About the Spinnaker Ensemble

THE SPINNAKER ENSEMBLE is a brand new group whose mission is to provide new experiences for local professional musicians and audiences in Portsmouth.

The plan is for the group to gradually expand into a flexible chamber orchestra that can tackle a wide range of repertoire dating from the Baroque to the present.

As the group is local to Portsmouth, part of its agenda is to present interesting repertoire with a local connection in addition to offering the opportunity to experience music that is seldom performed in the city.

George Burrows - Conductor

George read music at the Universities of Birmingham and Newcastle upon Tyne. While a student in Birmingham, he studied voice, trombone and piano at the Birmingham Conservatoire before moving to London to work in the education department of the Royal Opera House whilst studying conducting with Michael Rose and Colin Metters (Royal Academy of Music).

George moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1998 where he conducted the Newcastle University Orchestra and Choir. He worked with the likes of Emma Kirkby, Carolyn Sampson, James Bowman, James MacMillan, Alfred Brendel, the Royal Opera, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Young Sinfonia, and Newcastle Cathedral Choir.

He took up a lectureship in music at Portsmouth University in 2003. His academic interests are wide-ranging, encompassing the whole musical spectrum, from Claudio Monteverdi to Charles Mingus. He is editor of the journal, Studies in Musical Theatre (Intellect) and is completing a PhD thesis exploring American composer-bandleaders of the twentieth-century.

The players in the Ensemble vary, but the regulars players include:

• Anna Pring (Violin)
• Amy Edwards (Violin)
• Angela Martin (Violin / Viola)
• Kate Redwood (Cello)
• Victoria Redwood (Flute)

To get in touch, please see our contact page.