Hallé Orchestra Appoints New Leader

Emily Davis will join current Leader Roberto Ruisi, and they will share the Leader's seat

Violinist Emily Davis has been appointed as the new Leader of the UK's Hallé Orchestra. The position will be shared between herself and the orchestra's current Leader, Roberto Ruisi. She will step into the role at the opening of the 2024/25 season, which will coincide with the arrival of the orchestra's new Principal Conductor, Kahchun Wong.

Davis is highly experienced as a guest concertmaster, having appeared in this capacity with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

As soloist, she has performed Arvo Pärt’s Fratres with conductor Vasily Petrenko at the Pärnu Festival in Estonia; Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons at the Bergen International Festival; the Cuban premiere of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending; Szymanowski’s Concerto No.2 with the Ålesund Symphony Orchestra (Norway); Prokofiev’s 2nd Concerto with the Bristol Symphony Orchestra, and the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra.

Davis was a founding member of the Artesian String Quartet, and appeared with the ensemble from 2009 to 2016 — during which time the group held a residency at the Britten-Pears Foundation in Aldeburgh, and toured extensively across the UK.

She has also previously been concertmaster of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the European Union Youth Orchestra.

"Joining the Hallé as Leader is an immensely joyful moment for me," Davis said. "Having attended Chetham’s School of Music as a teenager, I have a great love for both Manchester and the Hallé. I spent many formative moments watching this wonderful orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall, and am very proud to now be able to call it my new musical home."

"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Emily Davis to the Hallé family," said David Butcher, CEO of the Hallé. "Emily is an exceptional Leader, soloist and chamber musician and the perfect choice to lead our orchestra’s dynamic musicians alongside Roberto Ruisi. With such enviable talent in the Hallé’s Leader’s seat, 2024/25 is sure to be a thrilling season and one we cannot wait to share with our audiences."

"Emily's appointment is a testament to the Hallé's commitment of bringing world-class artistry to Manchester," said current Leader Roberto Ruisi. "I am absolutely delighted to be sharing this special role alongside her, as we venture into an exciting new era of music-making for this wonderful orchestra."