sinfonia

As a young Wallsend local, he tells me his love of music was fostered when he saw the virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist Andrés Segovia perform with the chamber orchestra that was then still called the Northern Sinfonia, at Newcastle's City Hall aged 14.

Having been named Best Pop Act at this year's Brit Awards, the 32-year-old will be performing songs from her upcoming solo album alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia with the concert broadcast live on BBC radio.

Those set to receive funding include the National Theatre, the Royal Ballet and Southbank Sinfonia and smaller organisations such as the National Youth Orchestra, Stanley Arts and choral ensemble The Sixteen.

Besembaiev's performance was part of a concert by John Wilson's Sinfonia that also included Lili Boulanger's tone-poem D'un matin de printemps, and Walton's First Symphony.

Then, he “fixes” his orchestra, the Sinfonia of London, a project-based ensemble that Wilson revived in 2018, which will appear at the BBC Proms on Sunday.