Kate Richardson - Violin
Q. What is your instrument/ position/ job title in the Orchestra?
A. Section Leader 2nd Violin
Q. When did you join the Orchestra?
A. April 1999
Q. What was your earliest musical experience?
A. Going to listen to my Mum teaching violin at our local Primary School, fidgeting, and managing to get my knee stuck in the side of the school piano. Lots of butter was needed to free me! I'm sure I also remember falling asleep playing the violin in my very first Carol Concert when I was 5 years old. I promise I'll not do that again.
Q. If you could play a different instrument, which one would it be?
A. I did try the flute, guitar & piano, but wasn't very good. I'd love to be able to improvise and play jazz on any instrument.
Q. What would you most like to do if you weren’t a musician?
A. Once upon a time I would definitely have said a ballerina or show-jumper. Now I think I'd retrain as a nurse or mid-wife. I think I'd do a good job as a professional shopper too!
Q. What’s on your record/CD/MP3 Player/Spotify Playlist right now?
A. Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Massive Attack, Claire Martin, George Michael, Alanis Morrisette, Jamiroquai, The Cure. I tend to listen to classical music on the radio.
Q. What is your favourite Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra recording?
A. Our recent Shostakovich Symphonies with Vasily. I also like the Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet excerpts with Junichi Hirokami.
Q. What is your most memorable moment with the Orchestra so far?
A. Musically, Shostakovich 8 & Prokofiev 5 with Petrenko; Sibelius 5 with Sir Simon Rattle & Brahms 4 with Walter Weller. I won't forget the John Lennon Songbook with Curtis Stigers, Claire Martin & Mark McGann...that was a very special evening. Having Happy Birthday sung to me by the Swingle Singers was another moment to remember! and seeing my son, Ben at his first concert.
Q. What do you like to do with your free time outside music?
A. Spend time with my 2-year old son, Ben, and my husband Martin. Ben and I play Fireman Ben & Fireman Mummy a lot. Ben's got two cousins his age and we love visiting them in Lancaster and Bradford. We also really enjoy going to Chester Zoo and going swimming. I do also love my girly days out with my Mum, sisters & friends!
Q. What do you like most about Liverpool?
A. The friendliness.
