Jon Thorne
The Royal Academy of Music, London; Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Principal; Oculi Ensemble
Jon Thorne is Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Royal Academy of Music
Co-founder of the critically acclaimed Oculi Ensemble
Former violist of the award-winning Brontë and Badke String Quartets
Principal Viola with the Oxford Philharmonic and regular guest principal with leading UK orchestras
A renowned chamber musician, principal violist and session player, he has spent over two decades performing, recording and developing exceptional young string players.
Having trained at the London College of Music with Maureen Smith and Penny Filer, and at the Royal College of Music with Simon Rowland-Jones and later with Mark Knight, Jon has built a career that bridges orchestral, chamber, studio and teaching work at the highest level.
His students have won major awards and now hold principal positions in leading orchestras worldwide, as soloists and as members of internationally recognised string quartets.
String quartets he has taught and mentored have gone on to win awards and support from organisations and competitions including the Royal Over-Seas League, Tillett Trust, City Music Foundation, Park Lane Group, Philharmonia MMSF, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Tunnell Trust, Val Tidone, Szymanowski and Joachim competitions.
Jon’s performing career began with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra before he co-founded the Brontë Quartet, prizewinners at the Royal Over-Seas League and Cremona competitions, with appearances at Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Snape Maltings, the Royal Opera House and major festivals.
In 2009 he joined the Badke Quartet, touring extensively across the UK, Europe and the USA, broadcasting for BBC Radios 3, 4 and 5, Classic FM, and national media across Europe. Their recordings for Champs Hill Records, Hyperion and Cadenza Classics received wide acclaim.
As violist of both quartets he studied with leading members of ensembles including the Alban Berg, Amadeus, Bartók, Borodin, Janáček, Smetana, Mosaiques, Hagen, Takács, Jerusalem and Endellion Quartets.
He is co-founder of the Oculi Ensemble, performing at venues such as the Concertgebouw and on BBC Radio 3. Their album Metamorphosen has received international five-star reviews.
Alongside chamber work, Jon performs with many of the UK’s major orchestras and is Principal Viola of the Oxford Philharmonic. He appears regularly as guest principal with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Northern Sinfonia, English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, London Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Welsh National Opera, World Orchestra for Peace and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
His recording credits span more than 200 film scores as well as sessions with artists such as Amy Winehouse, Primal Scream, Sam Smith, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Williams. Recent solo work includes Naxos recordings of Puccini’s Requiem and Malipiero’s De Profundis.
Before joining the Academy, he taught at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Royal Holloway, and has given masterclasses across Europe, Asia, North America and South America. He also helped establish a British Council-supported educational partnership between the Academy and EMESP São Paulo, and recently released a series of 20 teaching videos with the European String Teachers Association.
Jon has served on juries for competitions including the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, the Royal Over-Seas League Chamber Competition, the Parkhouse Award and several UK festivals and conservatoire awards.
He plays a viola by Guarneri, c. 1690.
