Conductors and Leaders
Musical Director: Robin Browning
Robin Browning enjoys a busy conducting career both here and abroad. He is currently music director of five orchestras – Southampton University Symphony Orchestra, Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra, Petersfield Orchestra, Essex Youth Orchestra and De Havilland Philharmonic (resident at the University of Hertfordshire). Robin also conducts the professional Chelmsford Sinfonietta, and is highly committed to training younger musicians, guest-conducting with orchestras at both Trinity College and Guildhall School of Music. Last year, Robin was involved in the Barbican Young Orchestra project, alongside Peter Stark & Sir Colin Davis.
Since making his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Barbican in 1996 (which was broadcast on Classic FM), Robin has conducted the Hallé, English Northern Philharmonia, Northern Sinfonia, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, St Petersburg Festival Orchestra and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. He took second prize in the NAYO Conducting Competition in 1994, and won the inaugural Boosey & Hawkes Award at the Edinburgh Festival the following year. Robin has been assistant conductor to Mark Elder with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Benjamin Zander with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
In recent seasons Robin has given concerts in some of the world’s most famous concert halls, including Snape Maltings, London’s Cadogan Hall, the Rudolfinum in Prague, and the Banff Centre in Canada. In 2008, Robin performed at the Olympic Stadium, Nanjing, conducting live on Chinese television in front of an audience of 70 million. He has worked with a wide array of soloists, including Lynne Dawson, Gordon Hunt, Guy Johnston, Aled Jones, Craig Ogden, Ronan O’Hora, Charles Owen, Ruth Palmer, Jennifer Pike, Stephen Stirling and Raphael Wallfisch.
Robin studied at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy, with Myung-Whun Chung and the legendary Russian pedagogue Ilya Musin. He subsequently studied in the USA with Joseph Gifford. He was recently invited to the David Oistrakh Festival in Pärnu, Estonia, for masterclasses and concerts with Neeme Järvi and Paavo Järvi. Robin has enjoyed periods of study with Charles Mackerras, Sian Edwards, Mark Elder, Markus Stenz and Benjamin Zander. He is also increasingly in demand as a teacher, being passionately committed to the training of young conductors. He works with students at both the University of Southampton and the University of Hertfordshire, as well as privately.
2008 saw the release of Robin’s first professional studio-recording, of music by John Hopkins. A second CD, of ceremonial brass music, has just been released. In May 2009, he recorded Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale with Paul Benniston and members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Future plans include a sequence of Mahler performances (including Das Lied von der Erde, and the 7th and 9th symphonies), and a return to the studio, recording music by Raymond Warren.
Please visit Robin's new website.
Assistant Conductor: Alex Fryer
Alex Fryer is 20 years old and is currently in his second year studying music at the University of Southampton. After playing flute from the age of nine and beginning the oboe at thirteen, he was heavily involved within his school music department, participating in vocal and instrumental ensembles and musical direction. During his gap year, Alex made his conducting debut with Haydn’s ‘Nelson Mass’ and, later, symphonies by Mozart and suites by Shostakovich and Holst.
During his first year at university, Alex played principle oboe in the symphony orchestra, as well as playing in the university sinfonietta and wind orchestra, many of which he has continued in his second year. He is currently enjoying studying oboe performance with Andrew Knights. Alex also founded ‘Fidelis Chorale’, a student choir, which he co-directs and has won a university choral scholarship as a tenor with ‘Cantores Michaelis’. This year he is also a member of an assessed vocal quintet ‘Perfect 5th’. Back at home in Cambridgeshire, Alex plays in many ensembles including Phoenix Chorale, and the ‘New Cambridge Symphony Orchestra’ which he co-founded and co-manages, as well as being assistant conductor.
Alex is currently studying conducting with Robin Browning and is delighted to be assistant conductor for SUSO this year; he looks forward to continuing his studies in oboe and conduction into his third year.
Leader: Diego Becciolini
Diego Becciolini (pictured left) was born in Basel, Switzerland, to a Portuguese mother and a Swiss and Italian father. He has been playing the violin since he was five and took lessons for fifteen years, with Dominique Chiarappa-Zryd and Anne Loerkens-Bauer, until he obtained a "certificat supérieur d'études non-professionnelles" with distinction. Chamber music has been the main focus of his education: piano-violin sonata with his father, several chamber music summer-schools, etc. Along with Natalie de Lambilly and now rising piano-star of the contemporary music scene Antoine Françoise, he performed in a trio for many years, until all three chose different paths at the end of secondary school.
Upon starting university in 2004 Diego had his first symphonic experience (with Mahler 1). He played in the university and city of Lausanne symphonic orchestra (OSUL) for a year and a half. When moving to Southampton two years ago to start a PhD in particle physics, he took the opportunity to pick up his violin again, joining SUSO. Since then he has enjoyed a fulfilling musical life, participating in many projects: the Charity Symphony Orchestra, ensembles for conducting classes at University of Southampton, and recently the premiere of Michael Finnissy's completion of the Mozart Requiem.
Leader: Ben Jennings
Ben Jennings (pictured right) has been studying violin for 15 years and also took up the piano in 2005. His enjoyment and enthusiasm for music led him to a successful application for Junior Trinity College of Music when he was 15. He studied violin there under the guidance of Andrew Bernardi for 3 years and became heavily involved in solo performance, chamber music and the Junior Trinity Symphony Orchestra.
Since arriving at the University of Southampton to study BA Music in 2009, he has quickly become an established member of the Southampton University Symphony Orchestra and the Southampton University Sinfonietta, the latter of which he is currently Assistant Conductor of for the 2011/12 season. He has most recently been involved in world premiere performances of the completion of Mozart’s Requiem by Michael Finnisey in Southampton and Brighton.