Susan was a junior exhibitioner at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She took on the role of Orchestral Leader in 2014, having previously been head of the second violin section for 14 years. The Leader’s position requires more than just playing the notes and shaking the conductor’s hand at the start and end of a performance, and Susan spends considerable time studying the orchestral scores beforehand to determine the bowing requirements of the string sections. She also enjoys acting as the conduit between the conductor and the players – a role that has required much adaptability in the last couple of years given the exciting new musical ventures Tonbridge Philharmonic has undertaken under the various batons of its recent music directors!

 

Susan has led various local orchestras in Kent and further afield, including the Hurst Green Sinfonia and the Shoreham Sinfonia, and currently is leader of the Henham Orchestra. She also plays regularly in many other groups in the area, including Kentish Opera.

 

Susan enjoys playing chamber music with her husband Robert and the other TPS section leaders, and was a member of the Medway String Quartet for many years. When time permits, Susan organises informal string soirées for local musicians.