About

Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini and Stravinsky Petrushka, Duke's Hall, 2023. Liz Isles Photography

The University of London Symphony Orchestra is widely recognised as one of the leading student orchestras in the UK. Founded in 1955, ULSO was established to give students from the diverse academic backgrounds of the University of London the opportunity to develop their interests in orchestral playing.

The Orchestra seeks to provide the unique opportunity to study and perform some of the most challenging symphonic repertoire to the very highest standards, both for students not specifically studying music who wish to further their performance skills, as well as those pursuing careers as professional musicians.

I remember performing Mahler 5 with ULSO. Possibly the most iconic piece for a trumpet player - it was amazing to play it in such a supportive environment.
Jason Evans - Principal Trumpet, Philharmonia Orchestra
ULSO provided some of the most enjoyable and informative orchestral experience of my student days.
Alex McFarlane - Associate Principal Viola
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
ULSO provides performance experience which you may not get elsewhere at University or Conservatoire.
Alex McFarlane - Associate Principal Viola
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
ULSO is not only regular playing that you might not get at college in your first few years, but it’s also great socially - getting to meet other players that you might not meet elsewhere.
Finlay Bain - 4th Horn
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
I feel that the experiences I garnered from ULSO have helped me with my future professional career.
Alex McFarlane - Associate Principal Viola
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
ULSO helped me to learn how to play in a section and how to deal with certain aspects of playing - like if I happened to have duff chops on that day(!)
Finlay Bain - 4th Horn
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The social experience was great and I still have lasting friendships from my time in ULSO.
Alex McFarlane - Associate Principal Viola
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

ULSO is a great place to meet like minded musicians, to learn great repertoire, and perform to an extremely high level.
Jason Evans - Principal Trumpet, Philharmonia Orchestra

Upcoming Concerts

Players

Photo of violinist Photo of violinist Photo of violinist

ULSO is made up of students from nearly every university in London. We are unique in that we offer students the opportunity to rehearse and perform large-scale symphonic works to an exceptionally high standard, regardless of what they study - entry is soley by audition. We have a strong mix of both Conservatoire students and students who wish to pursue music as a serious hobby.

ULSO rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings between 18:30 and 21:30 at St Stephen's Church, Gloucester Road, London, SW7 4RL.

Conductors

Daniel Capps - Music Director

Daniel is our current Music Director and Principal Conductor. He first performed with ULSO in 2010 and has remained closely involved during his residency in New York. Read his full biography at danielcapps.com.

Guest Conductors

Every year, ULSO invites professional guest conductors to lead some of our projects. We have been fortunate to have attracted conductors of exceptional quality, including Peter Stark, Justin Doyle, Masayuki Cavalho and William Carslake.

ULSO is run by students for students. A committee is elected from the orchestra each year and is responsible for the behind-the-scenes organisation necessary for the success of the orchestra. Here are the profiles of the current committee members so you can spot them during rehearsal. Come and say hello!

Chair

Photo of current Chair

Colin Chow
Imperial

chair@ulso.co.uk

A very warm welcome on behalf of the 2023/24 ULSO Committee, whether you’re a member of the orchestra, thinking of joining us, an alumnus or Friend or simply dropping by! I’m Colin, the orchestra’s Chair for this season, and also a member of the violin section. It’s our job as a committee to keep the orchestra running smoothly, so please do reach out to usif you have any questions!

Vice Chair

Photo of current Vice Chair

Jason Bae
Imperial Graduate

vice.chair@ulso.co.uk

webmaster@ulso.co.uk

Hi everyone! I am Jason and I’ve just graduated from Imperial where I studied computing. I will be working as ULSO’s vice chair where I will be fulfilling a variety of roles such as working with the chair to support everyday running of the orchestra and also keeping this website in good shape. I look forward to seeing all of you in the upcoming season!

Friends & Sponsorship

Photo of current friends officer

Jaeho Bae
UCL Graduate

friends@ulso.co.uk

Hi everyone! My name is Jaeho and in my role I keep in touch with our supporters (ULSO Friends) and look for partnerships with sponsors. I just graduated from UCL where I studied Mechanical Engineering. This will be my fifth year being a part of ULSO and I’m looking forward to meeting you all soon!

Orchestral Manager

Photo of current orchestral manager

Alice Beadle
King's Graduate

orchestral.manager@ulso.co.uk

Hi everyone, I’m Alice and I am the Orchestral Manager, so will be managing the fixing of players. I am a violinist and a recent graduate of Kings College London where I studied music. This is my second year with ULSO, and I am very excited to meet everyone!

Assistant Orchestral Manager

Photo of current assistant orchestral manager

Jess Yuen
University of Manchester

orchestral.manager@ulso.co.uk

Hi all, I’m Jess and I am Assistant Orchestral Manager this year. I'm a pianist and violist studying Music at University of Manchester. Whilst my responsibilities are mainly to remotely manage the fixing of players, I hope to come down to London soon to meet you all in person! Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Publicity & Admin

Photo of current Publicity & Administrator

Elly Chen
KCL

admin@ulso.co.uk

publicity@ulso.co.uk

Hi! My name is Elly, and I am currently in my third year of studying Liberal Arts at KCL. I am ULSO’s publicity officer and administrator. As one of publicity officers, I will be working with Rita to promote our projects and design the programmes. I will also be working as one of administrators to handle administrative tasks, including organising the concert competition and reminding members of our rehearsals! I’ve been a violinist in ULSO since last year and I am looking forward to my first season as a committee member!

Publicity

Photo of current treasurer

Rita Fernandes
King's College Graduate

media.manager@ulso.co.uk

I'm Rita, ULSO's Publicity Officer. I'm a violinist, King's College London alum and music journalist. I've been part of the ULSO committee since 2021 and can't wait to embark on another exciting season! I take care of all things publicity, from designing and printing posters, to running social media and sharing news about our concerts everywhere and anywhere!

Treasurer

Photo of current treasurer

Alina Khmelevskaya
Imperial Graduate

treasurer@ulso.co.uk

Hi everyone! I’m Alina, ULSO’s Treasurer. My role involves managing the orchestra’s finances and planning the budget for our concerts. I’ve played violin in ULSO for several years and this is my first year on the committee - I’m looking forward to another fantastic season!

Technical Manager

Photo of current technical manager

Akira Liu
UCL, RCM Graduate

technical.manager@ulso.co.uk

Hi, my name is Akira and I am the technical manager for ULSO 23/24. I am responsible for the logistics behind orchestra rehearsals and concerts, as well as helping other committee members run the orchestra. I obtained my psychology degree at UCL, and I just graduated from RCM studying music psychology and trombone performance. Looking forward to my first season at ULSO as a committee member!

Librarian

Photo of current librarian

Bronagh Lee
UCL

librarian@ulso.co.uk

I’m Bronagh and I’m ULSO’s librarian this year. I currently study Comparative Literature at UCL, and joined ULSO last year. As a librarian I will be ensuring that we have enough music from the rehearsals to the concerts, making sure that we don’t lose any parts along the way! I really enjoyed playing in the orchestra last year and hope we have an equally exciting season.