Following an incredible concert in June, Wymondham Symphony Orchestra bids farewell to Musical Director Andrew Parnell. After a phenomenal 20+ years working together, he bids a fond farewell to the group. The orchestra wishes him well and hopes he has relaxing Tuesday evenings for the foreseeable future!

A new season brings a new face to the orchestra as they are delighted to welcome Theo Vinden as the new Musical Director. In his own words, Theo “is very excited to start to work with the Wymondham Symphony Orchestra this Autumn!”

Theo is guest conductor of the Grim’s Dyke professional Opera company (formerly the D’Oyly Opera company), assistant conductor of the National Youth String Orchestra of the U.K., assistant professor of conducting at the London Performing Academy of Music, and conductor at the North London Conservatoire. Over the past three years, he served as director of Keele University’s orchestra and choir. The orchestra doubled in size during his tenure, and he refounded the choir in January 2024.

His international expertise includes formerly conducting the Fellow of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra (in West Texas, U.S.) and serving as interim director of orchestra at the University of Texas Permian Basin, while completing his doctoral studies in the U.S. Last year, he also participated in the Mostly Modern Festival in the Netherlands, on a full scholarship, championing new music of composers from across the world. Before going to the U.S., he was involved with many groups in Hungary while completing his Master's degree in Kodály pedagogy and choral conducting. Whilst in Hungary, he conducted important ceremonies commemorating Kodály's birth and death anniversaries in the 2017-18 season - performing most of Kodály’s choruses. This followed his studies in Russia (St. Petersburg Conservatory) and the U.K. (Royal Northern College of Music and University of Manchester Joint Course, cello).

Theo, with his rich background in Kodály pedagogy, is passionate about educational work. He formerly coached the Intermediate Choir of the North London Conservatoire, the West Texas Children’s Chorus, Pro Corda and the English School’s Symphony Orchestra. He also performed at the Royal Festival Hall with musicians from the Philharmonia Orchestra, in an education project involving London youth music hubs.

As cellist, Theo has appeared as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and done freelance work with many professional orchestras in the U.K. and U.S., including Opera North, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.

We asked Theo what attracted him to the position with Wymondham Symphony Orchestra.

“I think there are two aspects of the orchestra that particularly appealed to me. WSO is clearly a very high-functioning orchestra - with an excellent committee, history, and a plethora of musical possibilities. The orchestra plays a very important and special role in the lives of people in and around Wymondham, and I am very happy to become a part for this. Norfolk brims with considerable amount of musical activity! In addition, I have always been struck at how beautiful the landscape of Norfolk is. I am grateful to find this opportunity to further familiarise myself with the area!”

Thinking ahead to this next phase in the life of the orchestra he says “I think that an important part of any arts organisations is to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with its immediate community. Andrew Parnell has done such wonderful work, during his tenure - bringing performances to the people of Wymondham, developing outreach concerts for our children, and collaborating with choirs in the area. As the orchestra continues to grow, I endeavour to continue to build its span of influence in Norfolk, and its relationship with the people. I hope that there will be a multitude of opportunities to collaborate with other arts organisations in the area - and this will manifest in the coming years!”

Rehearsals for the first concert of the 2025/2026 season start in September and the orchestra can’t wait to get stuck in!

Save the date for their next concert: 29 November 2025, Wymondham Abbey Church (program to be confirmed)

Want to get involved? We’re a friendly group playing fantastic symphony repertoire with regular rehearsals at Central Hall in the heart of Wymondham. If you’re interested in joining the orchestra we’d love to hear from you. In particular, we’re on the lookout for viola (grade 7 or above), double bass, trombones, and percussion players. More details about the orchestra and how to join can be found at www.wymondhamsymphonyorchestra.org.uk