Strings

Emma has recently won the Musicians' Company Award 2019 and she has been entitled to become a Yeoman of the Company and to join a Young Artist Program for the duration of five years. Born in Como, Emma regularly performs across Italy and the UK as a soloist and in different ensembles. She is currently based in London and has recently graduated from the Royal College of Music with distinction. Emma has been awarded a full scholarship for Master studies at the prestigious Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

From her debut in Romania at the age of 16 with the Orchestra of Bacau in Sibelius Concerto for violin and orchestra, Emma’s performances have taken her all around Europe, from France to Switzerland to Spain, Russia, Romania, Greece, UK and the Netherlands.

Upon attending masterclasses with the likes of Sergej Krylov, Zakhar Bron- in Sommer Academie Salzburg Mozarteum- and Tchaikovsky Trio, and performing in prestigious concert halls, including the Estense Hall in Varese, Ateneu hall in Bacau, as soloist with the Philarmonic Orchestra Mihail Jora, and Rachmaninov Hall of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Sale Apollinee at La Fenice Theatre in Venice, Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Teatro Sociale in Como, Zandonai Theatre in Rovereto, Auditorium Gaber and Sala Verdi in Milan, St. James Piccadilly, Russian Cultural Centre, amongst many other venues in London.

Emma has won numerous national and international competitions in Italy, as a soloist and in chamber ensembles, including one of the highest Italian prizes, the Rassegna Castrocaro Classica. At this competition she was also awarded the audience prize. She was awarded in other important competitions as Biennial Violin Competition Vittorio Veneto (Special Prize for talent and excellence); European Moncalieri Competition-Violin and Orchestra; Barlassina International Youngs Talent Competition; F.Pavia National Competition; National Giussano Competition; Bellagio and Como Lake Festival International Competition. She also was awarded as the best graduate in Como, Franz Terraneo Prize.

She was artist in residence for the Fondazione La Società dei Concerti di Milano for the season 2018/2019, with also various performances for the Associazione Musica con le Ali.

Emma plays on a precious F. Guadagnini violin

Bio coming soon....

Susanna Alsey is a freelance violinist and educator. Susanna is a violinist in Southbank Sinfonia for the 2024-2025 season. She regularly performs with various orchestras and ensembles. She has performed in concerts as part of the Orpheus Sinfonia Foundation Programme 2023-2024, the English Arts Orchestra, Suffolk Philharmonic, Buxton International Festival Young Instrumentalists Programme, Irish Chamber Orchestra Academy, at the BBC Proms and alongside the Hallé Orchestra.

Susanna works with various organisations throughout the year including National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain, The Benedetti Foundation and has worked with National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. She teaches violin in various schools including Caterham School, Rochester Independent College and at The Mick Jagger Centre. Susanna also has her own private violin studio and previously worked at The Purcell School and Sevenoaks School.

Susanna completed her undergraduate studies in Music at the University of Cambridge where she held a Newnham College Instrumental Award, a Choral Exhibitioner Award, and was President of the Raleigh Music Society. She studied the violin with Stephen Bryant and played in an array of orchestral projects including Cambridge University Orchestra and Cambridge University Opera Society. Susanna then completed her Masters in Violin Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music studying violin under Yossi Zivoni. Whilst a postgraduate student, she won the RNCM Underrepresented Prize and performed at the InterHarmony International Music Festival, where she studied under Milan Vitek and performed in masterclasses with Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Chin Kim and Yuri Zaidenberg. She also performed in a masterclass with Sophia Jaffé at the RNCM and undertook further study with Professor Jaffé at the Allegro Vivo Festival in Austria. Susanna will be studying at Voksenåsen Summer Academy in Norway in August 2024. Susanna currently studies violin under the tutelage of Krzysztof Smietana. Her violin and bow are kindly on loan from the Benslow Music Trust.

Rocket Brooks is a talented violinist, educator and award-winning composer based in London. At the age of 10, she won a full scholarship to attend the prolific specialist music school, Wells Cathedral School, where she remained for 8 years under the careful guidance of Catherine Lord. Following this, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the prestigious Royal Academy of Music to study with renowned soloist, Jack Liebeck.

Rocket enjoys a career spanning across the board, from orchestral work, to chamber, and solo. She has freelanced with the Dartington Festival Orchestra, performed in the pit orchestra for the Bauge Opera Festival in France, and recorded on multiple albums. She has played under the baton of acclaimed conductors such as Semyon Bychkov and John Wilson. She regularly performs in her well established violin-viola duo alongside her sister, Summer Brooks, booked for the 2022 Budleigh Music Festival and numerous private functions.

Rocket is a passionate teacher who strives to tailor her lessons to the interests and abilities of each student uniquely. She believes in a creative and encouraging approach towards pedagogy, and is happy to explore both traditional and non-traditional routes. Her education as a percussionist and composer gives her the unique abilities which enable her to explore all different aspects of music.