Artists 2 | BOWFIDDLE

Laura Rose studied cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the renowned Bulgarian cellist Stefan Popov. Whilst there she won some of the school’s most prestigious prizes and gained the AGSM in performance and an advanced diploma in Performance and Communication Skills.

The orchestras that Laura has played with include the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Performing Arts Orchestra, Moscow City Ballet, Apollo Chamber Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Touring Chamber Concerts, Oxford Philharmonica, Birmingham Opera, Orchestra de Camera, Milton Keynes City Orchestra, Orchestra of the Swan and Telephilharmonica. As a soloist she has played concertos by Saint Saens and Elgar with the Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, The Radcliffe Orchestra and the Redditch Sinfonia.

Laura has toured extensively with various artists and bands including: World tour with Joan Armatrading, several Moody Blues tours, Shirley Bassey, Neil Diamond and Dave Willetts (from Phantom of the Opera). She has played sessions and live performances with the likes of: Burt Bacharach, Reggae Philharmonic, Jimmy Sommerville, Omar, Jamiriqui, Tears for Fears, Terrorvision, Jehlisa, Drugstore, Blade, Beth Hirsh, Maroon town, Jackie Sheridan, Selena Jones, Paul Merton, Lambchop, M Strings, Alesha Dixon, Take That, Let Loose, Simon Warner, Yazz, Gilad Atmon, Pete Churchill, Tina May, Empirical and the RSC to name a few. These include performances on TV programmes such as TOTP, and TFI Friday and other international TV and radio stations.

Laura has played in various West End Shows, the most recent one being Matilda.

Krista Caspersz studied the violin at the royal academy of music where she passed with honours and obtained her LRAM. Since leaving the academy she has worked with most of the country's leading orchestras (The Philharmonia, RPO and BBC concert).

Krista also has a very busy TV and recording career, working on albums such as divine comedy, Clare McGuire, Michael ball and Kanye West.
She has had the pleasure of performing with Natalie Cole, Burt Bacharach, Dione Warwick, Petula Clarke, Joss Stone, Diana Ross and was also leader of the Shirley Bassey orchestra.

She has also played on the Miss Marple series and the film "Keeping Mum" featuring Rowan Atkinson.

Naomi Bowles studied the viola at London’s Trinity College of Music with Rusen Gunes, where she gained the Dip TCL qualification.

She joined the Shirley Bassey orchestra where she performed and toured with the band for seven years. Other tours include Bread, Michael Crawford, Abba the Show, Russell Watson and Andrea Bochelli; with performances with Take That, Burt Bacharach, Boyzone, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osborne (to name a few) along the way. Naomi has also performed in West End Shows and various other orchestras such as the BBC Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philhamonic Concert Orchestra, Guildford Philharmonic, Karl Jenkins Festival Orchestra, British Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jiemei Jasmine Feng started playing the violin aged four and made her debut as a soloist aged nine in her home city of Shenzhen. In recent years she has performed regularly with the renowned Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. As such, she has collaborated with many prominent conductors and artists including conductors Sir Colin Davis, Sir Elton John and violinist Ning Feng, Composer and Conductor Tan Dun.

Jiemei studied at the Royal Academy of Music for both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies as the recipient of the ‘Florence Whitlock’ scholarship. During this time, she was tutored by Professors Jean Harvey, Eric Gruenberg, the Maggini Quartet, Michael Frischenschlager, Lydia Mordkovitch and Diana Cummings.

Sarah Button began playing the violin at the age of five. She studied the violin at Chetham’s School of Music with Gillan Sansom and then went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study with Krzysztof Smietana, where she gained her A.G.S.M. in performance.

Sarah’s orchestral work includes: the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Soloists’ Chamber Orchestra, Belmont Ensemble, English Festival Orchestra, English Soloists’ Ensemble, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, English Sinfonia.

Sarah has been leader and co leader for the Thursford Christmas Spectacular series, including being soloist on both acoustic and electric violin and coaching training sessions for the show. She also performed in the West End show “Our House” (Madness).

Sarah has toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe performing chamber music recitals and playing live gigs with various artists including Madonna, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Robbie Williams and Take That on television and radio shows including MTV Awards, TOTP, X Factor, BBC Abbey Road live sessions, as well as for film and TV soundtracks including “The League of Gentlemen.”

Joanne Davies studied violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Pauline Scott. She went on to Cambridge University where she achieved a BA/MA in Music and Philosophy. While she was there she studied under Andrew Watkinson, and gave solo and chamber performances.

Artists Joanne has performed with are as follows: Kanye West, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Michael Buble, Muse, Chris Martin, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Robin Thicke, Enya, Ronan Keating, George Michael, Rhianna, Westlife, Jamie Cullum, Richard Marx, Leona Lewis, Harry Connik – Junior, John Barrowman, Andreas Bocelli, Katie Melua, Rod Stewart, Alison Moyet, Il Divo, Alfie Boe, Aled Jones, Russel Watson, Josh Groban, Noel Gallagher, The Spice Girls, various artists with Bowfiddle the featured quartet at the London Pizza Express String Quartet Festival.

Joanne has toured the world with the Irish dance show “Spirit of the Dance, playing the lead on stage role. She has also worked in the West End show “Sinatra” and currently plays for the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, The Glen Miller Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, London’s Belmont Orchestra, Orchestra de Camera and the Apollo Chamber Orchestra.

Joanne has recorded the music for many films including Lord of the Rings and Die Another Day, James Bond. She also wrote and performed the string parts for Souls Stage at London’s Vintage Festival.

You can see and hear more of Joanne at www.joanneviolin.co.uk

Fiona Leggat studied viola at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she obtained a Batchelor of Music Honours Degree, LTCL and a Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Performance. She has since enjoyed an exciting and diverse career which has included working with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, RTE Chamber Orchestra in Dublin, Heritage Orchestra and the City of London Sinfonia. She has played in the Holland Park Opera series for the last three years.

Fiona is a regular face in London’s West End. She has performed in shows such as Les Miserables, Lion King, Ghost, Stephen Ward and The Assassins. She has also toured extensively in Europe and the Uk with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Doctor Who, Tim Minchin and Sam Smith. Other Artists that Fiona has worked with include: Olly Murs, Demi Levato, Jess Glynne, Jools Holland and two Albert Hall performances with Ne Yo and the Stereophonic’s.

Recently Fiona has enjoyed a Radio 1 Live Lounge with Little Mix. She was also part of a string section in a very exciting and unique project which reproduced the first ever studio album by The Beatles at Abbey Road Two, fifty years to the day since it had been recorded. It features many fantastic artists such as Joss Stone, Mick Hucknall, Gabrielle Aplin and Beverly Knight to name but a few. The programme was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 4.