ABOUT US
Established nearly 40 years ago, Kew Sinfonia is a Chamber Orchestra comprising both professional and talented amateur musicians from the West London area. We perform regular concerts in the local community under the musical direction of our Conductor Daniel Hogan and Leader Catherine Schofield.
We play a wide-ranging repertoire encompassing the established popular masterworks as well as great but lesser known compositions from the 18th century to the present day, including new music commissioned from contemporary composers.
We also aim to support up and coming young musicians, and are privileged to work with and give a platform to talented new soloists.
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Kew Sinfonia's concert venues are St Anne's Church on Kew Green (near Kew Gardens), St Paul's Church in Chiswick, and the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Chiswick.
MUSICAL DIRECTORÂ
DANIEL HOGAN
DANIEL HOGAN is a young British conducting talent beginning to establish himself on the international music scene. He has been recognised across the profession as a conductor with enormous potential; a reputation for musical knowledge and musicianship, combined with an empathetic and personable leadership style.
Daniel’s 2024/25 season includes a visit to PoznaÅ„ Opera Orchestra and Chorus where he will be assisting Jacek Kaspszyk in a performance celebrating the Polish Independence Day. In April 2025, he debuts as Assistant conductor with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. Later in the month, he will be conducting the Oxford University Orchestra, and in June he will be conducting the University of London Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2023/2024 season, Daniel was Assistant Conductor for Opera North's My Fair Lady in Leeds and the BBC's 10 Pieces project with the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers. He assisted Andrew Gourlay with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Christopher Warren-Green with the Philharmonia and Brighton Festival Chorus for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Royal Albert Hall. He also served as Rehearsal Conductor for the Ulster Youth Orchestra's summer tour. Daniel assisted in recording Matthew Taylor’s Symphony No. 6 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales which was recently released.
Past highlights have included conducting the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in an Emerging Conductors Showcase concert in June 2023, and conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra, in a side-by-side project with the Royal Academy of Music. In concert, Daniel has also conducted the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra in Olomouc, Czechia, and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and the Järvi Academy Youth Orchestra in Estonia.
He has worked with soloists including Isata Kanneh-Mason, Laure Chan, John Myerscough, So-Ock Kim, Catrin Finch, and Thomas Kelly, as well as some of the UK’s most respected composers including Nicola LeFanu, David Matthews and Joseph Horovitz.
Daniel is the founder of Sinfonia Perdita, a young professional orchestra focused on neglected repertoire. Their first studio recording features Schumann’s Violin Concerto with Laure Chan, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. In November 2024, they will perform at Smith Square Hall, supported by the Malcolm Arnold Estate.
Daniel holds Music Directorships with various music organisations including Chorleywood Orchestra, Winchester Symphony Orchestra and Kew Sinfonia, with whom he conducted Thomas Kelly with Schumann’s Piano Concerto, and Lucilla Mariotti with Sibelius’ Violin Concerto last season. Other highlights include Korngold Violin Concerto with soloist So-Ock Kim and Farnborough Symphony Orchestra and a performance of Anna Clyne’s Masquerade with Hertford Symphony Orchestra.
Daniel studied a Professional Diploma in Orchestral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music with Sian Edwards. He received First Class Honours for his Masters in Orchestral Conducting at the Royal College of Music. He has studied at the Järvi Conducting Academy, with Paavo, Neeme and Kristian Järvi and benefitted from tuition and masterclasses with Martyn Brabbins, Sakari Oramo, Vasily Petrenko, Edward Gardner, Rafael Payare, Sir Mark Elder, Jac van Steen, Tomáš Netopil, Ryan Bancroft, Colin Metters and Sir Antonio Pappano.
As a teacher, Daniel recently tutored at the Aberystwyth Festival Conducting Course, assisting Toby Purser. He is a regular tutor at the New London Music Association Summer School and Principal Conductor of their Sinfonietta Orchestra. He is also a visiting Tutor of Conducting at Westminster School, and has taught at the Royal Academy of Music’s Junior Department.
Alongside his conducting work, Daniel is a committed composer. He has been commissioned to compose a orchestral vocal work for mezzo-soprano Emily Hodkinson, recently performed with Kew Sinfonia alongside Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in October 2024.
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LEADER
CATHERINE SCHOFIELD
Catherine Schofield has led Kew Sinfonia since being appointed in 2017.
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Cathy Says:
“I am a West London girl at heart, having lived in Ealing all my life apart from my student years in Manchester. I actually remember a time when entry into Kew Gardens was 3 old pence! I love the idea of being connected to the thriving local musical community, so it was an honour to be invited to take over from Gudrun Edwards, the founder Leader of Kew Sinfonia when she retired. I really enjoy working with amateur musicians, who play because they love to, and that is so refreshing! The players of Kew Sinfonia all work hard and are not afraid to tackle varied and challenging repertoire. The smaller, more flexible forces of a chamber orchestra require demanding and exacting playing from individuals; for me, the best bits are when they are playing like chamber musicians with their ‘antennae out’ - music-making which really opens out in the live performances. I can think of quite a few highlights of leading Kew Sinfonia over the past few years, and am looking forward to many more in the future.”
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Catherine received a Junior Exhibition to the Royal College of Music. She pursued her training at Manchester University and subsequently at the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with Emanuel Hurwitz and tutored by Peter Cropper and Richard Deakin.
Passionate about the importance of chamber music, Catherine is a founder member of the renowned Bridge String Quartet, established over 30 years ago as one of Britain’s foremost quartets and named after English composer Frank Bridge. The quartet has built up an international reputation through their highly-acclaimed recordings and extensive touring, acting as ambassadors of English Music in many festivals. Catherine coaches regularly on Bridge Quartet courses in the UK and Europe, and also at Dartington Summer Music and Pro Corda Music courses.
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As a freelance violinist Catherine has developed long associations with the English Chamber Orchestra, Glyndebourne Touring Opera and English Touring Opera, which she co-led. She has also frequently played in principal positions with various orchestras and groups including Primavera.
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Catherine is a respected teacher who has a thriving practice in Ealing, teaching pupils of all ages. She has taught at Junior Guildhall, Junior Trinity and the RNCM, and now runs “Stringendo!”, Saturday morning music classes in Hammersmith.
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