Sinfonia Cymru's Sophie Lewis: classical music is 'sacred and beautiful'

2 August 2014, 23:33 | Updated: 15 December 2016, 11:50

Ahead of their Bristol Proms double whammy, which saw the ensemble performing Bach followed by electro-classical dance music, Sophie Lewis explained the need for a range of classical styles.

Sinfonia Cymru, an ensemble made up of young professional musicians, staged a workshop focussed on Bach's Art of Fugue, drawing on their personalities to bring the music to life. Speaking to Classic FM's Jane Jones, Sophie shared her thoughts on using acting to bring out the nuances of this seminal Baroque work. 

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But it's not all about Bach. Core classical music is essential and important, but these musicians are keen to push the boundaries with new technology. As well as their Art of Fugue-meets-theatre performance, the ensemble performed a 45-minute digital extravaganza, complete with drum beats and live projections.

Sophie explained: "Does it matter that one day you're doing something extremely highbrow musically in a serious concert hall and the next day you might be taking that out into a different format? I just don't think it matters; it's part of the evolution of classical music. It's such a sacred, beautiful thing to us and we're here to preserve it."