Cardiff Chamber Orchestra
About CCO
Cardiff Chamber Orchestra is a community orchestra based in South Wales created by graduates from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD). Our players come from around Cardiff and its environs, including the RWCMD, Cardiff University, and other local musicians.
Formed in June 2021, the orchestra has enjoyed putting on a large number of successful concerts, and recent concert highlights include playing Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, Mendelssohn's Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage overture and Haydn's Clock Symphony No 101.
Cardiff Chamber Orchestra presents a fantastic opportunity for musicians to be given chances that they may not otherwise get - including exploring lesser known repertoire, including works by women composers and composers from other under-represented backgrounds. The orchestra also allows musicians from different backgrounds to get to know one another and collaborate outside of the ensemble.
We are always on the lookout for new musicians to join the ranks, particularly in the string section.
Rehearsals
We rehearse on Mondays 7-9pm during school term time at Stanwell Road Baptist Church Hall in Penarth.
Our current rehearsal pattern is rehearsing on a weekly basis for 6 months of the year, working towards an Autumn, Spring and Summer concert.
Georgia Steel
Musical Director
Georgia Steel is a conductor, violist, educator, and advocate for accessible music making. Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, they completed undergraduate studies in Viola and Conducting at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, followed by a Master of Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with additional conducting studies under Colin Metters, Sian Edwards, and Jonathan Mann. Georgia’s previous roles include Assistant Conductor of the Wellington Concert Orchestra and Guest Conductor of the Kapiti Concert Orchestra.
Georgia brings to their conducting a rich background in education, they are the only Suzuki Violin teacher in Wales with students currently based around the world. They have served as an adjudicator for the Hamilton Piano and Strings Competitions and perform regularly as a violist in South Wales.
Outside of classical music, Georgia is one half of the electro-folk duo Rhedyn, and remains committed to continually forgetting words in Cymraeg while ordering their weekly coffee.
Tom Whitehouse
Leader
Tom has recently become leader of Cardiff chamber orchestra after being principal 2nd violin for the past year. Tom hails from the West Midlands, and has played with orchestras in Cardiff and further field: currently playing in Cardiff Baroque, and Kimichi Symphony Orchestra and Gig Caritas in Birmingham, with experience playing with the Birmingham Philharmonic and CBSO.
Tom's favourite works to play are late renaissance and romantic, composers including Monteverdi and Corelli, all the way to Tchaikovsky and Strauss
The Committee
Finn Heathfield
They/Them
Chair
Finn Heathfield is a Composer, Sound Designer, and Bassoonist currently studying composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Their work spans multiple disciplines including writing for theatre, orchestral and chamber music, multichannel electroacoustic music, and mixed media performances. When not composing, Finn works as a freelance Bassoon and Contrabasson player. They also lead workshops and creative composition programmes with young musicians. Finn also works as a freelance Sound Designer and studio engineer for various theatrical projects and radio plays. Finn regularly works for the English Symphony Orchestra as Pastoral lead for their 3 youth orchestras. They lead a team of volunteers, parents, and staff to deliver ESO's youth provision to over 300 young musicians a year across all skill levels. Alongside this, they also sits on the board of trustees of the Orchestra, and work freelance as their concert manager.
