Violin

Since graduating with a Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music in 2012, Francesca Barritt has gone on to forge an exciting and varied career, comprising solo recital and concerto performances, chamber ensemble work, and orchestral playing.

Francesca feeds her love of chamber music through her work with the Del Mar Piano Trio, as well as the Berkeley Ensemble and Ensemble Matisse. She has given chamber ensemble performances at Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, and Kings Place, and been broadcast on Radio 3 from the Bath Festival and in a BBC Proms composer portrait playing chamber music of Kevin Volans. As a member of Ensemble Matisse, she was selected as a Park Lane Group young artist for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Francesca is an experienced orchestral leader, having been chosen by both the Royal College and Royal Academy to lead their symphony and chamber orchestras.  She is now the leader of Orchestra of St Paul's, with whom she will appear as soloist at Cadogan Hall in 2016. In addition to her OSP work, Francesca recently made her directing debut with Aldwych Sinfonia. She plays regularly as principal second violinist in Orchestra of the Swan, and has recently been appointed as a member of City of London Sinfonia.

Francesca has been a regular member of The John Wilson Orchestra since 2009, and enjoys appearing annually with the orchestra at the BBC Proms, in halls across the UK, and in the studio, where they have recorded numerous discs for EMI.

As a soloist, Francesca has given performances of concertos by Brahms, Beethoven, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach.  This season her solo engagements include Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending with Bridgewater Sinfonia, as well as a three concert tour of the Brahms Double Concerto with cellist Morwenna Del Mar.

Francesca studied at RCM and RAM with professors Yossi Zivoni, Richard Deakin and Susan Collier (junior RAM). She plays a violin made in Naples by Pasquale Ventapane.