The Thames Chamber Orchestra was formed by Michael Dobson in 1962 to take part in a series of concerts in the 14th century Parish Church at Kingston-upon-Thames. Since then, the orchestra has appeared at festivals at Windsor, Norwich, Fishguard, Nottingham, Cambridge, Pershore, Madley, Walsingham and at many other venues in this country and abroad, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and St John's Smith Square. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Thames Chamber Orchestra has always invited the finest chamber musicians to be amongst its members and its sense of style and warmth of sound have frequently earned much praise both from the critics and from the many guest conductors who have worked with the orchestra.
The orchestra's Principal Conductor, Keith Marshall, read music at Caius College Cambridge, before going on to study oboe at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has played in many of our most famous orchestras at the most prestigious concert halls and festivals such as the Salzburg and Edinburgh Festivals, Carnegie Hall in the USA, Suntory Hall in Japan (with the Philharmonia orchestra) and the Musikverein in Vienna with the English Chamber Orchestra. Keith has often appeared as soloist with the Thames Chamber Orchestra, playing concertos in both the Queen Elizabeth and Wigmore halls, and at other venues throughout the United Kingdom. He also conducts Lord Lloyd Webber's award winning Phantom of the Opera in London.
Born in Porto, Portugal, Susana Dias attended the local Music Conservatoire in the Bassoon class of Robert Glassburner and was co-winner of the Yamaha Music Foundation Competition for Woodwinds. Alongside her musical studies Susana also gained a degree in Economics at Oporto University.
In 2004 she moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music where she gained a MMus in Bassoon Performance. After winning the College’s concerto competition, Susana performed Mozart’s Bassoon concerto at LSO St. Luke’s for the Mozart 250th Anniversary celebrations in 2006.
After her studies she joined the orchestral academy Southbank Sinfonia and with this orchestra toured Italy as a member and soloist.
Susana is now bassoonist with The Phantom of the Opera at the Her Majesty’s Theatre in the West End and also freelances with several British Orchestras, including the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Orchestra.