| Biography | Southbank Sinfonia (Established London, 2002) describes itself as "Britain's Newest Orchestra and one of the most exciting projects in music for decades."
Southbank Sinfonia was founded by Simon Over, its Music Director, who, while conducting a young group of conservatoire students was struck by their dedication and outstanding talent, but also by the uncertainty they faced in beginning their professional careers. The aim of Southbank Sinfonia is to provide an ensemble that would bridge the one year period after graduation giving them a springboard into the music profession.
The orchestra is based at St John's Church just opposite London Waterloo station. The primary aim of Southbank Sinfonia is to ensure that the most talented and promising players, destined to be the future caretakers of Britain's strong orchestral tradition, are not lost from the profession in the difficult period immediately following their time at music college.
The project is designed to support and train a group of outstanding musicians at a critical point in their careers. By broadening their skills, exposing them to a wide range of performing experience and giving them a perspective beyond the technical aspects of musical execution, and to have them emerge better equipped and positioned to succeed in their own vocations, and to engender their own passion for music in others throughout their careers.
However, bringing together an exceptional group of young, energetic and enthusiastic performers without the commercial and structural constraints of an established orchestra opens up an exciting and unusual range of possibilities. These form the basis for an extended set of aims which is establishing Southbank Sinfonia as an important contributor to musical life in Britain and beyond.Southbank Sinfonia's patrons include Sir Thomas Allen, John Anderson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Pierre Danon, Patricia Hodge, James Naughtie and the Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury |