Harrow Symphony Orchestra

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Tom Kilworth is a British composer, conductor and arranger with a broad-ranging career He has orchestrated music in Disney’s Aladdin (2019) and Beauty and the Beast (2017), and has both conducted and orchestrated the scores for Guy Ritchie’s films The Gentlemen (2020), Wrath of Man (2021), and Operation Fortune (2022). Tom also regularly works with Sarah Brightman, having orchestrated and adapted music for her tours since 2015, and has worked with other artists including Rob Dougan and Mumford & Sons.

Tom earned a PhD in Composition at the University of Surrey in 2021, in which his thesis focussed on contemporary harmony and the music of modern Finnish composers, particularly Esa-Pekka Salonen. Tom’s compositions have been played by a variety of professionals including Notes Inegales, Delta Saxophone Quartet, Gemini, Huw Watkins, and Orpheus Sinfonia who premiered Tom's orchestral miniature Noctilucent as part of his being selected for their annual ‘Composer of the Year’ award.

Robert Wąs started playing the violin at the age of 7 and played in the the Huddersfield Education Services orchestras. By the age of 15, Robert was leader of the Senior Youth Orchestra under the conductor Colin Sutcliffe. After secondary education he attended the Huddersfield Music School, where his violin tutor was Bert Whone. Robert then joined the Coldstream Guards as a Musician and led their Orchestra.

Whilst in the forces, Robert studied at Kneller Hall, the military music college in Twickenham. Towards the end of his time with the Guards, he was performing regularly in concert halls around London, also playing at the BBC, as a freelance musician. On leaving the Guards, Robert become a full-time performer in the same venues.

Robert subsequently left professional music and became a software technician and later set up his own financial advising company. He also started a family and his musical priorities changed.

In the late 90s’ Robert was introduced through his children’s Violin Teacher, to the Harrow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Brian Pickering. He sat at the back of the 2nds. Soon after, the leader left on a one-year sabbatical and Robert was invited to lead. As the former leader did not return, Robert was duly elected to the position.

A few years ago, Robert was honoured to play at his daughter’s wedding. More recently he recruited three members of the orchestra to play in a string quartet at the Sir Christopher Wren Banquet for the Worshipful Company of Constructors. The Lord Mayor of London, Sir Andrew Parmley, accompanied Robert on the organ as part of the entertainment.

Robert’s three children are also violinists and have all played with the Harrow Symphony Orchestra. His wife, Catherine, and son, Jonathan, offer invaluable support serving refreshments during the interval at concerts.

Andrew Hickman has been a member of the Harrow Symphony Orchestra trumpet section since 2008, after studying performance and conducting at Middlesex University. He has also taken the role of Assistant Conductor with the orchestra. Some of the highlights of Andrew’s musical career include performing at the Royal Albert Hall and the O2 with Harrow Young Musicians, as well as going on tours to Venice, Barcelona and Nice with the same organisation.

He is a great lover of classical music in general, however is particularly interested in Romantic 20th century and English music of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Outside of music, Andrew is a primary school teacher and a football referee, a job that has taken him abroad to tournaments in Lisbon and Dallas. He also loves travelling, and a couple of years ago, was lucky enough to take a year out from work and travel around the world.