Matthew Coleridge

Composer and conductor Matthew Coleridge (b.1980) is an exciting voice in the British choral music scene. His first choral composition - the Corpus Christi Carol - was recorded by a cappella group The Queen's Six, appearing on the cover CD of BBC Music Magazine's Christmas edition in 2015.

His highly melodic and very approachable compositional style often blends elements of plainsong and medieval music with shimmering modern harmonies - weaving simple melodic lines into rich tapestries of sound.

Requiem (composed 2014-15) was hailed by the late Sir Neville Marriner as "a valuable addition to the 21st century choral repertoire". Is is regularly performed by choirs across the UK, and overseas.

Matthew's 'Requiem in a Day' choral workshops are very popular amongst choral singers, giving them the opportunity to sing this wonderful piece in some of the UK's most prestigious church buildings.

Maxim Calver - cello

British cellist Maxim Calver made his concerto debut in Symphony Hall, Birmingham as part of the Grand Final of BBC Young Musician 2018. His performance of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, was praised for its ‘natural ease’ and ‘emotional lyricism’. Earlier in the competition he won the Strings Category, performing works by Lutoslawski, Brahms and Stravinsky.

Highlights since then include concerto appearances across the UK with the Bath, Stockport and Maidstone Symphony Orchestras, the Orpheus Sinfonia and Brahms’ Double Concerto with Menuhin Competition prize-winner Tianyou Ma at Cadogan Hall, London. He has also performed recitals at St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, Norwich Assembly Rooms, St James’, Guernsey and Wethersfield Chamber Concerts amongst others.

In February 2020 he was a finalist in the Strings Category of the Royal Overseas League Competition, where his performance was singled out for the “elegance of his technique, overall sound and natural poeticism” (Strad Magazine, 2020). Upcoming highlights include recitals as well as a performance of Shostakovich Cello Concerto no.1 at St. John’s Smith Square, London.

St Woolos Sinfonia

St Woolos Sinfonia – the professional standard orchestra in the city of Newport and Orchestra -in-Residence resident in its cathedral – strives to bring the joy of fine classical music, not just to music lovers, but also to people and communities who may not have had the opportunity to discover it for themselves.

Since 2014, the exceptionally gifted New Zealand conductor, Tianyi Lu (2017/18 Gustavo Dudamel Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Assistant Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and since August 2019 Welsh National Opera’s “Female Conductor in Residence“) has taken the St Woolos Sinfonia as Guest, and lately as Principal Conductor, to highly acclaimed concert performances, to the utmost delight of the audiences and musicians, such as the wonderful 2018 Spring concert.

Supported by its Patrons & Friends, the orchestra always takes pride to support talented young musicians giving them the opportunity to play in the orchestra, supervised by its enthusiastic and experienced professional musicians. Testimony for this is a happy collaboration with undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, over many years.

Whilst busy with mainly symphonic and chamber music portfolios, St Woolos Sinfonia is very experienced in working with choirs and would be very happy to collaborate with choirs and choral societies to provide enthusiastic and high quality, yet affordable orchestral support for their concerts.

Emily Hicks - Soprano

Soprano Emily Hicks is a familiar face at Matthew’s Requiem in a Day workshops, having previously performed the piece at Portsmouth Cathedral, Dorchester Abbey and Romsey Abbey.

She was a choral scholar at Royal Holloway, singing in the Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum and recording several CDs, including one as a featured soloist. She currently studies with opera singer Anna Gregory.