LSO Discovery

Sarah Quinn
^{LSO second violin}

Born in Dublin, Sarah Quinn began playing the violin at the age of eight. Keen to pursue a career in music, she moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music, where she was the recipient of many awards and prizes. Whilst a student at the RCM, Sarah was awarded a place on the LSO String Experience scheme. Sarah joined the LSO in 1998 having graduated from the RCM with distinction.

In addition to her busy schedule at the LSO, Sarah is in demand as a teacher and regularly tutors at the RCM, Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has also worked extensively with youth orchestras and is passionate about working with young musicians. Sarah is regularly involved with all aspects of LSO Discovery, working in schools and in the community. Sarah has also served as a Director on the Board of the LSO.

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 her studies at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 16. There, she spent five years learning with Jérôme 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 Music School 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.

Sophia Rahman
^piano

Sophia Rahman has recorded piano concertos with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Scottish Ensemble and has made around forty chamber music discs.

Sophia has appeared in recital with musicians such as cellist Steven Isserlis and other distinguished performers including tenor Mark Padmore and violinist/violist and conductor Andres Kaljuste. She is the Artistic Director of Whittington Festival in Shropshire, UK. 

Sophia has coached at top Scandinavian music schools and designed a course for young Estonians at the Arvo Pärt Centre, where she regularly appears as a recitalist. Also known for her work as a class pianist, Sophia has played for Steven Isserlis’ class at IMS Prussia Cove since 2011. Her interest in this field began as a class pianist for the legendary William Pleeth at the Britten-Pears School. 

After early tuition with Antonietta Notariello, Sophia studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School under Peter Norris, with guidance from Vlado Perlemuter and Louis Kentner. 

She took a first-class honours degree in English from King’s College London and continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Alexander Kelly and Malcolm Martineau, winning the Royal Overseas League’s collaborative and chamber music piano prizes in consecutive years.

Rachel Leach
^presenter

Rachel Leach was born in Sheffield. She studied composition, and her music has been recorded by NMC and published by Faber. She has won several awards including, with English Touring Opera, the RPS award for best education project 2009 for One Day, Two Dawns.

 Rachel has worked within the education departments of most of the UK’s orchestras and opera companies. The majority of her work is for the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Rachel has written well over 20 pieces for LSO Discovery and 15 community operas, including seven for ETO.

Increasingly in demand as a concert presenter, as well as presenting the LSO Discovery Free Friday Lunchtime Concert series, she regularly presents children’s concerts and pre-concert events for the LSO, LPO, Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal College of Music and Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Angie Newman
^{BSL interpreter}

Angie Newman has worked extensively across music and deaf education for many years. Her knowledge and expertise in these areas, combined with her skills as both a British Sign Language interpreter and a musician, enable her to make music more accessible to young deaf people and adults, bridging the worlds of deafness and music, something she feels passionate about.

She has worked for six successive years with the BBC interpreting family Proms, including CBeebies Proms. She works with a variety of leading orchestras in the UK, including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and many others, interpreting for their education and community programmes. Angie loves to relax by walking, cycling, playing the piano and violin, and practising yoga.