NEWS ARCHIVE
Dr David Lloyd-Davies
It is a great sadness for us at the St Woolos Sinfonia that Dr David Lloyd-Davies died recently after a long illness. David had played the ‘cello in the orchestra in the past (photo from 2011, with David seated front row, right). He was, together with his wife Jennifer, a loyal supporter of the orchestra for many years. An ecclesiastical historian by profession, David was passionate about music all his life and would cherish every opportunity to engage in making it. His genuine kindness and dry wit will be greatly missed. Sonia Hammond, SWS Principal Cellist, played from Bach’s ‘Cello Suite No 1 at David’s funeral service - the music which he left open on his stand at home
St Woolos Sinfonia Announce New Principal Conductor - Sunday 21st July 2024
All at St Woolos Sinfonia are very excited to announce the appointment of Emilie Godden as our new Principal Conductor. Emilie has performed, both as a violin soloist and conductor, with St Woolos Sinfonia in recent years and we look forward to many more inspirational concerts with her at the helm. The next SWS concert conducted by Emilie, will take place at Newport Cathedral on Saturday 9th November 2024, in a programme of Felix Mendelssohn’s, ‘Hebrides’ Overture, Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, with cellist Rhys Herbert and WA Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 in D Major, ‘Prague’.
Emilie will succeed Tianyi Lu, who has now moved to the Netherlands, where she is much in demand, combining her busy work schedule with bringing up a young family. We are indebted to Tianyi for her many years of sublime inspiration, uplifting the orchestra’s performance and creating many very special musical memories. We are very pleased that Tianyi will return to Newport next year, to conduct the orchestra in our Spring concert on Saturday 3rd May 2025, performing Charlie Barber’s ‘Ludwig Variations’ and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major, ‘Pastoral’.
Tuesday 15th November 2022
Robert Watson & SWS Strings CD Release
We are very proud to announce the new CD release of Christopher Ball’s Clarinet Concerto, recorded and very generously funded by SWS principal clarinet, Robert Watson and the strings of St Woolos Sinfonia, led by Laurence Kempton. Recorded at Nimbus Records in Monmouth and conducted by WNO clarinettist, Les Craven, the cd is available to purchase at SWS concerts, with all proceeds going to the orchestra.
Friday 9th September 2022
All at St Woolos Sinfonia, would like to heartily congratulate our Principal Conductor, Tianyi Lu and partner, Tristan, on the birth of a baby boy, Kai, earlier this year. We wish them all the very best for their future lives together.
Monday 12 SEPTEMBER 2021
It was pleasure to see and chat to so many Friends, Patrons and Fans of the Orchestra at yesterday’s ‘Musical Ploughman’s’. Thank you to our Friends’ and Patrons’ Secretary, Glynis MacDonald, for kindly hosting the event in her lovely garden and thanks to all who helped organise it. The weather was fine and warm and we were treated to some great jazz by ‘Something Sultry’
Tuesday 20 JULY
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death, earlier this morning, of the Orchestra’s President and Co-founder, Professor Brian Peeling. He showed the Orchestra kindness and generosity and gave it his unstinting support over many years. We shall miss him.
Chairman, Christoph Mädler, and Artistic Director, James Drummond, have fond memories of visiting Brian earlier this month and the happy day out they all spent together. Photo: Christoph and Brian in Oxford
Our sincere condolences to Brian’s children, Gillian and Rob, and to all of his family.
NOVEMBER 2020
Congratulations once again to Tianyi Lu who has won First Prize in the 9th International Georg Solti Conductor’s Competition in Frankfurt/Main in Germany
OCTOBER 2020
Congratulations to our Principal Conductor, Tianyi Lu, upon winning First Prize at the 11th International Conducting Competition "Guido Cantelli" in Novara and Turin, Italy. She also won the Teatro Regio Torino Orchestra Award, voted by the orchestra, the Youth Award, voted by high school students
SEPTEMBER 2020
It is with great pleasure we announce the appointment of Eugene Monteith as Associate Conductor of the St Woolos Sinfonia