NOT YOUR AVERAGE CELLIST…
Victoria has been fending off looks for carrying a large box around for the best part of 35 years. She’s had rocks thrown at her in playgrounds, tramps laugh at her in train stations, been greeted at airports by moose, but she’s never left it on a train or in the back of a cab. She did leave it in Caffé Nero once, but only for five minutes and she ran like the wind once she realised.
When it’s out of the box, Victoria’s c.1761 Robert Thompson cello has taken her in all sorts of directions since she graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2000 and previously the Royal Northern College of Music, in 1999.
As a soloist she has premiered ‘Roundelay’ by Stephen Dodgson with NYGE, has recorded for Peter Howarth, Joe Carabine, composers Daniele Falagone and Montgomery Sadler, released her debut album ‘To The Trains’ with pianist Daniel Hill, and given solo recitals and concerto performances throughout the UK and abroad.
In the good old days she worked regularly with the Philharmonia and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and performed with amongst others English National Ballet, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Ballet Rambert.
She was also not seen, but most definitely heard in West End shows including Guys and Dolls, Sound of Music, Mahabharata (Sadler’s Wells’ first production featuring the spoken word) and the première performance of Berlin.
As principal cello Victoria played in numerous concert halls and muddy fields with the Guildford Philharmonic, London Soloists and Sinfonia ViVa and was on trial as Principal cello for English Sinfonia.
She’s recorded and performed with Nitin Sawhney, Scott Walker, Damon Albarn, Anoushka Shankar, Jarvis Cocker, Akram Khan and Lisa Stansfield.
She’s also done some tv adverts with the London Telefilmonic Orchestra and once did a tour with Italian pop star Cesaré Cremonini. He promised her a ride in his Aston Martin DB9, but she’s still waiting to hear back on that.
A passionate chamber musician, Victoria has blasted out baselines and a rather good whinny in Covent Garden and travels all over the country with various ensembles, serenading newly weds and livening up dinner parties.
She’s been seen at the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows (mainly buying plants!) and done numerous weddings with ensembles including Palatine Quartet, Regent Quartet, Haysden Quartet, Adriamus Quartet, Abraxas Ensemble and Reflection Strings. And worn posh jackets in huge dining halls with the London Banqueting Ensemble.
Victoria recently recorded a lovely new CD of English piano and string orchestra works with the Chamber Ensemble of London, that was released in 2019. She wasn’t playing the piano though, someone much better was!
These days Victoria is based in Canterbury, and splits her time between teaching through her Cellowalker School, at Kent College Junior School and Folkestone Girls Grammar, and running her ensemble Weddington Strings.
Victoria has always had a passion for education and has taught cello to all ages for over 20 years, both in the UK and abroad. She has dedicated a great deal of her career to teaching, and adopts the philosophy “if you’re lucky enough to love what you do, you should pass it on”.
Victoria has taught in the UK for Croydon High School, Forest School, Southwark Music Service, Barking & Dagenham Community Music Service, Berkshire Maestros, Blackheath High School, Prendergast School and Bexley Academy of Music and Performing Arts.
From 2009 - 2012 she led workshops in primary, secondary and special needs schools across Trinidad and Tobago with the Savannah Quartet. She also worked alongside El Sistema tutors from Venezuela, coaching the National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago and regularly coached the National Sinfonia of Trinidad and Tobago, and local instrumental ensembles Birdsong and Divine Echoes.
Victoria has given outreach workshops with the Anghiari Quartet, Live Action Opera, Adriamus Quartet and Weddington Strings, and performed in educational concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Guildford Philharmonic and Sinfonia ViVa.
“I was always getting into trouble at school for not concentrating on my own work first, before helping out others with theirs! So it was a natural progression for me to get into teaching. You never stop learning as a musician and I’ve found teaching to be the biggest learning experience of all.
Not only do I get huge satisfaction from helping students so they can eventually learn to solve problems for themselves. But by doing so it’s made me a better player too.”
Victoria is very patient teacher and has a responsive approach to her students needs, which creates an environment rich in learning and fun, with a great deal of laughter in the mix!
When she’s not sawing away, Victoria can usually be found whipping up naughty desserts, driving her almost vintage BMW and coming to terms with her unsettling love of Emmerdale.
She’s also working on her first and probably only book, based on her musical life. So far she’s written two chapters, which have taken five years. If she ever finishes it, she’ll let you know!