A South London orchestra founded by conductor Chloé Van Soeterstède has announced the appointment of Marin Alsop as its Honorary President.
The announcement came at the Arch Sinfonia ‘Surround Sound’ concert on Friday evening in Greenwich — a characteristically intimate affair in which a small ensemble was scattered across West Greenwich Community & Arts Centre, musicians among the audience rather than in front of them. The proximity worked. Conversation flowed. The community feel was real.
The programme featured excerpts from Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite arranged for chamber ensemble alongside music by Amy Beach, Tailleferre, and Jessie Montgomery verse from local poets Karis Pearson, Dani Convey, Taylor Ott, plus additional verse from Jerzy Pietrkiewicz.
Arch Sinfonia was founded by Van Soeterstède in 2014 to explore innovative concert formats and address issues including gender imbalance and climate change. Its forty musicians include players from the London Symphony Orchestra and the Hallé.
Alsop’s appointment is honorary in title. In practice, it signals ambition — the kind of name that opens doors to funders and takes a young ensemble to the next stage.
