Peter Whitehead – Violist

Born in Wales and grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, Peter Whitehead studied the viola for eight years at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire from 2016 to 2024, receiving a BMus (Hons), an MMus, and a PgDip in Orchestra Performance. In that time, he studied with Lucy Nolan, Louise Lansdown, and Adam Romer. For the 2024/2025 academic year, Peter was on the Hallé/RNCM Advanced Orchestral Strings Programme, which included work with the Hallé throughout the season. On the programme, he received tuition from Ruth Gibson and Wenhong Luo.

Peter has played professionally with the Hallé, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, the Brigantes Orchestra, Sinfonia Stellaris, and the Bridgewater Hall Concert Orchestra. Particular special highlights for Peter include the Hallé’s highly reviewed performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (‘Resurrection’) in January 2025, and Sinfonia Cymru playing with Sir Bryn Terfel on his UK tour in October 2022.

When he was studying at RBC, Peter was heavily involved in their orchestral projects, often in leading positions. Memorable highlights included being Principal Viola for RBC’s Symphony Orchestra projects in 2019/2020 (including Strauss’ Oboe Concerto with Jonathan Kelly, Principal Oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic); two string orchestra projects, one in 2022 directed by Maria Włoszczowska (Leader of the Royal Northern Sinfonia), and another directed by Timothy Ridout in 2021; opera productions of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s ‘Coraline’ (2021), Britten’s ‘The Beggar’s Opera’ (2017), and Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ (2017); and Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’ with RBC’s Pop Orchestra in 2018, narrated by Sir Lenny Henry, which was later broadcasted on Classic FM. Peter also had other orchestral training opportunities at RBC, including side-by-side rehearsals with Welsh National Opera, and being on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Training Scheme in 2020.

Externally from RBC, Peter played in the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival’s symphony orchestra in July 2022, and took part in the Irish Chamber Orchestra Academy Project in March 2022. From 2015 – 2018, Peter was also part of the CBSO Youth Orchestra, including as Principal Viola for Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 (2018), having opportunities to work with conductors such as Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Cristian Măcelaru, and Jac van Steen.

While at RNCM, Peter was Principal Viola for the RNCM Chamber Orchestra project in November 2024, which was conducted by Edward Gardner (Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra).

Peter also has a passion for playing chamber music, particularly with string quartets. He is currently part of the Agogo Quartet, a recently formed quartet based in Manchester. They are Artists-in-Residence at the Barrow Classical Music Foundation – in July 2025, they gave a recital at St. Mary’s Church, Barrow-in-Furness, with a programme of Haydn’s String Quartet in G minor Op. 74 No. 3 (‘The Rider’), Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 2 in F major Op. 92, and Dvorak’s Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major Op. 81. In October 2025, the quartet led the Furness Festival Strings’ debut concert at the same venue as part of the Foundation.

From 2018 to 2023, Peter played with the Saorsa Quartet, who were formed at RBC. They were heavily active in RBC’s chamber music scene, featuring in multiple festivals, involved in performances with Birmingham New Music’s concert series, and won the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize in March 2022. In their time at RBC, Saorsa received coachings from numerous tutors, including Lucy Nolan, Robin Ireland, Oliver Wille, Jonathan Kelly, and members of the Heath and Castalian quartets. Externally, Saorsa had a residency at the Lake District Summer Music Festival in 2023, receiving chamber music masterclasses from Alina Ibragimova (Chiaroscuro Quartet), Ben Hancox (Sacconi Quartet), and Louise Lansdown; performed alongside the Sacconi Quartet, Gwilym Simcock, and the Morassi Quartet; and played Haydn’s ‘Emperor’ Quartet (Op. 76 No. 3) in an afternoon concert. Saorsa also performed at the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival: Summer Residency in 2022, playing Britten’s String Quartet No. 2, and the first two movements of Dvořák’s String Quintet in E-flat (Op. 97) alongside Krysia Osostowicz.

Other notable chamber music projects Peter has been involved in with include playing Brahms’ String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major (Op. 18) with Caroline Pether (at RBC in 2019), and Mozart’s String Quintet in C major (KV 515) with Lucy Nolan and Robin Ireland (also at RBC in 2019). Peter also performed multiple times at the 2022 Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in various groups.

Peter has even had individual success, winning the John Fussell Award for Young Musicians after playing in the final at the Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, in October 2021, receiving £2,500. He has also performed in RBC’s Lunchtime Concerts series, playing Brahms’ F minor Viola Sonata (Op. 120 No. 1) with Charles Matthews in 2023.

Peter has had masterclasses with many highly renowned violists, including Timothy Ridout, Thomas Riebl, Carol Rodland, Martin Outram, Robin Ireland, Alicia Valoti, Stefano Carlini, and Bogusława Hubisz-Sielska.

Besides performing, Peter was involved as a tutor with the ARCO Project from 2020 – 2023, teaching viola, musicianship, and chamber music through online lessons to South African children from the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music. Peter was also a peripatetic viola tutor at Tettenhall College (Wolverhampton) from 2022 – 2024, and has been a Pastoral Worker on the Pro Corda Juniors Course.

Peter has had a number of administrative roles. He is an Executive Secretary for the British Viola Society, running their Facebook group and page since 2018. He was also the ARCO administrator for their India project between 2021 – 2024. More recently, Peter has worked for the Tertis & Aronowitz International Viola Competitions as their Social Media Manager since May 2024, and also as the organiser for the Tertis & Aronowitz Birmingham Viola Day in November 2025.

Peter plays on a 2021 Antoine Gourdon viola, and a bow by Tim Baker.