About Us

South London Sinfonia began in 1927 - so we are nearly 100 years old! Since then, the orchestra has allowed enthusiastic amateurs with a range of abilities to make music together. We have been rehearsing at St Mildred's Church in Addiscombe since 1965.

Professional violinist, violist and music teacher Danusia Adamska joined us in 2019 as conductor and managing director. She studied under world-renowned musician Rivka Golani at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and won the Herbert Lumby Viola Competition. She began conducting during her undergraduate studies and has since studied orchestral conducting in numerous national and international masterclasses and choral conducting with Kodály method specialists.

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Leader Matt O'Dowd joined us in 2022. Matt lived in China for six years, where he played in the Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra under conductor Cao Peng, and was the leader of the Beijing International Chamber Orchestra from 2017 to 2018. Now back in the UK, Matt leads a secondary school youth choir at his local church, plays viola and piano, and writes contemporary religious music.