Principal Conductor / Musical Director

Richard graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with honours in piano. In an extensive performance career, he has performed with the BBC SSO, RSNO and Scottish Opera and numerous times as a soloist for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He held the position of Organist at Stobswell Parish Church for over a decade and has occupied numerous teaching posts.

A well respected theatrical Musical Director, Richard has most recently worked on Beetlejuice The Musical. His past credits as Musical Director include The Phantom of the Opera, Shrek The Musical, Into The Woods and Legally Blonde. As a theatrical keyboard player, he has performed in many touring and resident productions.

As an orchestrator/composer, Richard’s work can be heard far and wide, including on numerous cruise lines, commercial recordings, and on radio/television/film.

He personally orchestrated The Music of John Williams vs Hans Zimmer for The Great British Film Orchestra - a task he thoroughly enjoyed!

Leader of the Orchestra & Soloist

Aaliyah Booker is a violinist from the USA. She graduated with honours from The Hartt School and distinction from the University of Oxford. Booker was a participant of the London Symphony Orchestra’s Pathways scheme which included side-by-side and LSO Discovery work. Recent highlights include playing with the London Contemporary Orchestra, the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, Chromatica Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, Fantasia Orchestra and concerts at the BBC Proms. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Hall, and the Royal Festival Hall.

Booker has a deep admiration for film and television music and is honoured to lead The Great British Film Orchestra. 

It is incredibly special to perform Schindler’s List as the soloist for this tour. It is so beautifully written and is one of my favourite pieces of all time!

Booker has recorded at Abbey Road, AIR Studios and BBC Maida Vale Studios for Saltburn, Netflix’s Queen Charlotte and documentaries. She has recorded and performed alongside Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Corinne Bailey Rae, Bill Bailey, Tom Odell and more. She has made appearances on The Graham Norton Show and on Sky TV. 

Booker plays a Jules Grandjon violin, generously loaned to her from The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain. 

Assistant MD / Keyboard

Harry Thomson is a Scottish Musical Director, pianist, conductor and arranger, with a background in classical and jazz performance. A graduate of Edinburgh Napier University, he has built an international career across theatre, orchestral music and live entertainment.

His credits include The Music of John Williams vs Hans Zimmer (UK Tour) with the Great British Film Orchestra, Batman (1989) in Concert (UK Tour), and Paddington in Concert with the London Concert Orchestra, as well as Musical Director for Night of Famous Musicals (Scandinavian Tour). He has also worked on major productions including CATS, The Music of James Bond, and Symphonic Queen.

Harry has performed with leading ensembles including the London Concert Orchestra, International Film Orchestra, Scottish Swing Orchestra and Scottish Pops Orchestra. Alongside his UK work, he is an experienced Musical Director at sea, collaborating with major cruise lines including Cunard, P&O Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Principal Trumpet / Orchestral Fixer

Alex studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, with distinction, before embarking on a career as a versatile freelance trumpet player with highlights including work with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and New London Orchestra, as well as deputising on the West End and recording at Abbey Road Studios. 

Alex has had a passion for film scores since his earliest memories; as a child he was notorious for humming film music at the dinner table, and in his teens learnt the trumpet parts to hours of John WIlliams' scores by ear straight from the recordings.

Alex was overjoyed to receive the invitation to play Principal Trumpet with the Great British Film Orchestra and, as one thing led to another, also took on the role of Orchestral Fixer, managing the booking and organisation of the rest of the Orchestra too.

'It is an immense privilege to sit in this seat with the Great British Film Orchestra and play this incredible music with such an amazing group of people. I am excited every time we walk on stage and hope our enthusiasm for this music is evident to each and every audience we play for! '

Leader: Aaliyah Booker

Violin I: Abbie Davis

Violin II: Zagisha Kamil

Violin II: Romana Szczepaniak

Viola: Adam Maha

Cello: Elliott Bailey

Double Bass: Seth Edmunds

Flute: Ruth Harrison

Oboe: Katherine Farnden

Clarinet: Andrew Dickinson

Bassoon: Sarah Sesu

Trumpet I: Alexander Brain

Trumpet II: Adam Meyer

Horn: Hannah Key

Trombone: Ben Holford

Tuba: Callum Davis

Percussion: Simon Stevens

Keyboard and Assistant MD: Harry Thomson