Introduction
Today’s string musicians need to be dynamic and innovative, displaying the technical mastery and flexibility necessary succeed in the ever-evolving, diverse world of music.
Whether you aspire to be a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral or ensemble player, generative artist, or teacher, our carefully designed training prepares you for anything the professional world might throw at you. Through top class training and a supportive, highly creative environment, we will help you to excel and become ever more confident performing in a range of contexts, from concert platform and opera house to studio, festival or club.
We will help you become the very best musician you can be, enabling you to develop an enquiring musical mind and the technical security necessary to flourish as an artist in the 21st century.
Teaching
Individual tuition takes place weekly. These one-to-one lessons focus on repertoire, technique, stylistic issues, different genres, performance, sight reading and more. The classes are taught by leading professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds; world-class soloists, teachers and orchestral musicians.
You will also receive weekly Departmental classes are designed to equip you for the diverse world of professional music making, covering subjects ranging from audition skills to teaching methods, historically informed performance, and issues of healthy practice and performance.
Undergraduate students will also be able to enhance their musicianship through Principal Study Enhancement lessons, which include opportunities to undertake related or complementary study of a period instrument, jazz or a related instrument, such as viola for violinists.
Chamber music is a central focus of string training at Trinity Laban, with frequent coaching led by our internationally acclaimed staff, all of whom regularly perform in the country’s leading ensembles. We are fortunate to have resident chamber groups who visit regularly to give concerts and masterclasses.
Performance
Solo/Chamber
Performance is at the core of your musical training. Weekly sign-up classes provide performance opportunities and a chance to receive feedback from both teaching staff and your peers. You will also have regular opportunities to perform in our recital series at the stunning Old Royal Naval College Chapel, our concert hall in Blackheath, St Alfege Church, and a host of other venues in the UK including Wigmore Hall. Students also have the opportunity to perform side by side with our renowned teaching staff. You will be encouraged to take part in a number of internal and external competitions. Paid external engagements are also available through an audition process.
Orchestras
Bowed string and harp students have regular opportunities to perform with a variety of large ensembles, including our Symphony Orchestra, Chamber and Opera Orchestras, String Ensemble, Contemporary Music Group, Pit Band, Sinfonia and Side by Side projects where principal players from top UK orchestras perform with our players. Students have the opportunity to perform in a number of London venues including Blackheath Halls, Cadogan Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. There are also opportunities to tour nationally and internationally. Guitar and harp students also participate in large ensemble activity as members of the Trinity Laban Guitar Orchestra and the Harp Ensemble.
Find out more about Music Performance Opportunities.
Facilities and Instruments
Trinity Laban has a fine collection of bowed string instruments, guitars and harps, including period instruments, available on short-term loan. You will also enjoy the benefits of an on-site Luthier who is able to re-hair bows and repair instruments.
Collaboration
Collaboration is a key part of all our students’ learning. As well as working with students across departments, we encourage you to experiment with less orthodox and newly imagined collaborations, bridging the barriers between art forms, working with students from the Faculty of Dance through our annual CoLab festival and beyond.
Masterclasses
Your learning is also enhanced by regular visits from acclaimed international performers, who share their skills and experience in our masterclass series. Recent visiting artists have included: Tasmin Little, Anthony Marwood, Mi-Kyung Lee, Mincho Minchev, Ivo van der Werff, Lawrence Power, Alexander Zemtsov, Leonid Gorokhov, Pieter Wispelwey, Raphael Wallfisch, Ralph Kirshbaum, Joel Quarrington, Alberto Bocini, José Antonio Escobar, John Mills, Fabrice Pierre and Isabelle Perrin.
One recent highlight was a masterclass series from principal players of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, including Marie-Pierre Langlamet (harp), Martin Löhr (cello) and Matthew McDonald (double bass).
Graduates
Graduates of our String Department go on to work in all areas of the profession. Notable recent alumni include:
Serafina Steer was the recipient of The Paul Hamlyn Foundation Awards for Artists 2017. For composition work.
Elizabeth McNulty is Principal Harpist with The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and also freelances with other orchestras, including The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The English National Ballet and London Concert Orchestra.
Artem Kotov is a violinist in the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra.
Grigory Tsyganov is Principal Viola and soloist with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia.
Alexei Kiseliov is Principal Cello of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Tom Beer is Principal Viola with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Stjepan Hauser forms one half of acclaimed duo 2CELLOS who are touring their latest album, internationally.
Tony Hougham is Principal Double Bass at the Royal Opera House and guest Principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Stefan Melovski is a guitarist who performs his own arrangements in classical recitals, alongside directing and playing with various jazz and folk ensembles. He also co-founded the Balkan band, ‘Op Sa!’, who have performed at numerous prestigious venues.
Milana Zaric is Principal Harp at the Belgrade Philharmonic
String alumni are also extremely well represented within elite youth and training orchestras. For 2017, three alumni (Elin Parry, Andrea Montalbano and Claire Sledd) were selected to perform with Southbank Sinfonia, which brings together 33 outstanding graduates from around the world.
To view the impressive organisations that our alumni have worked with, visit Alumni Destinations.
For more information on the successes of Trinity Laban Strings graduates and what they have to say about the course, visit Alumni Profiles.
Strings at Trinity Laban
Our students perform alongside top UK orchestras and at leading venues around London. Take a look at our gallery for an insight into the Strings Department at Trinity Laban.
- 1 - Trinity Laban Contemporary Music Group
- 2 - Trinity Laban String Ensemble, performing Gabriel Fauré's Nocturne
- 3 - Trinity Laban Chamber Music Harpist
- 4 - The Gold Medal Competition, held at Kings Place, London
- 5 - Side by Side project with members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
