About the SBMS Orchestra
The St Botolph's Music Society was founded in 1966 by Colin Nicholson and has presented five or more concerts each year since then. It comprises an amateur orchestra and, until recently, a concert choir. It has been fortunate to performed with a wide range of soloists from talented young local musicians to acclaimed international artists.
Some of our soloists...….
Philip Smith
Philip Smith is one of Britain’s most versatile pianists. He gives solo and chamber recitals, concerto performances, and recitals with the distinguished percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. He is a Steinway artist and appeared at the BBC Proms in 2015.
During the 1980s he won major prizes at several international competitions, resulting in performances in Europe, America and Japan. He also appeared frequently in London’s major concert halls and at international festivals.
In 1989 he made his BBC Promenade Concert recital début with Evelyn Glennie. Their partnership has continued with appearances worldwide, including recitals at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Hollywood Bowl. They have played in the presence of royalty and heads of state in several countries and their critically acclaimed New York recital début took place at the Lincoln Center in 1998. In 2015 they returned to the BBC Proms in recital, and a short film about their collaboration was shown on BBC 'Proms Extra'.
Noriko Ogawa
Noriko Ogawa has achieved considerable renown throughout the world since her success at the Leeds International Piano Competition. Noriko’s “ravishingly poetic playing” (Telegraph) sets her apart from her contemporaries and acclaim for her complete Debussy series with BIS Records, confirms her as a fine Debussy specialist. Her Images Book I and II were chosen as the top recommendation ‘exquisite delicacy’, BBC Radio 3’s CD Review, January 2014. Noriko’s latest recording for BIS records is of solo piano music by Eric Satie
Noriko appears with all the major European, Japanese and US orchestras including the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, as well as the BBC Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of Richard Dubugnon’s Piano Concerto. Noriko made her BBC Proms debut in August 2013 and appeared again in 2014 with the Endymion Ensemble. She was the Artistic Director for the Reflections on Debussy Festival 2012 at Bridgewater Hall. In 2015 she continued as Associate Artist for Ravel and Rachmaninov Festival.
Siân Philipps
Siân Philipps made her debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra in July 2004 and was subsequently invited to perform at Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Symphony Hall Birmingham and in April 2006 performed for the President of Austria in the Ferstl Palace in Vienna. She has performed with conductors including Ilan Volkov, José Cura, Nicolae Moldoveanu and André de Ridder with London and Manchester orchestras.She has performed at all of the major London recital Halls including the Wigmore hall and St. John's Smith Square in 2006. In 2007 she performed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at the Henley Festival, at the Musikverein, Brahmsaal at the invitation of the British Ambassador and at the International Schubert Tage in Vienna.
Siân Philipps plays a Stradavarius violin made in 1699.
The St Botolph's Music Society
President: Arthur Davies
Hon. Director of Music: Colin Nicholson
Hon. Deputy Director of Music: Jonathan Abbott
Hon. Secretary: Paul Abbott