Meet the 23/24 Fellowship Musicians

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Fellowship, which has no upper age limit, offers musicians a unique, immersive professional orchestral experience, both on and off the stage over the course of a year. The four musicians appointed as Fellowship Musicians for the 2023/24 season are:

Danny Cleave (Double Bass)

Danny is a Double Bassist originally from Devon, who has just completed his postgraduate studies with Caroline Emery at the Royal College of Music as a H R Charitable Trust scholar, supported by the Gandar Dower Scholarship. Coming from a family of keen folk musicians, he was immersed in music from a young age, with his first performance experiences playing the drums in the family band, before discovering his love for the double bass and orchestral music in his teens.

Since living and studying in London, he has had the chance to perform with many esteemed musicians such as Vasily Petrenko, Rafael Payare and Maxim Vengerov, both inside and outside of the RCM. He has had the chance to play principal double bass in all the main ensembles in the RCM, as well as outside the RCM in many ensembles including the Piccadilly Sinfonietta. In his third year of studies, he was selected to take part in the English National Opera Evolve scheme, receiving tutoring from members of the ENO Orchestra. He has also taken part in masterclasses with esteemed bassists such as Paul Ellison, Rodrigo Moro Martín and Dominik Wagner.

Danny is extremely excited to be appointed as a Fellowship Musician with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for the coming year as it will provide him with an immersive experience in the world of a professional orchestra and give him a big step along the way to the career he hopes to build in the coming years. He also looks forward to spending more time in one of his favourite cities!

Ewan Millar (Oboe)
Sponsored by Tim Jones in memory of Julia

Ewan is an oboist from Reading, Berkshire. He read music at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford, and is currently doing his Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, learning with Melanie Ragge.

In 2020 Ewan won the woodwind final of BBC Young Musician, then going on to the Grand Final and getting to perform the Navarro “Legacy” concerto with the BBC Philharmonic. Since the competition he has been performing recitals around the UK, including at the Windsor, Cheltenham, and Lake District Summer Music Festivals. Beyond oboe he is also a jazz pianist, gigging regularly in bars and restaurants around Oxford and London.

He applied for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Fellowship scheme to gain valuable experience and skills as an orchestral musician, and is grateful to have been selected for the opportunity.

Méline Le Calvez (Clarinet)
Sponsored by Robin Bloxsidge and Nick Riddle



Born in Burgundy, Méline will be graduating from the Royal College of Music in July 2023 and is currently enjoying freelancing with various orchestras in London and the UK.

 Méline is really excited for the year ahead with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and is looking forward to taking part in the Emerging Musicians Fellowship. She is looking forward to learning from fantastic and inspiring musicians, and to being close to professional orchestra life, which will help her develop playing skills and knowledge of being in a professional orchestra.  Méline is also looking forward to learning more about practical aspects of an orchestral musician career and to gain some more experience in sharing music passion and joy through varied educational projects.

Meggie Murphy (Trombone)

Meggie is an Elton John Scholarship holder at the Royal Academy of Music, where she is studying under Matthew Gee, Peter Moore and Ian Bousfield.

During her first year at the Royal Academy of Music, Meggie achieved a place as a finalist in the brass category of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2020. In 2021 she won the Musicians Company Brass Ensemble prize with 'Solis trio' and subsequently became part of the musician's company brass scheme. In 2022 Meggie went on to win the British Trombone Society Quartet Competition with 221 Bones.

Meggie also went on to win a place as part of the Philharmonia MMSF Fellowship Programme 2022-2023 where she receives coaching from Byron Fulcher on audition prep, career advice, orchestral sit-ins and general orchestral etiquette. Meggie has done professional work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, Knussen Chamber Orchestra and was part of the Love Actually in Concert UK Tour 2022.

Meggie was recently awarded the Munster Trust Derek Butler Award for her upcoming postgraduate studies at Royal College of Music.

Thank you to the Fidelio Trust, the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation and the Golsoncott Foundation for their support of the programme.