Our leader is Philip Gibson. Philip trained initially as a teacher at Westminster College, Oxford. Having qualified, he taught music for a short time before spending three years in the BBC’s post graduate training orchestra in Bristol. During this time he continued his violin studies with Tessa Robbins and, subsequently, the legendary Sasha Lasserson. Since 1975 Philip has been based in London playing for 16 years as a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Since becoming freelance in 1991 much of his energy has been channelled into furthering his conducting activities, working frequently on BBC radio and also working with both amateur and professional orchestras in the UK, Europe and the Far East. He is leader of the Amici Chamber Orchestra and directs his own orchestra, the Aeolian Sinfonia from either the leader’s chair or the conductor’s podium as circumstances dictate. As a conductor Philip has made a series of recordings of popular classics with the London Symphony Orchestra which have been released in the UK, Japan and the USA.