Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 23 hours ago
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Leaper - Conductor
Oliver Wass - Harp
Alberto Ginastera, born in Buenos Aires 100 years last month, is the most important composer of classical music to have emerged from Argentina. His talent was recognised early in his career by Aaron Copland, who described him as a composer with ‘a natural flair for writing brilliantly effective, sure-fire music of the French-Spanish persuasion. Sometimes it acquires an increased charm through a well-placed use of local melodic phraseology. He also possesses an unusual knack for bright-sounding orchestrations.’ Later – thanks to a visit to the United States, arranged by Copland, and other international journeys – his initial nationalist aesthetic was expanded by the influence of composers from the 20th-century mainstream, notably Bartók and Schoenberg. Ginastera became a prominent teacher in his native country, and a familiar figure abroad. He spent the last twelve years of his life in Switzerland.
Adrian Leaper has a distinguished career during which he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Spain’s RTVE Symphony Orchestra & Chorus in Madrid and previously Principal Conductor of the Orquesta Filharmónia de Gran Canaria for nearly 20 years. His career began with an usually long tenure of five years as Assistant Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. He has recently returned to the Orchestre National d'Île de France, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Aarhus Symfoniorkester and Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música alongside his work in Spain and Japan.
Oliver Wass is in his first year of a Masters degree at the Guildhall School, for which he was awarded a full scholarship to study with Imogen Barford. He graduated from the University of York with a First Class Honours degree, achieving the highest mark ever awarded for his final recital, and winning the Blake Music Prize.
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra
Violin 1
Anna Roder
Valerie Clare Sanders
Anna Kuk
Rui Liu
Federico Piccotti
Venetia Jollands
Claudia Sanson
Ching-Chun Chuang
Marcello Deidda
Conor Masterson
Violin 2
Nihat Agdaç
William Newell
Cora-Marina Iordache
Rebecca Raimondi
Emily Mowbray
Hanna Tracz
Diogo Ramos
Konstancja Smolorz
Viola
Alexander McFarlane
Christopher Deakins
Wai Bun Chan
Selin Özen
Matteo Mizera
Katherine Clarke
Cello
Toby White
Emma Besselaar
Naomi Mclean
Sophie Haynes
Katherine Reader
Pietari Willey
Double bass
Ivan Rubido Gonzalez
Albert Myczkowski
Elena Marigomez
Miguel Moreno Traba
Flute
Jack Welch
Antonia Berg
Oboe
Evan Sanchez
Sian Robinson
Clarinet
Alejandro Villaneuva
Bethan Irving
Bassoon
Chihiro Kashiwakura
Finan Jones
Horn
Diana Sheach
Alex Willett
Victoria McBride
Trumpet
Oliver Haines
Rebecca Toal
Timpani
Peter Ashwell
Percussion
Peter Rayner
Elaine So
Tristan Butler
Harry Malabar
Celeste
Aaron Burrows
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Leaper - Conductor
Oliver Wass - Harp
Alberto Ginastera, born in Buenos Aires 100 years last month, is the most important composer of classical music to have emerged from Argentina. His talent was recognised early in his career by Aaron Copland, who described him as a composer with ‘a natural flair for writing brilliantly effective, sure-fire music of the French-Spanish persuasion. Sometimes it acquires an increased charm through a well-placed use of local melodic phraseology. He also possesses an unusual knack for bright-sounding orchestrations.’ Later – thanks to a visit to the United States, arranged by Copland, and other international journeys – his initial nationalist aesthetic was expanded by the influence of composers from the 20th-century mainstream, notably Bartók and Schoenberg. Ginastera became a prominent teacher in his native country, and a familiar figure abroad. He spent the last twelve years of his life in Switzerland.
Adrian Leaper has a distinguished career during which he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Spain’s RTVE Symphony Orchestra & Chorus in Madrid and previously Principal Conductor of the Orquesta Filharmónia de Gran Canaria for nearly 20 years. His career began with an usually long tenure of five years as Assistant Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. He has recently returned to the Orchestre National d'Île de France, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Aarhus Symfoniorkester and Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música alongside his work in Spain and Japan.
Oliver Wass is in his first year of a Masters degree at the Guildhall School, for which he was awarded a full scholarship to study with Imogen Barford. He graduated from the University of York with a First Class Honours degree, achieving the highest mark ever awarded for his final recital, and winning the Blake Music Prize.
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra
Violin 1
Anna Roder
Valerie Clare Sanders
Anna Kuk
Rui Liu
Federico Piccotti
Venetia Jollands
Claudia Sanson
Ching-Chun Chuang
Marcello Deidda
Conor Masterson
Violin 2
Nihat Agdaç
William Newell
Cora-Marina Iordache
Rebecca Raimondi
Emily Mowbray
Hanna Tracz
Diogo Ramos
Konstancja Smolorz
Viola
Alexander McFarlane
Christopher Deakins
Wai Bun Chan
Selin Özen
Matteo Mizera
Katherine Clarke
Cello
Toby White
Emma Besselaar
Naomi Mclean
Sophie Haynes
Katherine Reader
Pietari Willey
Double bass
Ivan Rubido Gonzalez
Albert Myczkowski
Elena Marigomez
Miguel Moreno Traba
Flute
Jack Welch
Antonia Berg
Oboe
Evan Sanchez
Sian Robinson
Clarinet
Alejandro Villaneuva
Bethan Irving
Bassoon
Chihiro Kashiwakura
Finan Jones
Horn
Diana Sheach
Alex Willett
Victoria McBride
Trumpet
Oliver Haines
Rebecca Toal
Timpani
Peter Ashwell
Percussion
Peter Rayner
Elaine So
Tristan Butler
Harry Malabar
Celeste
Aaron Burrows
