Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Announces Retiring and New Members

With a combined 160 years with the orchestra, three string players and an oboist will be retiring, as three new musicians will begin their tenures 

Leaving in April and May 2024, the retiring members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (RLPO) are Rob Shepley, who joined the orchestra in 1984 as principal viola; Richard Wallace, who joined the in 1979 as section viola; Alex Marks, who joined in 1985 as tutti first violin; and Jonathan Small, who has performed as principal oboe since 1984. 

“Well 40 years have flown by and It’s time for me to move on. I’m certainly not giving up being a musician though!” Shepley said in an RLPO Instagram post. “There have been many concerts and tours over the years, different conductors and soloists. I’ve always loved to play different music in ensembles over the years and enjoyed the variety there … Thanks to all my colleagues at the RLPO family.” 

“After joining the orchestra in 1979, it soon became clear that this was a city I could happily spend my career and life in,” Wallace said. “Over the years it has been an enormous pleasure and privilege to have shared the stage with so many wonderful musicians, past and present, and to have helped forge a close relationship with a remarkable audience. I look forward to crossing the stage and joining the audience from next season.” 

“I am privileged and fortunate to have had a job doing something I love surrounded by such a great bunch of people,” Marks added in a separate post. “This Orchestra has a unique spirit, I will particularly miss my friends in the first violin section and string quartet, and the close friendships and bonds that are formed over many years”. 

“It’s been an enormous honor and privilege to have played in the Orchestra for such a long period,” Small noted in a press release. “I want to thank all my colleagues and friends in the organization for their steadfast support over so many years, and to wish everyone at the Phil every success, which I hope to follow long into the future.” 

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, the RLPO has welcomed its new members — associate principal second violin Sophie McQueen, second violin Joana Correia Rodrigues, and Matthew Brett, a former member of RLPO’s Emerging Professionals Fellowship program who will join as section leader percussion. 

McQueen studied at the Royal Northern College Music, the University of Manchester, and London’s Royal Academy of Music, where her mentors included Richard Deakin and Clio Gould. She has been a member of the Manchester Camerata and has worked with the Scottish Ensemble, Academy of St. Martin-In-The-Fields, Berkeley Ensemble, London Contemporary Orchestra, and London Sinfonietta. 

Rodrigues studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stephanie Gonley, Ofer Falk, Simon Fischer, and Pavlo Beznosiuk. A 2023/24 participant of the Philharmonia MMSF Instrumental Fellowship Program, she has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, and Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa.

In his final year of postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music, Brett is also an alumnus of the Philharmonia Orchestra MMSF Instrumental Fellowship Program. He was a finalist in the 2021 Sir Karl Jenkins Music Award and the 2023 Yamaha Music Europe Foundation Awards, plus was the BBC Young Musician 2018 Percussion Winner.

“It is a bitter-sweet moment to be bidding farewell to our valued musicians and welcoming in the next generation of players to the Orchestra,” said RLPO’s CEO Michael Eakin, who recently received an OBE for services to music. “Rob, Richard, Alex and Jonathan have been a huge part of the Liverpool Philharmonic for many years and have each helped to shape the Orchestra into what it is today. We will always value their contribution and the friendships made over the years and wish them all the best in their retirements. 

“On behalf of the entire Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra family, I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to Sophie, Joana and Matthew,” he continued. “We are thrilled to have these exceptional new musicians join us as we commence the new season. Their remarkable talents and passion for music are a wonderful addition to our ensemble and we can’t wait to see them take to the stage. We already have previous members of the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company that have gone on to join the Orchestra and we’re delighted to welcome an alumnus of our Emerging Musicians Fellowship this season, our learning programmes are an integral part of the organization and it’s wonderful to see their long term impact on young musicians.”