Connie is an exciting British Violist, performing across Europe as a soloist and leader, and internationally as a chamber musician. 

Connie has a wealth of chamber music experience and enjoys putting together collaborative chamber concerts. Her artistic and conceptual approach has been largely influenced by musicians she has played with at festivals and residencies, namely Yellow Barn, Maiastra, Bad Leonfelden, AIMS, Lac Leman, Llandtwitt and Zermatt Music Festival. Having performed as a soloist in the 2019 and 2022 IMS Prussia Cove seminar concerts, Connie frequently attends the IMS Open Chamber Music sessions. This year, Connie’s performances as a soloist in the Schiermonnikoog festival prompted an invitation to perform at the Het Concertgebouw.  Last year, Connie featured in the album Soliloquies with Maria Hegele and Anna Szalucka, playing Frank Bridge’s Songs for voice, viola and piano. 

Based in Amsterdam, Connie is a member of the Marigold Piano Quartet who recently made their debut concert at the Concertgebouw de Vereeniging in the Netherlands and who’s members are often invited to play concerts as a string trio. The quartet stands for a passionate and sincere approach to the chamber music repertoire, playing works from all different periods, and are strongly influenced by Eberhart Feltz who has been an encouraging mentor. Connie was previously the violist of the Ebenos and Serpentine Ensembles, both of whom explored a combination of wind and string repertoire. She has also performed at Wigmore Hall as a member of the RCM Chamber Musicians, given multiple concerts with the Sepia Quartet and premiered contemporary chamber music with the Echo Ensemble. 

As a leader, Connie enjoys playing in a wide variety of groups ranging from chamber to symphony orchestras. Her inspiring experiences performing with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Octave Ensemble, 12 Ensemble, and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic led her to found the Seida Ensemble. The ensemble have made notable performances as an unorthodox unconducted twelve piece string group, which uses music as a force of activism, connectivity and community, and aims to broaden the classical music landscape whilst bringing hope and change to the wider society.

As a violinist she has regularly played with the Capital Orchestra which engages with popular and jazz culture and collaborates with emerging artists, creating innovative methods of musical development. She has also worked closely with popular artists and producers such as Joy Crookes, Max Pope, Hilts and Ezra Lloyd Jackson, broadening her interest of composing and collaborating. 

Connie has a particular interest in raising money for Sarcoma UK. For instance, in March 2019 she gave a solo recital in London, and in 2020 performed a virtual concert of Britten’s Lachrymae with Bradley Wood.

At the age of nine Connie Pharoah gained a place at the Royal Academy of Music to study the violin with Erica Graigner de Sa and viola with Jacky Woods. Subsequently, she won the John McAslan Violin Prize, the Viola Prize and the Lower Strings Prize. Currently she is studying for her masters degree at the Conservatoire van Amsterdam with Nobuko Imai and Marjolein Dispa. Previously, she studied with Andriy Viytovych, Bryony Gibson-Cornish and Gabrielle Lester at the Royal College of Music where she completed her Bachelor with a first class degree. While there Connie performed as principal violist for all the college orchestras, won the Viola Prize in her second year, and received memorable masterclasses with Lawrence Power, Maxim Rysanov, Antonello Farulli, Isabelle Villanueva and Jennifer Stumm. 

Connie is generously supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. She plays on a Charles Coquet viola and an Emmanuel Carlier bow.