String Orchestra
Rehearsals take place every Wednesday between 05:00pm – 07:00pm at the School of Music Rehearsal Hall (term time only).
For any queries, reach out to us at luums.string@gmail.com.
About String Orchestra
The String Orchestra (‘Strings’) is LUUMS’ auditioned strings ensemble. We are known for playing a varied, ambitious repertoire and also for being a close-knit, friendly ensemble. This year we aim to explore the wide repertoire that string music has, from Vaughan Williams to Piazzolla, Shostakovich to Schubert, and even one or two newly written pieces!
We organise a variety of socials throughout the year as well as an annual tour abroad, alongside SWO and Symph. We’d love for you to audition and join our rehearsals, concerts, nights out, picnics, ice skating trips, and more (only the first two are compulsory!).
Meet the Strings team
Conductor
Sebastian Bernabe
Sebastian is a second year Law LLB student from Lancashire. He has been playing the violin since he was 7 (he can still remember the day his parents signed the permission slip for his first lessons). He also plays the organ and, occasionally, sings as a tenor in choral music and musicals. He is an avid watcher of Formula One and a staunch Max Verstappen fan!
Sebastian has thoroughly enjoyed his time in the LUUMS String and Symphony Orchestras so far. He cannot wait to lead this talented ensemble in the ambitious repertoire the orchestra have planned alongside his dear friend Zak.
Zak Holanda Grainger
Zak is a 3rd year physics student from Derby. He has been playing viola since he was 8 years old and has played in various concerts, ensembles and orchestras ever since. His proudest moment was playing with the National Youth Orchestra at the BBC Proms.
Since joining LUUMS, Zak has been a passionate principal violist of Symphony Orchestra and String Orchestra. He has loved exploring the niche repertoire that the managers of each ensemble bring, and can’t wait to explore music that he is passionate about with the rest of String Orchestra and his co-conductor and good friend Seb.
Outside music, Zak is a big fan of both Formula 1 and the Brazilian national football team, so don’t speak to him about the World Cup just yet!
Managers
Temitayo Aliyu
Temitayo is a third-year data science student from London. She began playing the piano at the age of five before taking up the violin at nine. She has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra through its On Track programme, and also with several community orchestras.
Temitayo is looking forward to helping make the String Orchestra a welcoming and uplifting environment for all its members. She values rehearsals that balance working towards ambitious repertoire with maintaining a positive and joyful atmosphere, and she is excited to help bring this vision to life as part of the 2026–2027 committee.
Lee Wood
Lee is a second year Geography with Environmental Maths student who’s from Manchester. Before joining university they played as a part of many different ensembles on the double bass, tuba, and violin. Some of their favourites have been the Greater Manchester Youth String Orchestra, Todmorden Summer Orchestra and the Oldham Music Centre Youth Brass Band.
So far in LUUMS, Lee has been a part of String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia, and Brass Band and just loves playing and being part of the LUUMS community. They especially love the strings community and can’t wait to create the same welcoming and fun environment for the next year.
