Bow Strings

We are an informal amateur string orchestra that meets on Saturday afternoons in Bow, East London.  Our recent repertoire has included Bach, Purcell, Haydn, Borodin and Barber. We are currently looking for new members. Why not join us?

who we are

Rehearsing, learning and making music together in a friendly and supportive environment, we meet in Bow on six Saturday afternoons a term for two hours. We are coached by our Musical Director and have a play-through at the end of each term. Our playing standard is intermediate: around grade 3-6. The termly fee covers room hire and the Director’s time, and is usually in the range of £70-£80 depending upon numbers. If you play the violin, viola, cello or double bass and would like to join us please do get in touch.  The first try-out session is free.

Our musical director & conductor

Orpheus Leander Papafilippou

Orpheus Leander Papafilippou is a British/Greek violinist, who performs internationally as a soloist and as an orchestral player with likes of the English National Opera, Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic. He leads the Orfeas String Quartet and Ensemble.

Inspired by working with conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Herbert Blomstedt and John Wilson, Orpheus began studying conducting with Denise Ham and Cathal Garvey.

He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, receiving a scholarship to continue solo studies with Carmel Kaine in Australia.

Career highlights include his Vienna debut with Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, Paganini’s Carnivale de Venezia in Rome, international performances of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Bournemouth Philharmonic in 2025. He has also composed music for theatre and film.

He has conducted and coached Bow Strings for over a decade and finds it “a dynamic and very rewarding learning process, like chamber music but on a slightly larger scale.”

Our leader

Ian Hayter 

Orchestrator, arranger and record producer, Ian works on music preparation, mostly in the film industry, having worked on films such as the three Lord of the Rings films to the latest Mission Impossible film.

Ian graduated with an Honours degree in music in 1977. For much of his early career he has been Musical Director for touring shows such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and more recently produced and arranged music on many CDs for classical artists including the violinist Orpheus Leander on his CD Colours of Europe.

Ian enjoys spending his spare time playing the violin in local orchestras and has led Bow Strings since its beginnings. He enjoys helping musicians develop their ensemble playing skills and realise their full potential.


Where to find us

We rehearse in the Bernie Cameron Community Centre in Merchant Street E3, just a few minutes walk from Bow Road and Mile End stations. The room we use is on the ground floor and fully accessible.

Get in touch

If you are interested in joining us or would like more information please fill out the form below. We look forward to hearing from you.
Name E-mail Message I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy Submit