Sophie Appleton
After a musical start in Suffolk, Sophie went to the Purcell School at the age of 11 to study with Marius Bedeschi and seven years later entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study with Detlef Hahn and went on later to learn with Marianne Thorson.
Since then Sophie has balanced her orchestral career with contemporary music making. She was a founder member of Kürbis with James Weeks, Louisa Tuck and Claudia Molitor and also played frequently with The Hola and Klang Seben. These groups have seen her play regularly on BBC Radio 3 and as part of many contemporary music festivals including Spitalfields, Huddersfield and Soundwaves.
While she freelanced as an orchestral violinist in London, Sophie played regularly with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House amongst others.
She joined the RNS in 2011 and lives in Gateshead with her husband and two children.