Nathalie, 21, read Music at the University of Cambridge and graduated in 2016. Now she is continuing her studies with Martin Outram at the Royal Academy of Music for a Masters, to finish in 2018. Starting the viola at the age of 11, Nathalie gained a place in the National Children’s Orchestra, where she played for four years as principal viola. After ‘retiring’ from the Children’s Orchestra, she spent a further four years as a violist in the National Youth Orchestra, culminating in her position as principal viola in 2012-13. Her first year in the NYO saw her invited as one of the 10 members chosen to represent the NYO and play with the Youth Orchestra of Brazil, performing concerts in England, Portugal and Brazil. In 2012 Nathalie was one of the five principals of NYO who received The Queen’s Medal for Music, on behalf of the orchestra, from Her Majesty the Queen at the Barbican. She then went on to play with the London Symphony Orchestra as part of the celebration concert. In 2013, too, Nathalie played at Buckingham Palace as part of the Coronation Festival Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

During her time at Cambridge she played in several of the orchestras, namely the university’s flagship orchestra, Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra (CUCO). After being co-principal viola in her first year and principal in her second, Nathalie spent her third year playing in a number of string quartets and chamber ensembles, a highlight being a performance of Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet in Clare College Chapel after coaching from the Schubert Ensemble. Now at the Royal Academy of Music, Nathalie is a member of the Halcyon Quartet, formed by four students in 2012 at the Academy and now on the prestigious Poznanski Quartet Scheme for the fourth year in a row.

As a soloist, Nathalie premiered Pillow’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante for Viola and Bass Trombone’ with the Dorset County Orchestra in 2012, performed Mozart’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante’ for Violin and Viola in the Purbeck Strings Festival in 2013, and has also performed with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra String Section twice; once as a soloist and again as the viola within the solo quartet in Elgar’s ‘Introduction and Allegro’. Nathalie has gained DipABRSM in Viola, ABRSM Grade 8 in Viola, Clarinet and Singing, Trinity Grade 8 in Saxophone (alto) and was awarded the ABRSM Silver Award for her Grade 8 Singing. Upon starting at the Royal Academy, Nathalie has been fortunate enough to be loaned a Gasparo da Salo viola, c.1680 as well as 19th century Pageot-Maire bow from the conservatoire’s instrument collection.