The Nonesuch Orchestra is one of a very few amateur music-making groups in London that does not trespass on your evenings and weekends. If you are free on Thursday mornings, are an experienced string player of at least Grade 8 standard, and like to tackle challenging repertoire, we would love to hear from you.

With a conductor and leader who are both very fine professional string players, and students from the Royal Academy of Music as principal cello and bass, you will find the standard of music-making is high and you will develop your own playing with every single rehearsal.  You will also enjoy learning pieces you probably haven’t played before.

Repertoire

Recent works include:

  • Beethoven: Grosse Fugue (arranged for string orchestra)

  • Hindemith: Five Pieces for String Orchestra

  • Stravinsky: Apollon musagète, with newly choreographed ballet in collaboration with Ballet4Life

  • Telemann: Don Quixote

  • Tippett: Concerto for Double String Orchestra, in collaboration with Imperial College String Ensemble

  • Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

  • Grace Williams: Sea Sketches

We are enthusiastic about our annual Play Days, held in the summer or early autumn. At the first, we worked on Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen in the arrangement for 23 individual players; and the following year, we tackled Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. Our 2023 Play Day featured John Adams’ Shaker Loops. We end each day with an informal performance for friends. 

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are from 10.15 to 12.15 on Thursdays during school term time.

We rehearse at St. Anne’s Brondesbury, 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6RG. This warm and welcoming venue is within easy walking distance of Queen’s Park and Brondesbury Park stations, and is a short journey from the areas of Kilburn, Brondesbury Park, Harlesden, Kensal Green, St John’s Wood, Maida Vale, Paddington, Hampstead and Willesden.

Fees

Our fees are £200 per year, or £80 per term.  If you would like to join but feel unable to afford the full fee, please contact our Treasurer.  Financial challenges will never prevent a player from joining the Nonesuch Orchestra.

Membership enquiry

If you’re interested in joining, please fill in the form below and a member of our committee will get back to you.

Or if you prefer, you can email nonesuchorch@gmail.com