The Swinsian Ensemble - About Us

The Swinsian Ensemble, based in central London, is a new, professional string ensemble of twenty-two players - 6 x 1st violins, 6 x 2nd violins, 4 x violas, 4 x cellos, and 2 Double Basses. The ensemble performs on its own, together with various soloists, and sometimes, according to the programme, augments to a larger ensemble.  Unlike many similar organizations, the ensemble does not receive funding from any charitable or public body, relying instead on the support of companies, individuals and private benefaction (see Support Us.) This permits a great deal of artistic freedom and promotes an atmosphere of unity, self-standing and autonomy among the members of the organization. With this in mind, we also like to push the boundaries and will endeavour to commission new works from emerging composers along with engaging emerging soloists as well as the more established solo performers. It is also possible to hire The Swinsian Ensemble for private or corporate occassions, please email your proposals in the first instance to stephen@theswinsianensemble.com and we will be happy to give you a quote.

An important aspect of our performance is the encouragement of up-and-coming young musicians who are either nearing the end of their studies in performance, or have recently completed their studies. This is an excellent opportunity for them to gain invaluable experience alongside our regular professionals with the possibility of remaining in the ensemble after the completion of their studies.

The Swinsian Ensemble want their audience to have an enjoyable, encompassing, thought-provoking and sometimes challenging experience - ideally mirroring the experience of the players themselves. We feel that it takes both the players and the audience to bring the composer's work to life.