Billy Feenan

Violin

Science Teacher

Since 2012

I was lucky enough to grow up in Bedfordshire with a fantastic youth music service and brilliant music teachers at school. I started playing the violin at lower school, joining the county 5th orchestra a few years later.

I moved to Birmingham for my teacher training after playing in orchestras at Imperial College in London. After the first few years of teaching, I realised how much I missed playing in an ensemble and found out about the orchestra through word of mouth from one of my colleagues.

There are plenty. My first concert was Mahler’s Tenth Symphony - something I never imagined I’d ever play. Many of my favourite concerts have been pieces in venues like Symphony Hall playing pieces like Mahler’s Eighth Symphony or Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Town Hall. Without doubt, the pinnacle must be playing Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony, one of my favourite pieces!

A quick dash from the Adrian Boult Hall to Marks and Spencer on a Sunday afternoon to buy a black shirt at the last minute, having misread the concert dress email!

Shostakovich is my all time favourite!

Least favourite? Probably Richard Strauss. Wonderful from the audience, nightmare inducing in the violins!

Shostakovich’s Thirteenth Symphony (‘Babi Yar’): rarely performed but stunning. It has a profound and tragic history to tell, mirroring its composer.