Sophie was born in Leicester in 1989 and began studying the violin at the age of 6 when her family had settled in Thetford, Norfolk. She began studying at the junior department of the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2007 after being given a viola scholarship, with the violin as a second study. Loving the warmth and tone of the instrument, the viola has been the height of Sophie’s interest ever since. During her time at the Royal Academy she studied the viola with Robert Turrell and also undertook piano and vocal tuition in her spare time.

 

In 2009, Sophie began a degree in music at Bangor University, North Wales. During these years she travelled to Liverpool for her lessons with Richard Wallace. Sophie was principal viola of the Bangor University Symphony Orchestra and Bangor Baroque ensemble in her final year, also playing and continuing to dept, for the Menai String Quartet. Since graduating in July 2012 and receiving a BMus (Hons), she then moved to Cardiff to begin a Master’s in Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. During her two years there, she played regularly with the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra (London) and studied with Mark Braithwaite and Louise Williams. She currently plays on an instrument made by Paul Collins (2004).

 

Having explored a variety of repertoire, both solo and orchestral, Sophie has also performed at venues in the UK such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall and St John's Smith Square London, Birmingham NEC and St David’s Hall Cardiff. Following her Master’s degree, she has played for music therapy sessions at Touch Trust Cardiff, and previously worked for Forte School of Music and Making Music Changing Lives. Sophie currently teaches privately in Cardiff, also working for Gwent Music, Bristol Music Service and Treorchy Primary and Comprehensive. She works as a freelance violist/violinist, for weddings, shows, and occasional orchestral performances.  

 

 

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