The Orchestra

The Brunel Sinfonia was established in 2004 to fill a perceived gap in the Bristol music scene: to be a highly sociable and friendly orchestra that strived to attain high standards but never at the expense of enjoyment for all concerned.

Rehearsals started in January 2005 with an orchestra numbering just 34, but it has grown rapidly to over 90 drawn from just about every walk of life, from students to lawyers, doctors to retired teachers and we have, to date, given nine highly successful concerts, as well as taking part in various special events (see below). The average age is well under 30, but everyone is extremely welcome, and we hope that everyone has a fantastic time.

We tend to focus on large, usually romantic, works, so that no-one is left without notes to play for too long, and are proud of our record of giving young, aspiring professional musicians the chance to perform concerti with a full symphony orchestra. To see the music we have already played, please see our "Repertoire" page, under "About".

We seek to play three concerts a year, roughly matching the dates of university terms, and rehearse for around eight weeks before each one, usually on a Wednesday evening at Clifton College.  There is also usually one full-day rehearsal on a Saturday with a big picnic lunch for all.  All rehearsals are followed by a visit to the pub for a few sociable drinks before closing time.