Guest Artists

James Redwood
Music Workshop Leader

On what makes working with sinfonia ViVA special...

In a nation renowned for its ground-breaking arts education work, sinfonia ViVA stands out from the crowd. It's not just that the musicians who deliver ViVA's education programme are at the top of their game. Nor is it that ViVA's programming is exciting and innovative. It's not even that the project management of the education work is simply the best in the country.

What is so exemplary about sinfonia ViVA is that the orchestra places working with non-professionals at the same high level that it places its work with professional musicians. No pre-concert, foyer sharings here – ViVA puts its money where its mouth is and expects professionals and non-professionals alike to share the main stage. And that high expectation means that the non-professional groups the Orchestra works with raise their game until they truly are on a par with the professional players.

The sense of pride, both musical and personal which results resonates back in schools and community settings and I truly believe that the work has a permanent impact on participants. The depth of impact and the spectacular results achieved are only possible because of the high esteem in which players and participants know they are held. And this makes my job of facilitating the collaboration unbelievably rewarding.