LSO Discovery

Will Melvin
LSO First Violin

Born in 1988, Will graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2011 and 2012, having studied with Marianne Thorsen and Erich Gruenberg. During his time at RAM, Will was a prize winner in the Wolfe Wolfinson competition and the Winifred Small Violin Prize, and toured with the RAM soloists, RAM Symphony and Juilliard orchestras. He participated in masterclasses with world renowned violinists such as Thomas Brandis, Peter Schoeman and Maxim Vengerov.

As the Leader of the Bernadel Quartet, Will has performed in all the major UK chamber music halls including Wigmore Hall, Bristol Beacon (formerly Colston Hall), St Martin-in-the-Fields and Kings Place. He has participated in prestigious courses and masterclasses such as IMS Prussia Cove, West Cork Chamber music festival and Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme. He has appeared as soloist in St Johns' Smith Square, Cadogan Hall, the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall and LSO St Luke’s, performing works including Mozart’s Violin Concerto in G, Mendelssohn's E minor Concerto, Brahms’ Double Concerto and Saint-Saëns' Concerto in B minor.

Will is a former member of the LSO String Experience scheme.

Julia O'Riordan
LSO Viola

Hailing from Cork, Ireland, Julia moved to London in 2003 to study at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Maurice Hasson and Matthew Souter.

She went on to join the Tippett Quartet, with whom she recorded for Naxos, Signum and Dutton Epoch to critical acclaim. As a chamber musician, Julia has performed at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kings Place, The Sage, Bridgewater Hall and at the BBC Proms, as well as in Japan, Mexico and throughout Europe. She has also performed in many BBC Radio 3 broadcasts, including In Tune.

Julia has had the great pleasure of collaborating with performers including Ashley Wass, Julian Bliss and Simon Crawford-Philips and the privilege of working with Peter Maxwell Davies, Anthony Payne and Hugh Wood.

Julia has worked as Guest Principal and Co-Principal with orchestras including the Royal Opera House, English Chamber Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Laure Le Dantec
LSO Cello

Laure Le Dantec was seven when she started playing the cello. After studying with Marc Coppey and Raphael Pidoux at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris, she began studies at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 16. There, she spent five years learning with Jéröme Pernoo and passed her Masters Diploma with the highest distinction.

Already very interested in symphonic repertoire, Laure moved to Amsterdam to be part of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Academy for the 2014/15 season, and the year after travelled to Berlin, where she performed with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra for one year. During this time, she continued her studies and started a second Masters course at the Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule with Troels Svane.

Laure is also passionate about chamber music and plays in ensembles of all sorts with the Camerata RCO, formed by players in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, and performing in festivals in Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, Russia, Colombia, Canada and even Hawaii.