Southbank Sinfonia Ensemble

The Southbank Sinfonia is an orchestra of outstanding graduate musicians, founded in 2002 to provide graduate musicians with a much-needed springboard into the profession.

Every year, 33 outstanding graduate musicians come to London for Southbank Sinfonia’s nine-month fellowship, providing unparalleled opportunities to gain crucial experience in orchestral repertoire, chamber music, opera, dance and theatre. Every place is free, and every player receives a bursary – many go on to enjoy exciting careers with major orchestras worldwide.

Southbank Sinfonia is based at St John’s Church, Waterloo, London where a regular series of free ‘Rush Hour’ concerts are held throughout the year. Bringing together an exceptional group of young, energetic and enthusiastic performers opens up an exciting and unusual range of possibilities. They frequently collaborate with artists from other musical genres, including Squarepusher in 2013, as well as in theatrical projects with the National Theatre.

In recent projects (such as appearing centre-stage in the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of Amadeus, to giving the first ever performance of Mozart’s Requiem at Notre-Dame de Paris) Southbank Sinfonia ensures new generations uphold a venerable tradition, but also asks anew what orchestras have the power to communicate in the modern world.