pandemic, a first foray into arranging, home recording, videoing and video production!
I collaborated with Kuljit Bhamra MBE on a solo cello and tabla piece, which we performed at Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
This collaboration developed into us, along with other members of my chamber group, being invited to perform at the Indian High Commission's Nehru Centre in Mayfair in September 2019.
Our musical programme showcased the fusion of Western Classical music with Indian Traditional music, by combining strings and tabla.
Our musical programme showcased the fusion of Western Classical music with Indian Traditional music, by combining strings and tabla.
I am the founder & Artistic director of The Dionysus Ensemble (TDE), and so invent, devise and run every TDE project. I also play cello in all of TDE's projects.
TDE projects are all based on my desire to tell stories, to engage people with topics through music which can then lead to discussion, awareness and even action.
My personal artistic and musical development spills over into and heavily influences the work that TDE does and the direction that it takes, my individual experiences and musical collaborations often develop into larger projects where TDE can expand on, and reach a wider audience with, the same themes and ideas of embracing and celebrating diversity of culture - as seen by the progression of my work with Kuljit Bhamra MBE.
For example:
In autumn 2020, I devised and ran the TDE project - ‘Uniting the Commonwealth through music during COVID-19’ with the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was a never-before-attempted musical feat to combine the voices of musicians from the 54 member countries in one powerful virtual performance. The project demonstrated the power of music and art to lift spirits, improve mental health and encourage international camaraderie, as countries faced up to the challenges of the pandemic. This was aided, supported and promoted by High Commissions around the Commonwealth. TDE continued this pan Commonwealth collaboration with our Commonwealth Natural Wonders in Music in 2022, partnering with the Royal Philharmonic Society & the Commonwealth Secretariat, celebrating the Platinum Jubilee.
Below are excerpts from the showcase performance which was the culmination of a TDE music & art education project on climate change for children and community groups in Slough. They created and composed their own songs and pieces of music during a series of workshops around COP26, and we took over a dis used shop in the shopping centre for our performance, further highlighting the waste in society.
We have just collaborated with MOBO award performer & nominee Ayanna Witter-Johnson, with the the aim to create a powerful musical experience that celebrates Caribbean music heritage and culture while reflecting on the historical significance of the Windrush generation.
By blending classical and Caribbean sounds, this collaborative project has ignited conversations, fostered friendships, and deepened understanding, contributing to a more inclusive and culturally rich society.
Personally this collaboration stretched me as a cellist. Working closely with Ayanna, she introduced me to extended techniques on the cello which I haven't used before, percussive tapping/flams/rim shots etc which has really expanded my range of abilities for future projects and expanded my horizons on what my cello playing could do and the directions it could take. This is a journey I strongly want to continue, and the DYCP support would enable me to do this.
Storytelling Music for Social Change
Music to inspire, provoke discussion, educate, illuminate
A virtuosic chamber ensemble with a string quartet at its core, The Dionysus Ensemble is equally at home on the concert platform, playing for events in both formal and informal settings, as well as providing music education projects.
In 2021 The Dionysus Ensemble received a Royal Philharmonic Society Award
In 2018 TDE was appointed the first ever professional musical ensemble to be officially attached to the Commonwealth – TDE are Ensemble In Association for accredited music organisation The Commonwealth Resounds.
As part of TDE’s Commonwealth work, the ensemble has delivered a Music for Social Change outreach project in The Solomon Islands & delivered an instrumental project bringing school children together as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival.
TDE was honoured to be selected to play at the Commonwealth Day service in 2019 which was broadcast live internationally from Westminster Abbey by the BBC, after which, founder & Artistic Director Léonie Adams was presented to HM The Queen and senior members of the Royal Family & Government at the request of The Palace.
Since then TDE has been invited to perform at private events for the Royal Commonwealth Society and at Marlborough House for Secretary-General Patricia Scotland including for the inaugural Commonwealth Day Heads of State Banquet in 2020.
In 2020, The Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned TDE to create an online Commonwealth musical video with performers from each member nation coming together during the pandemic -
the United Commonwealth Covid Music Project,
which was followed in 2022 by a pan Commonwealth music video for the Platinum Jubilee -
New Every Morning
The Dionysus Ensemble was commissioned by the Mayor of London in 2021 as part of his
"Let's Do London" campaign, to provide a series of interactive PopUp performances
in central London mainline train stations.
From 2013-20, the string team from The Dionysus Ensemble ran three not for profit interactive children's concert series, & TDE has delivered many outreach projects, including on poetry & music with vulnerable teenagers in Slough, a climate change music project for Jesuit Missions in three of their UK schools & a workshop & performance project with children & community groups for HOMESlough as part of the
COP26 climate change summit.
In 2023, TDE became official partners with Slough Music Service.
TDE has also released world premiere recordings of "lost" music by William Herschel to critical acclaim.
Trio Sonatas as part of the bicentenary celebrations in 2022 for William Herschel
- featured in the StoryTrails app for Slough,
and Violin Sonatas with Violoncello in 2023.
TDE music has been broadcast on:
Europe: UK - BBC1, World Service, BBC Radio 3, Scala Radio, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Berkshire,
Ireland - RTÉ Lyric FM, Malta - NET TV, Switzerland - Radio Swiss
Pacific: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, Fijian Broadcasting Corporation,
New Zealand - RNZ Concert, Australia - ABC Classic, Fine Music Sydney & 3MBS Fine Music
Africa: South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, Fine Music Radio & RSG Radio
Asia: India - WION TV, Bangladesh - News Bangla 24
Caribbean & Americas: Guyana - National Communications Network & Hot FM,
Caribbean Media Corporation