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