Jessica Meakin is recognised as a dynamic, versatile, and sought-after young artist. Her versatility as a performer has seen her in orchestral, chamber, session, and musical theatre settings, bringing exceptional poise and musicality to every performance. She is a graduate of the Royal College of Music studying her Masters degree with Sasha Rozhdestvensky and previously graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Hons) degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama studying with Bartosz Woroch.
Prior to this, she spent two years studying privately in Madrid with renowned pedagogue Sergey Fatkulin, ex-assistant of Zakhar Bron, travelling there every month for lessons. During this period, she was also regularly invited to perform in the Llanes Music Festival in North-West Spain.
As a passionate orchestral musician, Jessica is delighted to be the leader of the London Touring Orchestra and she regularly co-leads the Fidelio Orchestra. Throughout her studies she frequently performed with RCM Symphony & Philharmonic Orchestras and GSMD Symphony & Chamber Orchestras under world-renowned conductors such as Ryan Bancroft, Vasily Petrenko, Rafael Payare, Sakari Oramo, Ben Palmer, Thomas Zehetmair, Martyn Brabbins, Michael Tilson Thomas, Thomas Søndergård, Roberto Gonzalez-Monjas, Jessica Cottis and Nicholas Collon.
Jessica led the Cumbria Opera Group’s 2023 production of Don Giovanni. Additionally, she has both led and co-led the RCM’s productions of Orpheus in the Underworld and Hansel and Gretel under Michael Rosewell. An experienced pit musician, Jessica has played for Musical Theatre group Roles We’ll Never Play, the West End Eurovision directed by Matheson Bayley, The Sound of Music at New Hall School, GSMD’s production of Fiddler on the Roof under MD Steven Edis and SLYT’s production of Sweeny Todd under Joe Hood. Last year, she also had the opportunity to record an original cast soundtrack for a new musical ‘Between’ where she played first violin.
A devoted chamber musician, Jessica has performed as a guest with Quartet Draig as Young Artists of the Cowbridge Music Festival and performs alongside 97 Ensemble, an ensemble dedicated to championing works by underrepresented composers. During her time at the RCM, she led the New Perspectives Orchestra conducted by Gabriella Techenné, performing chamber works such as Six tempi for 10 Instruments by Elisabeth Lutyens and Januaries by Lisa Illean. Jessica attended the Maiastra Chamber Course (2022) where she performed as part of the Maiastra Piano Quintet alongside Bartosz Woroch. She was also a founding member of The De Kooning Ensemble, recipients of the Guildhall School’s Ivan Sutton Prize 2021.
Jessica is passionate about outreach and is committed to music education. Alongside being a Violin Mentor and a regular member of Social Staff and with the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, she has delivered workshops to children in multiple London primary schools throughout her studies. She has also coached students at Bryanston School, Trull Primary School and CYM Taunton with The De Kooning Ensemble. Additionally, Jessica is the violin teacher at the Langley Hall Music Academy in Slough.
Jessica plays on a Bernadel violin dated 1844.