Patron……
Once described as “probably the best school orchestra in the world”, Wells Virtuosi, founded and directed by Matthew Souter from 2008-2017 is renuting under Souter as the Finzi Chamber Orchestra.
Our Mission
In reflecting on our journey so far, we recognise how The Finzi Chamber Orchestra has beautifully evolved from our time in Wells Virtuosi.
Our rich musical upbringing and diverse experiences we believe have the potential to shape a truly exceptional orchestra.
Matthew Souter's immediate acceptance of the role of Artistic Director reaffirms our commitment to this vision. With over a decade of professional experience, we are thrilled to now reunite in partnership with Souter with a renewed focus on musical excellence. Our 35 member chamber orchestra, including many original members of Wells Virtuosi, signifies a remarkable evolution from a school ensemble to a professional force.
Our passion is to deliver and share the very best musical experience, to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide and contribute to securing a bright and vibrant future for classical music.
We would be thrilled if you felt able to support us in whatever way and to be a part of our vision. Meeting for international tours, commissioning new works, live concerts, recordings, education work, exciting programming, cross-genre artistic collaborations and nurturing the next generation of emerging young professionals. We invite you to join us as we now embark on this new and very exciting next stage of our musical journey.
Laura Hampe, Raphael Papo, Amelie von Feilitzsch and Phoebe Tarleton - Founders
Established in 2009, in a specialist music school nestled in England's smallest city, ‘Wells Virtuosi’ was founded by Matthew Souter, a distinguished violist and conductor. Under Souter’s baton his group toured extensively and soon developed an international audience and reputation becoming a magnet for world class young musicians, many from diverse corners of the globe and each drawn by the promise of musical excellence.
International prize-winning violinist and guest leader of the numerous ensembles including the Ulster Orchestra, Eleanor Corr wrote":
“I was lucky enough to benefit from three years of Matthew's outstanding teaching…….
Matthew lifted the standard to a level that no-one had previously considered possible.”
In rehearsal Souter created and cultivated a unique and beautiful string sound with incredible synergy amongst the players.
“Looking back it was chamber music of the highest level, with each player feeling indispensable to the whole and as this often marked our very first exposure to the great musical masterpieces, it set the bar for whatever would come next.”
Souter’s own chamber group the Alberni String Quartet has been for many years at the forefront of British musical education; they succeeded the Amadeus Quartet as Quartet in Residence at The Royal Academy of Music, London. This placed Souter in an especially qualified position to be able to instill in us all exceptional levels of ensemble skills and to share his deep musical insights.
“The joy and inspiration that we experienced through Wells Virtuosi was phenomenal and continues to permeate our ensemble playing today. The orchestra brought us an undeniable advantage once we continued our musical paths at conservatory and in our subsequent careers in the professional world.”
“Even as students Matthew Souter treated us as professional musicians and we all worked together to create exceptional and memorable musical experiences. I've never since experienced such focus and awareness from every player in an orchestra.”
Ein Abend, der die Steele tief berührt”. - “An evening that touches the soul deeply - Südkurier
“Faszinierende Klangkultur und große Virtuosität.” - Fascinating sound culture and great virtuosity -
Schwäbische Zeitung
“the best musical ambassadors for their country.” - Rems Zeitung
Over a ten year period the orchestra under Souter toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, garnering acclaim for its heartfelt performances and rich sound.
Since then countless musicians from the orchestra have achieved renowned careers worldwide, yet somehow the electricity felt during those early years many of us feel has been unmatched.
“The performances of our string chamber orchestra have been amongst the most memorable and captivating musical moments for me both as a performer and as a listener.”
Our story so far is about an extraordinary partnership of creativity; most obviously between us the players, but even more fundamentally, between us and our conductor Matthew Souter. It is this long established living and breathing embodiment of musical collaboration that we believe to be so special and something that together enables us on the concert platform to connect deeply with our audiences.
‘Ein Klangerlebnis, das unter die Haut ging und innerlich berührte’ - ‘A sound experience that went under the skin and touched inside' - Südkurier
“…..the level of commitment and passion that was emanating and radiating from this ensemble has been unmatched in my professional life and that’s why I am truly thrilled to bring this to the table and to start something quite remarkable.”
Matthew Souter, Artistic Director
Matthew has also guest-lead the viola sections in virtually all of Britain’s most celebrated orchestras such as the Academy St Martin-in-the-Fields, the English Chamber Orchestra and The London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a regular guest at international chamber music festivals in the UK, Europe and South East Asia, often collaborating with world-famous artists.
