✨Meet our conductor✨
👏We’re delighted to welcome back the wonderful John Paul Jennings! He’ll be leading us through Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony on the 7th of March and giving a special introduction to the historical and political context of the piece at the beginning of the concert 👀 Composed in 1937 under the shadow of Stalin’s Soviet regime, Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony navigates the complex relationship between composer and state, balancing outward displays of triumph with moments of profound irony and struggle. Get your tickets through the link in our bio!
🎶A recipient of the 2025 Bayreuth Festival Richard Wagner Scholarship, John Paul Jennings has quickly emerged onto the scene as a young conductor of note. From 2021-25, he was Assistant Artistic Director of Regents Opera from 2021-25, where he served as Assistant Conductor for Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Most recently, he gave his first performance with the Suffolk Philharmonic alongside Isata, Braimah, and Sheku Kanneh-Mason in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. Other recent highlights include assisting Toby Purser and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and Mark Wigglesworth and Lang Lang with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, both at the Royal Albert Hall. John Paul was the James Horner Scholar at the Royal College of Music, from which he graduated with Distinction.
đź’ĄPROJECT 3đź’Ą
👏For our next concert we’ll be performing Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5! We’re very happy to be joined by conductor John Paul Jennings, who’ll be giving an introduction to the piece at the beginning of the concert. Get your tickets through the link in our bio!
5 days until our second concert of the season! We’re super excited and hope you are too - get your tickets through the link in our bio and end the week with incredible music by Ravel and Prokofiev ✨
✨MEET OUR SOLOIST✨
🎶We’re so happy to welcome back to ULSO the talented Mihai Ritivoiu, who will be performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. Remember to get tickets with the link in the bio! Here’s a bit about him:
Mihai Ritivoiu is a Romanian pianist, praised for his “mastery of temporal pacing” (Musical Opinion). He studied piano at the National University of Music in Bucharest and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, winning the Beethoven Society of Europe Intercollegiate Piano Competition while representing Guildhall. In 2011, at the age of 21, Mihai was a top laureate of the George Enescu International Competition, and won a number of special prizes. Mihai has performed at venues including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, and played with orchestras such as George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra and the MDR Leipzig Radio Orchestra.
✨Meet our conductor✨
👏We’re very happy to be conducted by Natalia Luis-Bassa! She’ll be leading us through an exciting program of Prokofiev, Ravel and Berlioz on the 15th of February. Get your tickets through the link in our bio!
🎶Natalia Luis-Bassa is Professor of Conducting at the Royal College of Music, Principal Guest Conductor of the Oxford University Orchestra, and Musical Director of the Jersey Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of Venezuela’s world-renowned El Sistema and the first person in her country to earn a degree in Orchestral Conducting, she later completed postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music in London, winning the Michael Mudie Conducting Prize and the Ricordi Prize. Her career has been shaped by mentorship with Sir Colin Davis. In recognition of her artistry, Natalia was named an Elgar Ambassador by the Elgar Society in 2007.
Applications are open for our concerto competition! 🎉
We are super excited to be holding a concerto competition this year, open to current and recent members of the orchestra. The winner will have the opportunity to perform a concerto with us in summer 2026 or during the 2026/27 season. The first round is by video submission by 15th December and the second round will be in February. Be sure to visit our website for the full list of rules and guidelines.
Our first concert of this season is coming up! We will be playing an exciting programme of Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Lili Boulanger and Debussy. Hope to see you there at 6pm on the 16th of November at King’s College! Click the link in our bio for tickets!
âť“What does ULSO playâť“
✨Wondering if the orchestra is right for you? These are some highlights from the 2024/25 & 2023/24 repertoire!
đź“ťApply for ULSO with the link in the bio
#londonorchestra #symphonyorchestra #orchestraauditions #universityorchestra #londonclassicalmusic #londonmusic #classicalmusic #freshers
‼️NEW DEADLINE‼️
🎶We’ve extended the deadline to the 30th of September, for those joining us from fresher’s fairs or if you have extenuating circumstances. If you wish to be considered for a principal seat, we recommend you submit your audition as soon as possible!
#londonorchestra #symphonyorchestra #orchestraauditions #universityorchestra #londonclassicalmusic #londonmusic #classicalmusic #freshers
