Violinist Katie Stillman adds another string to her bow as new leader of Orchestra of Opera North

Raised in Canada, Stillman, whose parents are British, trained at the Royal Northern School in Manchester and had her first experience of working with Opera North while she was still a student. “I was 21 in my third year of college – everybody made me feel so welcome and I think that is a point of pride of the orchestra,” she says. “Even if you are just in for a day or two, people look after you.” More recently she had been a guest leader with the company on several productions. “I am getting to know the musicians and members of the chorus too now, as well as some of the soloists who come in quite regularly. There is a real family atmosphere.”

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The 50-piece orchestra is one of the country’s leading symphony orchestras and in addition to their central role in Opera North’s opera productions, they hold a full concert series in Kirklees and appear regularly at festivals and special events, such as the annual Millennium Square concerts in Leeds performing 80s Classical and Classical Hits. At the end of this month the orchestra will be playing the score alongside a screening of Top Gun: Maverick at Leeds Grand Theatre. It’s a new venture which has proved to be very popular – with tickets selling fast, you will need to be quick to grab one.

Stillman is only the second leader in the company’s history, following in the footsteps of David Greed who stepped down after 44 years in post. “When someone has such a wealth of experience, you can never match the depth of knowledge of the repertoire, singers and conductors, so I guess you try and build on some of those things,” she says. “As well as obviously playing all the music, leading the violins, the strings and the orchestra, it is also a practical, managerial role, supporting all the orchestra members individually. And I am really the conduit between the conductor and the orchestra. In a rehearsal, if we feel we need to go over certain sections, for example, it is my responsibility to communicate with the conductor and to add things that might be helpful.”

With a wide-ranging musical background, Stillman seems ideally suited to the role. She has had an extensive career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral leader. She was a founding member of the Barborelli Quartet, first violinist with the Villiers Quartet, performing throughout the UK and around the world and has directed performances with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Manchester Camerate and Northern Chamber Orchestra. Her interest in music began early, encouraged by her parents. “I think they wanted me and my brother and sister to have music in our lives, they took us to concerts and the opera,” she says. “I started playing violin when I was four years old through the Suzuki method and really took to it, especially the social element. You would have your individual lesson every week and you would also get together and play; I loved playing with other people. Even in Primary School, I knew that I wanted to be a violinist.” Now she and her husband, who is also a musician, are passing on their love of music to their children. “My son is learning the electric guitar and my daughter is learning violin,” she says. “There is no expectation or pressure though, we just want them to enjoy music.”

The musicians of the Orchestra of Opera North regularly take part in family concerts and shows in community settings and schools across the north of England, introducing new generations to classical music and live performance. This is an area of particular interest to Stillman who is passionate about encouraging others to discover the joy of engaging with classical music and opera. “Children who have

never experienced it might think it doesn’t relate to them at all but actually it is really exciting and dramatic and often very funny,” she says. “For me it is about getting kids to see those aspects, helping them feel the vibrancy and energy of all classical music, making that connection and drawing them in.”

Full season details operanorth.co.uk