For the past 20 years Matthew Souter has been a member of The Alberni String Quartet, one of Britain’s most distinguished ensembles and described in the New York Times as " one of the finest half dozen quartets in the world". The Alberni String Quartet succeeded The Amadeus String Quartet as Quartet in Residence at The Royal Academy of Music. Both in this capacity and also as an instrumental teacher Matthew Souter has been a Professor at The Royal Academy of Music in London for 18 years where he has attracted many exceptionally talented violists and violinists from across the world wishing to study with him. Many of whom now have gone on to enjoy highly distinguished musical careers themselves. Matthew Souter has also helped countless younger students to achieve exceptional scholarship places at the world’s finest conservatoires.
One such pupil was awarded first prize in the 2021 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition. Matthew Souter has given masterclasses worldwide including at the Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou, China and has been fortunate in his career to have been lent some outstanding instruments including a 1585 Gaspar da Salo and an Antonio Stradivari of 1696.
Matthew Souter has conducted orchestras in London, Hong Kong, Bahrain and China, but it was between 2008 and 2019 that Matthew Souter founded, trained and conducted ‘Wells Virtuosi’, an especially dedicated group of talented young string players who together under his tutelage and baton achieved international recognition as an ensemble of rare quality.
“In complete command of his instrument” and “very musical in the finest way...”, so wrote the world-famous conductor Antal Dorati about Matthew Souter when proposing him for the principal viola position in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at just 22 years of age. Leonard Bernstein and Claudio Abbado, who Matthew Souter also worked with in a principal capacity likewise took a personal interest in his early career; Abbado described him as “an outstanding viola player” and it was with the help of these and many other similarly distinguished musicians that he has gone on to enjoy a fine career himself as a concert artist.
As a soloist he has performed across the world both as a recitalist and with professional orchestras from the UK, Europe, Russia and South East Asia. He has recorded and broadcast as a soloist on the BBC, NHK, Deutsche Rundfunk networks and on CD for Signum Classics, Regent Records and Hyperion.
“You are truly fortunate to have a musician of the calibre of Matthew Souter conducting the Finzi Chamber Orchestra.”
Lucy Chapman.
Former Chair, String Department New England Conservatory (NEC), Boston, USA.
Eleanor Corr, Concertmaster
Solo appearances include regular festival recitals, including at Oslo Chamber Music Festival, St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Royal Albert Hall Elgar Room, and on BBC Radio 3, recent performances of concertos by Mendelsohn, Sibelius, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Vivaldi, Bruch and Schnittke, which she recorded at Abbey Road Studios for broadcast on Sky Arts.
Her quartet, Pocket Sinfonia, are winners of St. Martin-in-the-Fields International Chamber Music Competition Audience Prize, REMA European Early Music Network Showcase Artists 2021 and Continuo Foundation Awards 2021 and 2022, and have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and WDR.
Eleanor's passion for period performance has taken her to Berlin Philharmonie and the BBC Proms with Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, and for contemporary music most recently led to recording new works commissioned by the Music and Meditation Podcast for string trio/quartet and choir with The BBC Singers.
Eleanor is winner of the Royal Overseas League Competition 2020 and in 2022 was awarded Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.
Much in demand as a concertmaster, Eleanor has recently guest led Ulster Orchestra, Trondheim Symfoniorkester, Stavanger Symfoniorkester, London Concertante, Paraorchestra, Orchestra Nova London, Norrlandsoperan, and Orkester Innlandet. She has led English Touring Opera for 3 years, including 4 months leading associate period instrument orchestra Old Street Band, is leader of Buxton International Festival Orchestra, regular guest leader for Orpheus Sinfonia, where she has recently been named Principal Violin, and has been Orchestral Mentor for the Royal Academy of Music.
“It was Corr who was crowned winner. This was no surprise because it was a distinctively confident, technically and musicologically accomplished set of readings…all expertly judged. It was also fiery, with strong vibrato and muscular richness…and bucketloads of kick – the precision with which her up bow attacked the G string for the opening note of Tzigane commanded attention.”
“Special mention must be made of Eleanor Corr’s supremely agile violin playing... Rarely has Stravinsky’s septet scoring sounded so alive, responsive and daring as this.”
Outreach
“...Children must receive musical instruction as naturally as food, and with as much pleasure as they derive from a baseball game. And this must happen from the beginning of their school lives.” Leonard Bernstein
Originally established as a youth ensemble, our orchestra has a strong commitment to promoting music education through our dynamic outreach program. One of the orchestra's core missions is to make classical music accessible and engaging for young audiences and aspiring musicians. The outreach initiatives include interactive school workshops, masterclasses, and community performances designed to inspire and nurture the next generation of musicians. These programs often focus on underserved communities, providing opportunities for students who might not otherwise have access to high-quality music education.
Through our educational workshops, we aim to introduce students to the fundamentals of chamber music, encouraging creative expression, and fostering collaboration among young musicians. The orchestra will also offer mentorship programs where students can work closely with professional musicians, gaining invaluable insights into performance techniques and the discipline of orchestral playing. Our outreach mission reflects our dedication to making music education an integral part of our identity, continuing a legacy of artistic excellence and community engagement.
