Alexander Bartlett

Viola

I am an Engineering Manager for Jaguar Land Rover, Programme managing our development of new engines for Range Rovers and Land Rover Defenders. I have been in Engine Design since I left University having completed a Masters in Mechanical Engineering.

Since 2002 (with a break in the middle while I went to university)

I started playing the Viola when I was in year 3 at the tender age of 7. As with many of us who start instruments at that age, a teacher from a music service came in and gave us all a talk on their instruments that we could begin to learn. I asked about the violin, and the teacher (who was a viola player themselves) encouraged me to try the viola. I haven't looked back since.

Actually, that is a lie... 2 years later I nearly took up the cello, but I was steered in another direction (I think that the school was fearful that they would loose their only viola player!) so I took up the piano as a secondary instrument at that point instead.

One of my later teachers from Staffordshire Performing Arts music service (Cote Beke) encouraged me to join. She has since retired and moved from the area, so unfortunately no longer plays with us, but I will always be grateful for her introducing me to this orchestra.

First days within the BPO, back in the old conservatoire. As a young 16 year old, it was an incredible experience to be part of such an accomplished orchestra. I remember that we played Walton's Symphony - an incredible experience that kept me wanting more

Once, I got a little lost trying to find myself back to an unfamiliar concert venue. It was a church somewhere, so the space available to get changed was rather sparse, making things even more fraught. However, with 5mins to spare, I tucked myself into a corner, threw my concert gear on... only to find that the zip on my trousers broke. (Argh!!)

Thankfully, mother was on hand, brandishing some safety pins, so all was not lost (and thankfully I didn't miss when sticking them in!)

Classical music - definitely something from Russia. Big orchestral works from Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Rachmaninov would probably be my favourites, but closely behind that would be Mahler (which I only really came to like through this orchestra)

Conversely I am not really a great fan of Tchaikovsky - Mainly because the viola parts in them tend to be rather complicated for very little reward (in my opinion!)

However one cannot forget the orchestral works from film music (John Williams, Alan Silvestri and Hanz Zimmer have definitely got my positive vote)

And one really mustn't rule out modern music that I listen to - Muse, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Stereophonics as some of the highlights, but also some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's productions catch my ear.

But the lowlights really have to be this moronic dance music! (whoever it was who put Barber's adagio for strings to a dance beat just needs to be shot!)

I really want us to play some of Hanz Zimmer's music, with all of the effects that tend to come with them, but equally I would love to have played all of Shostakovich's symphonies (I am sure that they will come round eventually)