Hilary Browning

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The Orchestra

Hilary Browning

Cello
Adopted by Jill Salisbury-Hughes in memory of Paula

At the age of 14, Hilary decided she wanted to be in a professional orchestra after performing Saint-Saëns’ organ symphony with her local youth orchestra. She attended the Guildhall school of Music and Drama where she was awarded the School Cello Prize in 1986.

After a brief stint at the Bournemouth symphony and 3 years freelancing in London where she appeared with the BBC and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hilary was appointed Associate Principal cello of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 1991. As well as numerous orchestral concerts she has performed in many chamber and solo recitals over the years.

In 1997 Hilary co-founded the 10:10 Ensemble, championing contemporary music and local composers. She has been both a member and chair of the panel of the Rushworth Composition Prize for a number of years and is actively involved in the scheme, looking to give opportunities to composers in the North West.

Hilary has been involved in the Black Lives in Music recruitment initiative and in 2018 formed the Equilibrium string quartet, which gives a platform to hitherto neglected women composers and is involved in the Young Rushworth Composers initiative for several years.

In 2023 she volunteered to mentor a young musician through Arts Emergency who recently won a place as an organ scholar at Oxford University.

Fun Fact:
Hilary is married to co-cellist Ian Bracken and they have two sons, and is looking forward to a concert in January 2025 where their son William will perform Berg's violin and piano concerto with violinist Michael Barenboim and the 10:10 Ensemble, conducted by Domingo Hindoyan, on their son Matthew's birthday.

Which actor would you select to portray you in a film about your life?

Vanessa Kirby for the young me, Fiona Shaw for the old me.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

Highly Strung

What is your earliest musical memory?

My mother singing to me.

What is your favourite Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra recording?

Hmm, tricky. I enjoyed recording the Manfred Symphony, especially as it was not a piece I knew at the time. It's very Vasily! Some of the lighter stuff is good too - I heard Pirates of the Caribbean on Radio 3 and it was great! And of course the Shostakovich Symphonies are a real undertaking, but tremendously exciting.

What is your most memorable moment with the Orchestra so far?

I really enjoyed the concert with Bryn Terfel, Simon Rattle and meeting Condoleeza Rice. Going back a bit, some of Tod's concerts had a special magic about them and I used to enjoy Junichi Hirokami's concerts a lot, especially the concert performance of Madame Butterfly.