Manchester Camerata Announces Inaugural Cohort of Ruth Sutton Fellows

The new year-long fellowship aims to retain musical talent in the North of England

The UK's Manchester Camerata recently named the five emerging musicians who will make up the inaugural cohort of its Ruth Sutton Fellowship for the 2023/24 season. They are violinists Georgina MacDonell Finlayson and Sean Morrison, double bassist Marcus Vinícius de Oliveira, violist Ben Norris, and composer James Weatherley-Buss.

The Fellowship has been established with the support of the Ruth Sutton Trust for Music, and its principal aim is to grow and then retain musical talent in the North of England.

Over the course of the season, the Fellows will complete 65 days of training and work. This includes performance opportunities, community work, research insights, marketing, finance, management, concert curation and production, and leadership.

Fellows will also work closely with the Manchester Camerata's guest artists and will receive a £10,000 stipend over the course of the year.

"What a team of fellows we have this year!" said Samantha McShane, the Creative Director of Manchester Camerata. "I’m excited to work with and learn from this group of creative minds throughout the year and see the benefits and impact our fellowship can make."

"We are incredibly thankful to the continued support of the Ruth Sutton Trust for Music who share our vision for this programme and who we look forward to working with throughout this coming year," she added.

"My late mother, Ruth Sutton, was very dedicated to helping young musicians and took a keen interest in their personal development," said Jane Farnworth, the daughter of Ruth Sutton, on behalf of their family. "She would be exceptionally proud to be able to provide this wonderful opportunity that will give our five fellows a balanced and grounded start to their exciting future ahead."