Darwin Ensemble

A year after beginning the cello with her Father, Rowena began her musical education at St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh, with Ruth Beauchamp.

After her Queens Hall debut when she was twelve years old, several concerto opportunities and masterclasses from masters including Steven Isserlis and Steven Doane, Rowena transferred to the Yehudi Menuhin School when she was thirteen to study with Leonid Gorokhov. It was here that several partnerships were formed with pianists that were seen to perform in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Manchester Cello Festival, UK, Kronberg Cello Festival, Germany, and in the UNESCO Celebrations, Paris. When Rowena was eighteen she went to The Royal Academy of Music where she studied with Paul Watkins and was a string finalist of BBC Young Musicians 2002. Two years later Rowena moved to India where she helped run two music schools, performed a concerto on Indian Television, played a recital in The British Council and performed for the Sangat Western Classical Music Festival. On her return, Rowena resumed her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hannah Roberts. Here she was the winner of the Busenhart Morgen Evans Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, the Tillett trust Education Award, The Haworth Trust award for Cellists, an Ian Fleming Award from the MBF, a Countess of Munster Star Award, The Jellineck Award, The Myra Hess Award, The Oglesby Education Award and a bow from the Scottish Arts Council. She has been fortunate to play concertos with the London Mozart Players, the Meadows Chamber Orchestra, the Harlow Symphony Orchestra, the Edinburgh Festival Orchestra, The Fairfield Halls Orchestra, The Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra, The Surrey Symphony Orchestra, The RNCM Symphony Orchestra, The Boyce Orchestra and the Covent Garden Actors Orchestra. Since leaving the RNCM, Rowena was invited to be a part of the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme. In this time she has also made her debut CD which includes works by Beethoven, Debussy and DeFalla.