Biography
England's Skaparis Orchestra functions as a contemporary ensemble whose variable roster allows seamless shifts across musical styles, gaining broad notice through its role supporting Gary Numan throughout the 2018 Savage tour. Simon Robertshaw assembled the group in 2016 while enrolled in a conducting program at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music; the name derives from the Old Norse "skapari," signifying "creator." A veteran orchestral violinist who had earlier played bass in the metal outfit Vice, Robertshaw had long aspired to lead performances. The ensemble was conceived to scale readily between intimate chamber settings and expansive symphonic forces. Its debut professional outing arrived in August 2017 with "Classical Uproar," a project pairing the orchestra with acid house figure Suddi Raval—whose earlier group Together reached number 12 on the U.K. chart in 1990 via "Hardcore Uproar"—to recast dance tracks in symphonic arrangements. BBC coverage of the event opened doors to additional shows, including a slot at the Leeds International Festival. Further visibility arrived when the Skaparis Orchestra accompanied synth-pop and electro-industrial innovator Gary Numan on the road, performances later documented on the live release When the Sky Came Down, captured at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. In 2019 the musicians appeared at the U.K. Harry Potter Convention. Throughout this period Robertshaw persisted in composing his debut symphony, intended for the ensemble's inaugural presentation.
Albums