Georgina Baird-Smith

Born and educated in Paris, Georgina studied cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stefan Popov where she graduated with merit in 1993. Having been awarded a scholarship to study with Lluis Claret, she then spent two years in Barcelona working with the Orchestra of the Teatro Poliorama and the Catalan Chamber Orchestra. Whilst there, she was sponsored by the Jeunesses Musicales of Barcelona to present a series of recitals in and around Catalonia as well as recording a CD with the Cello Ensemble of Barcelona and Lluis Claret entitled Hommage to Pablo Casals (Valois). In the competitive field, Georgina was a finalist in both the Seventh Germans Claret Competition and the Chamber Music Competition of Capellades (Spain, 1994) and a semi-finalist in the International Competition of Jeunesses Musicales in Belgrade (Serbia, 1995). Georgina finally returned to London last September where she works principally as a freelance musician and as a regular extra player with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Other orchestral experience includes playing with the Brunel Ensemble, Paris Sinfonietta, Rossini Chamber, Thames Chamber and Catalan Chamber Orchestras. Recently, she was selected as a representative for Lord Menhuin's Live Music Now! scheme which promotes music to a wider audience in venues such as schools, hospitals and prisons. Georginas teachers include the late Alexander Fedorchenko, Gary Hoffman and Alexandr Kniasev from the Moscow Conservatoire.