EFG and Southbank Sinfonia - building a sound future

Southbank Sinfonia marked the launch of their 2021 season with a move to a beautiful new home at St John’s Smith Square, located in the heart of London. St John’s Smith Square is a unique church and concert hall with a rich history, that has played host to everyone from world-class singers, conductors and musicians to local community groups.  

Southbank Sinfonia at St John’s Smith Square aims to create a hub for world-class musical development, placing emerging talent at the heart of the organisation. Each year, Southbank Sinfonia’s renowned fellowship programme gives young musicians from all over the world the chance to gain valuable orchestral experience and become important role models in the community.

The 2021 fellowship features 32 young musicians from 11 different countries and having spent months apart as a result of the pandemic, they reunited last week at St John’s Smith Square to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No 5.  

Flautist Catherine Hare summed up the emotions she felt on seeing the venue for the first time and being reunited with her fellow musicians: “it’s impossible not to feel inspired, it’s a lovely venue, with fantastic acoustics and to be back making music again in person is an absolute joy. Life feels colourful again”. To see more reactions from this year’s intake and get a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse of the new venue, see the video below:

Simon Over, Music Director of Southbank Sinfonia, is also optimistic about the future: “As we approach our 20th anniversary in 2022, we needed a more permanent home and it’s a fantastic space full of possibilities. Southbank Sinfonia at St John’s Smith Square combines the history of a great music venue with the youthful vibrancy of the orchestra and by placing emerging talent at the heart of our organisation, we can guarantee the future of our musical heritage and realise our full potential”. 

Southbank Sinfonia’s first free live-streamed event of the new season is on Thursday, 15 April at 18:00 hours GMT, when they are joined by musicians from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for a performance of Haydn’s Symphony No 103 ‘Drumroll’ and Beethoven’s Symphony No 1. For more information, click on this link.

Southbank Sinfonia are looking forward to the opportunity to perform to live audiences again as their season continues to evolve with a programme of concerts, community workshops, family days and partnerships with leading arts organisations. They will also participate in the well-established and much loved programme of regular Festivals at St John’s Smith Square, such as the Christmas Festival.

Inspiring the next generation of talent is an important theme that underpins all EFG’s global partnerships, so we wish Southbank Sinfonia well in their new home and look forward to a bright future ahead.

For more information please visit: https://www.southbanksinfonia.co.uk/