Violinist Giles Broadbent has Died, Aged 51

The Stringfever founder has died following a short illness

Giles Broadbent studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music (RAM), and later led orchestras for several West End shows such as Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera, and My Fair Lady, among others.

First learning violin from his father, Broadbent and his younger brothers often busked on London streets as children. 

In 2003, Giles founded Stringfever with his brothers Ralph, Neal, and cousin Graham. Being the oldest, he was described as the group’s boss on its website and played a five-string Violectra Violin in the ensemble. 

Playing a combination classical music, movie soundtracks, and rock classics, the group has performed around the world including in almost 20 U.S. tours, and featured at the Mumbai’s Opera House and the Beijing Music Festival. They have also been broadcast on radio and TV, including on BBC Radio 2.

Known for their comedic performances, including with electric strings and beatboxing, Stringfever is best known for its performance of Ravel’s Bolero, where all four members simultaneously played on one cello. 

In 2015, Giles and Ralph were awarded the Associate of the Royal Academy of Music — an award presented to RAM alumni who have significantly contributed to and impacted the music profession.

“Although Giles had not been well recently, we as a family are still in shock at his passing,” Stringfever wrote on Instagram. “The band will be taking a break whilst we make funeral arrangements.”

“There are no words to express the deep sadness for the unexpected death of the Storytelling Academy’s dear friend, Giles Broadbent,” the Storytelling Academy of Loughborough University wrote on its website. “The international digital storytelling community have still strong memory of Giles’ fantastic performance with his group Stringfever at the International DST Conference hosted at Loughborough in June 2022…Giles’s music and his kind and generous heart will stay forever with us!”

Broadbent is survived by his wife, the television presenter Diane Louise Jordan, and their daughter and grandchildren. Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

A re-recorded video of Stringfever’s Bolero performance from 2017 can be viewed below.