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Forest Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1964, is rated as one
the country’s leading community orchestras. A performance and
training orchestra, each section has a professional leader whose
role includes rehearsal and technical advice for the section.
Members are drawn from diverse backgrounds including music
students, teachers, freelancers and amateurs. The orchestra
thereby fulfils its aim of helping train the musicians of
tomorrow while providing a forum for the leading amateur players
of today.
Under the baton of conductor Frank Shipway, the orchestra
developed a formidable reputation based on its five concerts a
year at the Assembly Hall in Walthamstow and an annual concert
at the Royal Festival Hall.
Mark Shanahan has continued to build on this tradition since
his appointment as artistic director in 1991,
and under his direction the orchestra has gained an increasingly
impressive reputation for the quality and vitality of its
performances. Many of the major professional orchestras in this
country have in their ranks players who have trained with Forest
Philharmonic.
Achieving performances of
the highest standards, we frequently perform with international
soloists: recent performances have included pianists John Lill
and Ronan O’Hora; violinists Malin Broman, Tasmin Little and György Pauk;
cellist Robert Cohen; singers Sarah Walker, Della Jones, Patricia Macmahon,
Malmfrid Sand and Christine Bunning.
Rehearsals
are on Monday nights in Walthamstow, and on the Friday, Saturday
and Sunday of a concert weekend.
The orchestra has been based in
Waltham Forest, the London borough centred on Walthamstow,
Leyton, Leytonstone and Chingford. The forest in question is
the famous Epping Forest, which belongs to the Corporation of
London, and which extends from within the borough of Waltham
Forest out into Essex.
A number of famous Victorians lived some of their lives in the
Walthamstow and Epping Forest area, including poets Tennyson and
Clare, and author Anthony Trollope. Most famously, William
Morris was born in Walthamstow in 1834, and the family house on
Forest Road (Water House) is now the
William Morris Gallery.
Although we continue
to play regular concerts in Walthamstow, recent seasons have had
only four concerts annually for financial reasons and concerts
in Central London venues are only possible in partnership with
major choral societies.
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Our conductor
Mark Shanahan was born in
Manchester of Irish parents and studied at Chetham's School of Music. He then
studied at London University before joining the post-graduate
conducting course at the Royal Academy of Music as the Sir Henry
Wood Conducting Scholar. He won the National Association of Youth Orchestras Conducting Competition
for European Music Year.
His orchestral work includes broadcasts and concerts with the
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTE Concert Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony, the Orchestre Filarmonica de Gran
Canaria, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra. Concert work has included performances
at the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican Hall, in
wide-ranging repertoire from Berlioz's Damnation de Faust
and Verdi's Requiem to Strauss's Ein Heldenleben.
Mark has conducted
for Opera Ireland, English Touring Opera and the Wexford
Festival. For Grange Park Opera he has conducted La Traviata
and the acclaimed production of Bellini's I Capuletti ed i
Montecchi, for Opera North La Traviata and The
Queen of Spades and Don Giovanni for the Royal
Northern College of Music. Since 1993 he has been associated with English National Opera as
a guest conductor, particularly associated with Italian
repertoire, and productions have included Verdi's La Forza
del Destino, Rossini's Barber of Seville, Leoncavallo's
rarely heard La Bohème as
well as Puccini's better known work of the same name along with
La Traviata, Otello,
Ernani and Tosca - described by The Times as "a
musical triumph". He recently made his debut
at La Fenice, Venice and the National Reisoper in the
Netherlands as well as conducting La Traviata
for Opera North and Tosca in Frankfurt.
Mark is a guest at
the Opera and Orchestral Department at the Guildhall School of
Music and Drama, guest professor of conducting at the Royal
Academy of Music, London, and visiting Conducting Fellow at the
Royal Northern College of Music. Mark has been Artistic Director
of Forest Philharmonic since 1991.
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Our String Principals:
Leader
John Crawford received his early training in Sheffield.
At the age of 13, he became a member of the National Youth
Orchestra, which led to lessons at the Royal Academy of Music.
During this time, he won the Gold Medal of the Associated Board,
and gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. John
continued his studies abroad in Vienna and Siena, and after
several years at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, now enjoys a full
career as a freelance player and teacher in London. He teaches
at Trinity College and the Purcell School, and returns every year to Finland for a
series of master classes.
Principal Second Violin
Liz Patridge has had a varied career in music. When she
left college she played in a string quartet. She then went to
work for the BBC and English National Opera before joining the
orchestra of the Royal Opera House where she
worked with many notable singers, dancers and conductors. For
the last few years she has been freelancing, making a living
recording music for rock bands and dinosaurs amongst
others, playing in West End shows and concerts. Education work
is a big part of her life.
Principal Viola
Natalie Taylor began studying the viola at the Royal College of Music Junior
Department and went on to continue her studies at the Guildhall
with Amanda Denley. As a chamber musician she has taken part
in master classes with the Takacs Quartet, Edith Vogel and the
Brodsky Quartet. She is currently a member of the BBC Symphony
Orchestra.
Principal Cello
Graham Bradshaw
studied 'cello at the Royal Academy of Music with Florence
Hooton, then, after a time with the string quartet in residence
at Sussex University joined the BBC Symphony orchestra in 1978
where he was recently appointed as co-principal cellist He now
combines this with various chamber music activities, including
the Helicon string quartet.
Principal Bass
Kenneth Knussen
studied double bass with his father, Stuart, former Principal
Bass of the London Symphony Orchestra. Having become a member of
the Scottish National Orchestra he soon moved back to London to
join the BBC Symphony where he remained for seven years. Since
1993 he has pursued a distinguished and varied freelance career
working with all of London's orchestras. He is currently
Principal Bass of the London Concert Orchestra and Music Theatre
Wales, a critically acclaimed contemporary opera company, and
works regularly with the London Philharmonic and English
National Ballet. He has worked with Forest Philharmonic for 15
years.
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Forest Philharmonic Society is affiliated to Making
Music
Forest Philharmonic Society is affiliated to
Waltham Forest Arts Council
This page last
updated on
14 March 2008
Registered Company No 1539958
Charity Number 1026792 |