MEET THE BAND
The London Symphonic Rock Orchestra is more than just a group of musicians - they are passionate, skilled, and dedicated professionals who share a love for music that transcends genres. Get to know the talented team behind the magic of LSRO.
Jess Cox - Cello
Trained @ Royal Academy of Music Tours, recordings & performances include: Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Bjork, The Zombies, Paul Weller, Brian Wilson, Ocean Colour Scene, Arcade Fire, The Scorpions, The Specials, Bonobo, SG Lewis, Goldfrapp, Ellie Goulding, Years and Years, The Hoff, Spiritualised, Kanye West, Belle and Sebastian, Jorja Smith, Stormzy, Sam Smith, Ian McCulloch, William Holly Johnson, Jarvis Cocker, The Heritage Orchestra, Beverly Knight. Films include: Wonder Woman 1984, Dunkirk, Spectre, Mission Impossible, Fall Out Random fact: Fjord, pond, lake, river, Jess LOVEs any opportunity to go swimming
Ellie Stanford - Violin
Trained @ Royal Academy of Music Tours recordings & performances include: Britten Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, Paul Weller, Elton John, Adele, Placebo, Jay- Z, Ocean Colour Scene, Ellie Goulding, MNEK, Noel Gallagher, Duke Dumont, Band of Skulls, Spiritualized, Lana Del Rey, Brian Wilson, Goldfrapp, Ellie Goulding, The Specials, Gilbert O’Sullivan. Random Fact: As a youngster Ellie was a keen sailor and with her sister Amy Stanford (viola) they were 405 Women’s National Champions 3 years in a row!
Antonia Pagalatos - 5 String Violin
Trained @ Trinity College of Music Tours recordings & performances include: The Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, Ravi Shankar & George Harrison, Chaka Khan, Duran Duran, Madness, Blur, Tom Jones, Ghetts, Amy Winehouse, Kojey Radical, The Cinematic Orchestra, Paul Weller, Ravi Shankar, Mark Ronson, Madness, Damon Albarn, Duran Duran, Bobby Womack, Westlife, George Harrison, Blur, Kojey Radical, Ghetts, Miles Kane, Idris Elba, John Newman, Joel Culpepper, Jamie T, Ezra Collective, RAYE, Will Young, Leona Lewis, Tom Jones, Gorillaz, Swindle, The Good the Bad and the Queen, Joe Brown, Corrine Bailey Rae, Mahalia, Belinda Carlisle, Lulu, Mel C, Athlete, Roachford, Jon Lord, S Club Juniors, Lou Rhodes, Elbow, The Cinematic Orchestra, Olly Murs, Professor Green, Cleo Laine, The Pointer Sisters, Grace Jones, Sister Sledge, Gloria Gaynor, Chaka Khan, Cliff Richard, Marianne Faithful, Marc Almond, Tony Allen, Patrick Watson, The Heritage Orchestra, Quantic Soul Orchestra, Boy George, Tinchy Strider & Pixie Lott, Brand New Heavies, The Coral, The Heavy. Random Fact: Antonia’s nickname is Nan. She loves to crochet and has been known to make hats on plane and bus journeys for artists such as Maceo from De La Soul!
Penny Ainscow - Violin
Trained @ Chethams School Of Music & Guildhall School of Music and Drama Tours, recordings and performances include: Björk, Goldie, Kylie Minogue, Quincy Jones, Jamie Cullum, Tim Minchin, Professor Green, Dizzee Rascal, Chase & Status, Michael Bublé, The Heritage Orchestra and The BBC Symphony Orchestra. Random Fact: Wherever Penny is in the world, she always has salt and pepper with her!
Charlie Stock - Viola
Trained @ Trinity College of Music Tours recordings & performances include: Member of Bas Jan, Lana Del Rey, Pulp, Giorgio Moroder, The Irrepressibles, The Heritage Orchestra, Theo Adams Company, Fyfe Dangerfield, Graffiti Classics, Bas Jan, FKA Twigs, Kojey Radical, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Rihanna, Alison Moyet, Bat For Lashes, The Heavy, Joel Culpepper, Jarvis Cocker, The Unthanks, The Clientele, Paul Weller, Steve Pilgrim, Andy Crofts, Olivia Chaney, Guillemots Random Fact: Avid Rollerskater!! (loves to try out the surfaces of the venues post show!!)
Eleanor Grant - Singer & Double Bass
Trained @ Royal Academy of Music Tours, recordings & performances include: As a vocalist - Film soundtracks - Beauty & The Beast, Cruella, The Little Mermaid. Alex Classics International Titanic LIVE and The English Patient LIVE As a bass player - English National Opera, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Echo Ensemble. Random Fact: Eleanor is also a professional whistler and has whistled on films: Puss in Boots 2 and Disney’s Spellbound. “My dream has always been to work both as a bass player and vocal soloist so when LSRO approached me for the job, I couldn’t say no!!”
