Sarah Butcher joined the London Mozart Players in 1996-ish
Where else do you teach/play?
Small freelance orchestras, Mainardi Piano Trio, London Mozart Players Cello Quartet. Also edit audiobooks for Naxos AudioBooks.
Where were you born?
Croydon.
How old were you when you started playing, and why did you take up the cello?
Eight. My Mum encouraged me.
What has been your most fun/interesting musical experience so far?
Going to India with the Mistry String Quartet in 1987 and then re-visiting in 2003/04 with Mainardi Piano Trio. Playing with Pavarotti in Pesaro to an ecstatic Italian audience. Alasdair's Kids' Concerts in Croydon. Doing concert demos in schools with Margaret Archibald and other colleagues. Playing at the Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Who have you enjoyed working with the most and why?
Roger Norrington for bringing Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony alive when I was at the Guildhall. Pierre Boulez conducting The Rite of Spring for the way his mind works. Howard Shelley for his wonderfully witty playing. All my chamber music colleagues for their spontaneity and sense of fun.
Do you play any other instruments?
Piano but very badly.
Do you have any hobbies you manage to fit into your spare time?
What's spare time?
Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere hot.
What's your favourite sound?
The cello, birds singing, Brahms chamber music and total quiet.
