Artists

Emilia Emilia Mårtensson (voice)

Emilia has built a well-deserved reputation as one of the most exciting vocalists on the UK Jazz scene and she was awarded  ‘Vocalist of the Year-2016′ at The Parliamentary Jazz Awards. She has led ensembles that have performed worldwide, including major Jazz Festivals. 

Zambian-Scottish singer songwriter and photographer based in London. Her signature sound blends traditional African rhythms, contemporary jazz, and folk pop. Praised by The Guardian as ‘a true original’, she sings in English, French, Portuguese and Zambian languages.

Namvula Rennie (voice)

Kalia Lyraki is a London-based singer, songwriter and nay player specialising in the music of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Born into a family of olive farmers on the island of Crete, her music is deeply rooted in the land, nature and Greek folk tradition.

Kalia Lyraki (voice/nay)

Jason Singh
(vocals and electronica)

Jason Singh is a multifaceted sound artist, nature beatboxer, producer, DJ, curator, facilitator, and performer. His life and work are deeply rooted in the art of listening. He embraces a multi-sensory and cross-species approach to sound and music, constantly exploring the relationships between humans, wildlife, and the environment through audio expression.

Jano Kružliak (violin)

Joins us from Bratislava where he is leader of the Spectrum Quartett. He is widely recognized as a versatile violinist working across classical, folk, jazz, experimental and world music utilizing live looping and electronics in theatre and global ensembles.

Colin Alexander (cello)

Cellist and composer blends classical forms with avant-garde improvisation and electro-acoustic elements. A versatile chamber musician, he performs with The 12 Ensemble and Phaedra Ensemble.

Rihab Azar (oud)

Born in Homs to a musical family, Rihab studied at the Conservatoire of Damascus studying Azerbaijani, Arabic, Turkish and Western classical music. She was taught by masters of the oud in Syria including Prof. Askar Ali Akbar, Issam Rafea, Mohamad Osman and Ayman Aljesry. She has just launched her debut album ‘Dandelion’ funded by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.

Melody’s work bridges traditional Chinese heritage with experimental contemporary practice. Performances and compositions explore the emotional depth and philosophical richness of Chines music, while redefining the instrument’s role in intercultural and interdisciplinary contexts.

Mengdie (Melody) Ji (guzheng)

Bakr Khleifi (oud)

Now living in Berlin, Bakr has travelled via Sweden, studying oud from the age of 6 with Palestinian oud masters. Bakr’s music reflects his long journey across Maqamic music and Western Classical musical forms. His compositions feature Maqamic melodic progression and modulation alongside diverse rhythms and harmonies- offering significant insight into the possible sound qualities and textures of the oud.

Kirpal Panesar (dilruba)

Kirpal specialises in tar-shehnai and Dilruba, blending sikh kirtans with Indian classical music. His devotion to Guru Nanak’s teachings through music highlights the profound connection between music, meditation and spirituality in Sikhism. He is known for his performances of sacred hymns that transport listeners to a state of meditative bliss.

Stevie Wishart (hurdy gurdy)

Improviser, composer, violinist and hurdy-gurdy player. Based in Europe and the UK, her current works are inspired by birdsong, nature and collaborations from her new base, Greenland Fishery House- a 17th century Grade II* listed building in King’s Lynn.

Wang Xiao (erhu)

Erhu soloist for the Headquarters Arts Troupe of the Henan Provincial People's in 1999, in 2001 won Silver in the Luoyang Casio Young Instrumentalists Competition, and a Gold Prize in the Henan Provincial "Hundred Fountains Cup" Young Instrumentalists Competition. She represented the People's Armed Police as in the Henan Provincial Arts Festival and was erhu and banhu soloist with the Luoyang Symphony Orchestra. She continues to perform throughout the UK.

Zhao Lucy (pi’pa)

Born in Beijing, Lucy now lives in Berlin. She has been playing this traditional Chinese instrument since the age of 8. In addition to traditional repertoire, Lucy plays contemporary music and free improvisation. She studied Pi’pa at the China Conservatory and later Cultural Management at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. She currently works in event management at the Konzerthaus Berlin.

Shri Sriram (electric-bass, flute) 

Initially trained on Tabla before developing a unique style of playing his self-made fretless bass. He recently created “Just a Vibration”, a collaboration between Indian musicians and brass band, which was Arts Council supported and won a British Composer Award

Mark van de Wiel (clarinet)

One of Britain’s most versatile clarinettists. He served as Principle Clarinet of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 2000 to 2025 and holds the same position with the London Sinfonietta and London Chamber Orchestra. A dedicated contemporary musician and soloist, Mark is also a professor at the Royal Academy of Music and an international masterclass clinician.

