Timothy Ridout viola, is a leading solo and chamber musician, performing regularly at major international venues and festivals. Recent highlights include appearances at Verbier, Salzburg and the Ryedale Festival, where he was Artist in Residence. He performs widely across the world with collaborators including Federico Colli, Benjamin Grosvenor, Hyeyoon Park and Kian Soltani. In March 2026, he will serve as Guest Artistic Director at Festspiele Frühling Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, presenting 17 programmes, alongside ongoing residencies at Junge Wilde in Dortmund and Wigmore Hall. Ridout has earned accolades such as First Prize at both the Lionel Tertis and Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competitions. He is also a recipient of the Borletti Buitoni Trust Fellowship and was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society 2023 Award for Young Artist. He was the inaugural recipient of Hamburger Symphoniker’s Sir Jeffrey Tate Prize and took part in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program. An exclusive Harmonia Mundi artist, his latest album, of 20th-century French music, will be  released in May 2026.

The Academy of St Mary-le-Bow:

The Academy of St Mary-le-Bow is a unique orchestra of outstanding musicians who have studied at world-renowned conservatoires and universities and trained in ensembles such as the National Youth Orchestra. The members of the ensemble now pursue careers outside music but continue to perform at the highest level with like-minded musicians in the orchestra. The orchestra holds a residency at the historic church of St Mary-le-Bow and performs concerts across London, enjoying regular collaborations with renowned soloists and guest directors. The group's versatile set-up allows it to explore a wide range of repertoire, from Baroque and Classical works for smaller ensembles directed from the violin or harpsichord to large-scale symphonic masterworks such as Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin and Stravinsky’s Firebird.

Alex Fryer conductor:

Trained at the Royal College of Music, Alex enjoys a varied career as a conductor, oboist, and presenter-educator. He serves as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Academy of St Mary-le-Bow and is a regular guest with the Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra. His work includes projects with the Royal Opera Ballet and Sinfonia Smith Square, performances at the BBC Proms, and broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.