Musicians
Over 30 musicians from all parts of the world regularly perform with the Grand Union Orchestra. All are leading exponents of their particular musical art and internationally-known in their own fields.
Our musicians appear in various ensembles to suit different occasions or venues.
Our bands
Our musicians are drawn upon to form ensembles as our programme requires:
- The Grand Union Orchestra has a core of our rhythm section, brass/reeds ensemble and jazz soloists and other artists as the situation demands.
- The Grand Union Band is very flexible! For example we use Caribbean, Latin and African musicians for Carnival-type programmes or Indian and Bangladeshi musicians for melas.
Our musicians
Our core of musicians chanegs as we discover new talent and respond to new commissions and artistic demands:
Wei Li
China | voice
Lucy Rahman
Bangladesh | voice, harmonium
Davina Wright
Caribbean English | voice
Sadjo Djolô
Guinea Bissau | voice, kora
Richard Scott
England | voice, tenor saxophone
Vladimir Vega
Chile | voice, panpipes, charango
Stephen Douse
England | voice, piano
Akash Sultan
Bangladesh | voice
Baluji Shrivastav
India | sitar, dilruba
Yousuf Ali Khan
Bangladesh | tabla, dholak
Cheng Yu
China | pipa, gu zheng
Emmanuel Tagoe
Ghana | African drums
Ken Johnson
Trinidad | steel pan, bongos
Tony Kofi
Ghana | alto/baritone saxophones
Chris Biscoe
England | soprano/alto saxophones
Louise Elliot
Australia | tenor saxophone, flute
Claude Deppa
South Africa | trumpet, percussion
Paul Jayasinha
Sri Lanka/Scotland | sopranotrumpet, flugelhorn, cello
Byron Wallen
England | trumpet, flugelhorn
Tim Smart
England | trombone, tenor horn
Ros Davies
Wales | trombone, piccolo
Tony Haynes
England | trombone, piano, dijeridu
Alice Kinloch
England | tuba, bass trombone
Gerry Hunt
England | guitar, saxophones
Mingo Rangel
Mozambique | guitar, voice
Andres Lafone
Uruguay | bass guitar
Rui Junior
Portugal | percussion
Brian Abrahams
South Africa | drums, voice