Introducing... Shana Douglas, Sub-Principal First Violin
How did you become involved with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)?
My first-ever project with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was a two-concert tour to Armenia in 2010. There were some vacancies within the First Violin section that weren’t yet undergoing trials, so I was asked to come in as a guest player. I remember meeting members of the Orchestra whilst airborne on our flight from London to Yerevan. I loved the experience, and pending a subsequent audition and trial period, I was offered a job a couple of years later.
What was your first experience of orchestral music?
When we were growing up, my parents frequently took me and my sister to see our hometown orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. I must have been about five or six years old when I started attending performances. I think I really fell in love with the standard orchestral repertoire during those years.
How did you find yourself on this career journey?
I’ve always known I wanted to pursue a career in music, as I’ve been playing the violin longer than I can remember! I love the camaraderie of being part of an orchestra, and the brilliant music we get to play is unbeatable as well. After I finished my studies, I started taking auditions for orchestral jobs and was lucky enough to end up here at the RPO.
What is the best thing about being part of the RPO family?
The RPO includes some of the kindest and most fascinating people you’ll ever meet. I’m also frequently overwhelmed by the sheer quality of the concerts we’re able to produce, even while we’re in the middle of extremely tiring patches of work with crazy travel schedules and/or very difficult programmes. My colleagues’ musicianship constantly inspires and challenges me.
Tell us about your favourite RPO journey.
The RPO undertakes a great deal of international touring, and those trips are often really special and memorable. Although we’ve been rather further afield, some of my favourite places to visit are Austria, Germany and Switzerland. I love being amongst mountains and lakes, and there are also some momentous concert venues in those places.
Do you have any pre-concert rituals?
I try to stay away from pre-concert rituals as such, as I don’t want to be too disappointed if I can’t always get, say, a certain food or a certain amount of downtime after the general rehearsal, etc. But what I have learned the hard way is that I can’t stand being too rushed before a concert. So, these days, I’m not usually one to be found running off to restaurants or doing errands right before performances – you can find me just chilling out in the dressing room getting dressed and made up on the early side with lots of time to spare.
Must listens – if you had to recommend one artist or composer, who would it be and why?
This is an absolutely impossible question. Some of my personal favourite composers are Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Schumann, Sibelius and Stravinsky, but then again, I could go on and on! But I can always recommend Mozart as a starting point. There is nothing greater than his operas, or his later symphonies or piano concertos. They encompass every human emotion, and the sheer ingenuity of his writing and orchestration is awe-inspiring.
Symphonic crossover – if you could work with any artist on a performance or project, who would you choose?
I am the biggest classical-music geek you’ll ever meet, so it would probably just be one of the composers listed above. I would love to travel back in time and work with Beethoven or Mozart, maybe to play in the premiere of one of their symphonies. I have so much respect for the great composers that sometimes I forget that they were actually real people!
Away from music, tell us two of your favourite hobbies and why they strike such a chord.
I love cooking and baking. Whenever I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed or stressed out in any way, I tend to just get into my kitchen and bake a cake or whip up some sort of feast. I find it so relaxing and therapeutic, and one also reaps the wonderful reward of the edible results, of course! Additionally, I enjoy jogging and walking. It doesn’t have to be a long excursion, but if I don’t get a small amount of exercise every single day, I find that I end up going a bit stir crazy. Musicians spend so much of their lives in small, solitary practice rooms, so I think it’s important to ensure that we counter that as much as possible.
Dream dinner party – who would you invite, what would you cook?
Too many random ideas for whom I’d like to invite are popping into my head, so perhaps I’d opt to keep it simple and just have all my closest friends and family, including my beloved little nephew, Gabriel! I’d cook a flavourful chicken biryani alongside plenty of vegetarian side dishes. For dessert, I’m thinking a New York-style cheesecake.
Shana gratefully acknowledges the support of her Chair Patrons, John and Lucinda Sunnucks.
First published June 2025