The Orchestra
We are the New Forest Orchestra, a group of amateur musicians brought together by a shared love of classical music. Led by talented Musical Director Ieuan Davies, we perform to audiences across the New Forest around four times per year. The Orchestra was founded in 2002 and we are proud of what we’ve achieved over the last 20 years.
Our mission is twofold – to provide a space for musicians to develop and improve their playing, and to bring high quality live orchestral music to the New Forest.
We’re a group of musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some of us had a significant gap before joining the orchestra, some of us joined to gain more orchestral experience and expand our playing. Above all, we love music and the New Forest Orchestra provides us with new challenges and the unique enjoyment gained from playing with a supportive group.
Our mission is twofold – to provide a space for musicians to develop and improve their playing, and to bring high quality live orchestral music to the New Forest.
We’re a group of musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some of us had a significant gap before joining the orchestra, some of us joined to gain more orchestral experience and expand our playing. Above all, we love music and the New Forest Orchestra provides us with new challenges and the unique enjoyment gained from playing with a supportive group.
Our musical director
Coming from a large musical family, with active musical parents and grandparents on both sides of the family and whose many siblings all played at least two instruments each, you could say Ieuan Davies was born into music. As well choral singing, he learned piano, recorder, flute and trumpet before settling on the horn, aged twelve, as his main instrument. As a teenager in Manchester he was awarded a scholarship to study with Ralph Hall of the Hallé Orchestra, before attending the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff and then completing his teaching qualifications at Bretton Hall College of Education, in Yorkshire.
Ieuan has had a successful career as a teacher of horn and brass in a wide range of schools in Dorset and has been director of both Christchurch and Bournemouth Music Centres. He has a wide experience of conducting ensembles of all styles, ages and abilities, including string and symphony orchestras, various brass, wind & jazz bands, choirs and percussion ensembles. As variously director of both Christchurch and Bournemouth Music Centres and Deputy Head of Dorset Music Service for many years he has founded and developed a number of ensembles, and been both organiser & team leader of summer schools, concerts and multi discipline musical events in major venues.
He regularly performs with a number of Orchestral & Choral Societies and Opera Companies across the region and is often called upon to adjudicate for brass, ensemble and composition classes at music festivals and competitions. He has been Musical Director for the Christchurch Gilbert & Sullivan Society since 2014.
Ieuan has had a successful career as a teacher of horn and brass in a wide range of schools in Dorset and has been director of both Christchurch and Bournemouth Music Centres. He has a wide experience of conducting ensembles of all styles, ages and abilities, including string and symphony orchestras, various brass, wind & jazz bands, choirs and percussion ensembles. As variously director of both Christchurch and Bournemouth Music Centres and Deputy Head of Dorset Music Service for many years he has founded and developed a number of ensembles, and been both organiser & team leader of summer schools, concerts and multi discipline musical events in major venues.
He regularly performs with a number of Orchestral & Choral Societies and Opera Companies across the region and is often called upon to adjudicate for brass, ensemble and composition classes at music festivals and competitions. He has been Musical Director for the Christchurch Gilbert & Sullivan Society since 2014.