Pete Wareham (saxophone)

Saxophonist, composer and producer whose sound has helped define modern British jazz. A founding member of Acoustic Ladyland, Melt Yourself Down and a core member of the group Polar Bear. He has worked with Thom Yorke, Sons of Kemet and Nadine Shah, and is currently developing a solo project and collaboration with Shri Sriram.

Byron Wallen (trumpet)

Recognised as a seminal figure in Jazz, his original scores have been commissioned by many of the UK’s greatest institutions, as well as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and
Game of Thrones.  Wallen has received a BBC Jazz Innovation award and has been nominated several times for MOBO awards. In 2017 he received the Paul Hamlyn Award. In 2020 his band Four Corners was nominated for the best band category at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Miguel Lawrence (recorders & flute)

Miguel has over 700,000 followers across social media, particularly on TikTok playing classical and contemporary music. He was a member of the first edition of the EU Baroque Orchestra, but moved beyond the conventions of historical performance, developing his own approach to the expressive possibilities of the recorder and expanding its repertoire beyond Early Music.
He has maintained a strong connection with Mexican musical traditions as former leader of the Mexican Baroque Orchestra.

Christophe Fellay (drum kit)

Multidisciplinary Swiss sound artist, musician, composer, performer and improvisor while artistic practice lies in the intersection of sonic experimentation, performance and interdisciplinary research. Projects have been presented at Montreux Jazz Festival, London’s ICA and King’s Place, San Francisco’s Exploratorium, and the Nirox Foundation in South Africa.

Ant Romero (hand percussion)

Spanish percussionist who has developed a deep understanding in, and mastery of percussion. He has spent a prolonged period studying in Istanbul and then returning to study at Royal Conservatory Manuel de Falla. He was co-founder and drummer of El Hombre Burbuja. His main musical influences come from the music of the Middle East, Spain (specifically flamenco), Indian music and Rock.

Matthew Bourne (piano/ MOOG)

has received awards from the BBC Radio Jazz Awards, the International Jazz Festivals Organisation and was winner of the Perrier Jazz Award. His first solo studio album, Montauk Variations was The Sunday Times’ Leftfield Album of the Year in 2012.
Bourne also works with analogue synthesisers and is very much in demand as a collaborator and co-conspirator. Bourne is associated with a huge number of projects, as diverse as John Zorn, Annette Peacock, Nils Frahm, Nostalgia 77, Broadway Project, and Amon Tobin.

Peter Wiegold has spent a career gathering together the most creative musicians to collaborate on Third Orchestra projects. World-leading lineage holders, who also love to cross worlds and collaborate with others. Co-creators, co-improvisers.

The rotating line-up of musicians have ever shifted in response to theme, venue, scale and moment. Here are a few of the many wonderful artists who have played in the orchestra...

VOICES: Namvula Rennie (voice),  Kalia Lyraki (voice, nay), Emilia Mårtensson (voice), Rouhangeze (voice), Alice Zawadzki (voice,violin),  Ursula Rucker (performance poet) Issa Loyaan Farrah-Kelly (writer, spoken voice),  Jason Singh (beatboxer, sound artist)

STRINGS:  Max Baillie (violin), Jano Kružliak (violin), Preetha Narayanan (violin), Colin Chow (violin), Wang Xiao (erhu), Kirpal Panesar (dilruba), Colin Alexander (cello),  Rihab Azar (oud), Bakr Khleifi (oud), Cheng Yu (pi’pa-guqin), Lucy Zhao (pi’pa), Melody Ji – (guzheng), Stevie Wishart  (hurdy gurdy), Jaak Sooaar (electric guitar), Klaus Janek (bass), Shri Sriram (bass)

WIND: Sören Birke (duduk, harmonica, jew’s harp), Gregor Schulenburg (flutes, duduk), Cathy Milliken (cor anglais), Anna Durance (cor anglais), Mark van de Wiel (clarinet), Luke English (clarinet), Hyelim Kim (taegŭm flute), Shima Kobayashi (harmonica), Fiona Troon (contra-bassoon), Diane McLoughlin (sax), Iain Ballamy (sax), Pete Wareham (sax), Byron Wallen (trumpet), Ifeoluwa Ogunjobi (trumpet), Anoushka Nanguy (trombone), Dennis Rollins (trombone), Hanna Mbuya (tuba)

KEYS and PERCUSSION: Matthew Bourne (piano/Moog), Martin Butler (piano), Simon Limbrick (drums/percussion), Antonio Romero (Arabic/flamenco percussion), Ravi Srinivasan (tabla and percussion), Bernhard Schimpelsberger (drums), Christophe Fellay (drums), Matt Brombley (electronica)