Paul Rissmann was born on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. He studied composition and classical saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His career involves writing music, talking about music and inspiring others to make and perform their own music.
Paul holds the position of Animateur for the London Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Composer in Residence for Music in the Round. Paul has produced numerous interactive works that enable people to perform with professional musicians as equals. His composition Bamboozled for audience and orchestra, has been performed by over 45,000 people from the USA to Australia.
Paul is frequently commissioned to set children’s books to music. His partnership with Ensemble 360 has resulted in hundreds of performances of his works around the UK, from the Crucible to the Wigmore Hall. In 2012 Paul won a British Composer’s Award and has received awards from both the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Royal Television Society. In 2014, Paul appeared as the LSO's Creative Director in a Channel 4 documentary Addicts’ Symphony.
Paul regularly presents and works creatively with orchestras and students across Australia.
Paul Rissmann
From Adelaide, South Australia, Belinda McFarlane is a violinist with the London Symphony Orchestra. She is an active member of the LSO’s Discovery programme, working with people of all ages and abilities, participating and leading workshops in schools, community programmes and tertiary institutions in the UK and abroad. A lead instigator in the LSO’s On Track programme, she has led young musicians of all abilities from the east London Boroughs to perform alongside the LSO – most notably for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Her work for the LSO is also depicted in the Channel 4 programme ‘The Addicts Symphony’ – mentoring recovering addicts, musicians, to create and perform their own symphony alongside the LSO.
For many years Belinda was a member of the all-Australian fiorinipiano trio, and a member of the Australian World Orchestra where she serves as their Youth Education Advisor. She has led chamber music and music workshops in Australia, UK, Zimbabwe and India and also teaches chamber music at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Belinda returns frequently to Australia as a Director and Tutor for the Australian Youth Orchestra.
Belinda McFarlane