We are committed to fostering the next generation of musical voices and are already engaging with and commissioning new works from emerging composers. This to include ground breaking cross genre artistic collaborations.
By nurturing such creativity and offering a platform for fresh, innovative ideas, we aim to enrich the cultural landscape and contribute to the ongoing evolution of classical .
Commissioning of New Works
Firstly, l would like to say how delighted and honoured l feel to have been invited as their conductor and to be involved in the forming and launching of the Finzi Chamber Orchestra.
For me this incredibly exciting venture feels a wholly natural and wholly organic artistic evolution. Knowing the members as well as l do, I am confident that our ensemble has the potential to become a professional orchestra of the very highest calibre and as such could well be destined to be performing in many of the world’s finest venues. The Finzi Chamber Orchestra comprises a wonderful group of passionate and highly developed young musicians. Their level of determination to succeed in this venture and to build something both meaningful and musically exceptional l find extraordinary and is certainly a wonderful and priceless basis from which to start. l could not be more excited about joining them and for what we will achieve together.
From our Artistic Director, Matthew Souter:
Our plans for both stimulating and innovative programming together with our already close associations with both new generation ‘rising stars’ as well as some of the world’s most established soloists - several of which have already expressed a desire to be part of our journey - I feel bodes well for a bright future.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people from, quite literally across the world, who over these past few years have expressed their enthusiasm, support and encouragement for the founding of The Finzi Chamber Orchestra. To them we continue to be grateful.
Additionally l wish to thank the Finzi family, particularly Hilary and Theresa for their immediate support and enthusiasm in the naming of our orchestra after their father and grandfather, the celebrated British composer Gerald Finzi. In acknowledging his importance both to us as an ensemble and of course to classical music generally, we feel it wholly appropriate for our orchestra to honour Finzi in this way. We already, in our previous form have a long history of championing and performing British music across Europe, not least the works of Finzi.
Most importantly of course though, musicians need audiences and we would be thrilled indeed to be able to welcome you to our concerts. Our ultimate goal has always been to touch audiences deeply and to provide a rich and rare concert experience for all. We would love to be able to share this with you.
Matthew
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Phoebe Tarleton, Founder
Phoebe is an English violinist based in Amsterdam. She is a sought-after orchestral and chamber musician, having performed with almost all of the major orchestras in the Netherlands and worked with many leading conductors.She has been part of the Netherlands String Quartet Academy, the Mahler Chamber Academy and Grafenegg Academy. Phoebe completed her studies in Amsterdam studying with principal players of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
In addition to performing, Phoebe enjoys organising concerts, bringing people together and thinking of new creative projects. Her dream is to combine these interests with her biggest passion - playing in a chamber orchestra, and to create and develop something meaningful which can inspire generations to come.
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Laura Hampe, Founder
Laura is currently completing her masters degree in violin performance in Norway and Austria. She is an experienced orchestral player, currently performing with the Wiener Jeunesse Orchester, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein and Bergen Kammerorkester.
In addition to performing Laura also holds a music education and outreach degree, which she hopes to use to further her passion of teaching and expand the classical music audience.
She is thrilled to be reuniting with her youth orchestra friends and conductor Matthew Souter, and confident in their ability to create memorable musical moments and outstanding concerts.
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Amelie von Feilitzsch, Founder
As a member of the Parzival Quartett, Amelie von Feilitzsch is enrolled in a masters degree at the Musikhochschule Leipzig, aiming to further perfect her chamber music skills. She has already achieved a 1st. class honours degree as a solo violinist at the Royal Academy of Music, London. As a great enthusiast for chamber music playing Amelie is aspiring to belong to an outstanding ensemble uniting talented and dedicated string players like herself. She hopes for this ensemble to continuously work on the mastery of conveying deep-felt passion and emotions, captivating and transcending audiences around the world.
Amelie founded the „Pieter Schoeman, Students and Friends“ Octet, organising its annual tour across Europe.
Together with Laura Hampe, Amelie embarked on an innovative project: „Tanz des Lebens“ (The Dance of Life), successfully uniting duo violin playing with a recited dialog.
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Raphael Papo, Founder
Raphael is a violinist based in Berlin and London. He has worked extensively with the BBC symphony orchestra and served as associate concertmaster for the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. He is the co-director of the Seida Ensemble and Director of Chalk, an interdisciplinary artist collective based internationally. Raphael was the 1st prize winner of the Bruno Frey award of Southern Germany, the MTNA competition and is supported by the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation with a violin by Fiorini.
His passion is finding creative ways to bring the highest level of classical music to people’s lives, and he recognises the huge potential that an orchestra has in bringing this passion to the world.