Matthew Bethel

Southbank Sinfonia

Classical music needs brilliant young advocates to communicate its power and worth in the 21st century. Southbank Sinfonia brings together 33 outstanding graduates from all over the world to prepare them for this role. Every year its players, each supported by a bursary, undertake an intensive and wide-ranging nine month programme of performance and professional development. This comprises performances across Britain and Europe involving orchestral repertoire, chamber music, opera, dance and theatre, alongside development sessions embracing leadership and teamwork, and opportunities to be role-models, inspiring many younger musicians on the Southbank and beyond. A distinctive and integral part of the programme is the orchestra's creative partnerships with leading performing arts organisations including the Royal Opera, National Theatre, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and acclaimed artists such as Patrons Vladimir Ashkenazy and Edward Gardner. The orchestra is based at St John's Waterloo, in the heart of London, where its regular Free Rush Hour Concerts give many people their first ever experience of live orchestral music. Southbank Sinfonia receives no public funding and is indebted to its many individual donors, trusts and foundations, and corporate supporters who believe in the potential of its young musicians.