Stephanie Childress

Stephanie Childress, born in London, is a 17 year-old violinist. She started playing the piano at age five and violin at six. In October 2015 she began her first year at St John’s College, Cambridge University, reading Music. She studies the violin with Pieter Schoeman, Concert Master of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Stephanie attended the Royal College of Music Junior Department from 2008 to 2015 studying violin, piano and voice where she led both the Symphony and the Chamber Orchestras. She won the Hugh Bean Competition and the Marjorie Humby Competition. In 2015 Stephanie was awarded the Constance Farringdon Prize, the Esther Coleman Prize, the Freda Dinn and Ida Mabbett Prize as well as the Chamber Music prize with her Piano Trio.

Stephanie has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician and at such venues as Saddler’s Wells, Elgar Room and Wigmore Hall. She was Concert Master of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain in 2015, having been co-leader in 2014. She had joined the orchestra a year earlier, aged 13. She currently leads Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra.

Among her many prizes, she also won the LSO String Academy Candide Award for Outstanding Performance. She was a Finalist at the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition in 2015 having also received First prize for under-18. Stephanie was a finalist of the Royal Over-Seas League and of the BBC Young Musician 2016 Strings Final.

She is Assistant Music Director for the NYMT Musical BRASS set during the First World War. It will be performed at the Hackney Empire in August 2016. She is also NYMT Youth Ambassador.