Alex Thorndike

Alex studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Nicholas Logie. During his time there, he led all the orchestras, participated in numerous masterclasses and won the Cecil Aronowitz and Rachel Godlee Viola prizes. Despite being offered a scholarship to study in the USA, Alex decided to further an orchestral career in the UK. He was immediately offered a job in the Halle orchestra where he stayed for a few years until moving to his present position as Assistant Principal of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

As well as teaching at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Alex is a Specialist Viola teacher at Wells Cathedral school – one of four specialised Music schools in the UK. He feels very privileged to be able to guide so many young musicians and help them improve. Alex is a caring and successful teacher, with a proven track record of getting the very best out of all his students, most of whom are working in the music profession today. He finds teaching rewarding and stimulating and tries to create an environment where the student feels supported and able to express their own musical views and thoughts.