Jesse Smith - Singer
Trained @ Estill Voice - Juliette Caton. Has performed all over the world including venues such as the Herodio Athens, Taormina Sicily, Wembley Arena, the Olympia Stadion Munich, Download Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Hellfest, Rock Werchter, Pinkpop and dozens more. Credits include Strictly Come Dancing, The Classic Rock Show, Led Zeppelin Symphonic, Gutterdämmerung, Earl Slick, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Spike’s All Star Band (with Roger Taylor), Thriller Live and many more. Fun fact - I have a black cocker spaniel called Bruno (named after Bruno Fernandes!).
James Nall - Drum Kit
Trained @ Guildhall School of Music and Drama Tours, recordings & performances include: George Ezra, Eliza Doolittle, Mark Lettieri (snarky Puppy), Justin Stanton (Snarky Puppy), Brad Allen Williams (Nate Smith/Jose James, Brittany Howard) Seye (the Gorillaz/Damon Albarn). Waitress on the west end, and numerous Playstation soundtracks. Orchestra of St Johns Random Fact: Loves paddle boarding with his black lab.
Guy Passey - Sax/Oboe/Flute/Piccolo
Trained @ Guildhall School of Music and Drama Tours, recordings & performances include: Paul Weller, Britten Sinfonia, Hannah Peel, Public Service Broadcasting, Bastille, Paraorchestra and Opera North, as well as with as numerous West End and touring musicals. Random Fact: He once made his own butter from scratch, but found it underwhelming.
Seb Philpott - Trumpet/Saxophone
Trained @ Royal College of Music & Royal Academy of Music. Tours, recordings & performances include: Harry Styles, Bastille, Public Service Broadcasting, Rob Brydon, Harry Connick Jr, Michael Bublé, Old Dirty Brasstards, The Divine Comedy, The Hoosiers, Royal Opera House, BBC Concert Orchestra, Philharmonia, London Contemporary Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Sixteen, European Union Baroque Orchestra Theatre includes: Sunset Boulevard, Funny Girl, Evita, Follies, Matilda, My Neighbour Totoro, Crazy For You, Elf, Les Misérables. In 2023 he made his acting debut in When Winston Went to War With The Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse. Film and TV soundtracks include: Vice, Artemis Fowl, The Matrix Resurrections, The Last Letter from Your Lover, Death On The Nile, Young Woman And The Sea, Beau Is Afraid, All The Light We Cannot See Random fact: Seb enjoys eating toast with Marmite and peanut butter together. Sometimes with a fried egg on top.
Mikey Davis -
Piccolo/Flute/Oboe/Alto Sax
Trained @ Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Tours, recordings & performances include: Bastille, Labrynth, Rudimental, Griff, Seth MacFarlane, Shirley Bassey, Heather Small, Danny Beard. West end shows including: Frozen, Old Friends, The Book of Mormon, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Calendar Girls the Musical. Random Fact: Mikey has a phobia of birds and fish.
Isaac Cortvriend - Percussion
Trained @ Fresh graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama who's here to make an impact. Tours - The Rock Orchestra Random Fact: went to a musical festival while still in my mums tum
Sally MacTaggart -
Sax, Flute, Piccolo, Oboe
Trained @ Royal Northern College of Music & Guildhall School of Music Tours, recordings & performances include: Shrek, Billy Elliot, Motown, Grease, Dream Girls and Book of Mormon, BBC television, ABBA Voyage, The Proms, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Opera North, BBC NOW, Welsh National Opera, London Contemporary Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and Britten Sinfonia. Random fact: Sally is a very proud northerner originally coming from Grimsby, despite not liking fish.
Sam Freeman - Trombones
Trained @ Royal Academy of Music Tours, recordings and performances include: Becky Hill; RAYE; Hugh Jackman; BBC Concert Orchestra; Architects; Pet Shop Boys; English National Opera; Biffy Clyro; Beverley Knight; Earth, Wind & Fire; Robbie Williams; Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Heritage Orchestra; Vula Malinga (Vula & Friends); Jamie Cullum Recent Shows include: Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; Back to the Future; Les Miserables Recent Soundtracks - The Flash; Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse; Matrix Resurrections Random fact: In a mission to complete the Dishoom cookbook, Sam once made the Lamb Biryani completely from scratch (including making his own Lamb Stock, crispy fried onions, garlic purée etc). It wasn’t worth it!
Sarah Campbell - Trumpet/Flugal
Trained @ Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music Tours, recordings & performances include: London Contemporary Orchestra, English National Ballet, Britten Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, Parallax Orchestra (Alter Bridge & Architects), London Sinfonietta, Paraorchestra National Theatre: Amadeus, Threepenny Opera, Exit The King, Angels in America, I’m Not Running Musicals: Rags, The Rink, Mary Poppins, The Whisper House, Chess Fun Fact: Sarah's first TV appearance was at the age of 1 on an episode of 'You've been framed'
