ABOUT SOHO STRINGS

Soho Strings is a place to come if you want to add real strings to your music or project.

You might be a musician wanting to add strings to a track, or you might need a strings-based track for your latest production or project. We work with many different musicians, composers and producers - whether that’s working with them remotely, in their own studios or in other studios in London.

We also compose, arrange and produce our own strings-based music and have contributed to TV, film and documentary soundtracks, computer and VR scores as well as production music and songs across a range of genres

STORY SO FAR

Soho Strings was created by London based violinist Sophie Ryan - following a curiosity to see where she could take things creatively if she could record and produce strings as well as compose and perform them. It started very informally in a small flat in Soho (hence the name) while her boyfriend worked at a restaurant nearby and has slowly developed and evolved from simple remote recording tracks to more collaborative projects - including an award winning Sky Promo (2018 Sound & Music award), numerous tracks for Universal Music and Emmy nominated scores.

Sometimes the projects involve just Sophie, but whenever she can, she brings in some of the musical ‘family’ of amazing colleagues and collaborators that she has developed close working relationships with over the years. We all love of our jobs and especially love throwing ourselves into exciting creative projects. We all work as professional musicians in London, freelancing for many other people as well and thrive from the flexibility and versatility that brings.

We always work professionally, quickly and efficiently - just as we would when being contracted by other people. However - if we want to take time to explore a new sound or technique, or simply experiment a bit, then we’ll happily throw ourselves into it-perhaps not always watching the clock too carefully, until we get to where we want to.

SOPHIE RYAN

VIOLINIST - ARRANGER - PRODUCER

Sophie is a graduate of the Royal College of Music, former member of the European Union Chamber Orchestra and has been working as a professional violinist in London for the past 20 years. Her career has always spanned both the classical and commercial worlds. She has freelanced with many of the UK’s symphony and chamber orchestras, recorded in all of London’s major recording studios and has played regularly in London’s West End Theatres.

Sophie has performed alongside a diverse range of artists, and has been lucky enough to share a stage with musicians including: Dame Shirley Bassey, Barbara Streisand, Gregory Porter, Goldie, Michael Buble, Richard Thompson, Ella Eyre, Jessie Ware, John Newman, Beverly Knight, Becky Hill, Candi Staton, Sam Smith, Anna Calvi, Anna Meredith, Mira Calix, Orchestral Qawwali Project, The Brand New Heavies, Nigel Kennedy, Maxim Vengerov, Sir James Galway, Lang Lang and many more.

She now divides her time between working for other people as a violinist and working as a violinist, producer and composer on various Soho Strings Projects. Engineering and production wise - she took a Diploma in Audio production at IMW Studios in London (passing with a double distinction), and then continued to study courses in Composition for Film, Arranging in Contemporary styles and in Media Music at Goldmith’s, as well as Advanced Music Production courses at City Lit. She has attended Mix With The Masters seminars and masterclasses with Alan Meyerson in France and continues to study and develop her production and engineering skills whenever possible.

PERFORMANCE WORK:

Recent freelance violin work includes:

  • Chamber Orchestras: London Chamber Orchestra - London Mozart Players - Britten Sinfonia - European Union Chamber Orchestra - City of London Sinfonia - Aurora Orchestra

  • Symphony Orchestras: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Philharmonia Orchestra - London Philharmonic Orchestra - City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra - London Concert Orchestra

  • Heritage Orchestra & Pete Tong Essential Orchestra: Ibiza Classics Albums & Tours (Pete Tong/Jules Buckley) – 02, Manchester Arena, NEC, V Festival, Destino Pasha (Ibiza), BBC The One Show, The Graham Norton Show

  • Bafta Awards (2022 Dame Shirley Bassey) -

  • Brit Awards (2017 Coldplay & 2015 Sam Smith)

  • Heritage Orchestra - Jane birkin - Goldie - Richard Ashcroft - Anna Calvi - Joy Division Reworked

  • Films with Live Orchestra – Films with Live orchestra (Royal Albert Hall, Barbican, Royal Festival Hall etc)

  • Music Videos for the track ‘Speechless’ from Disney’s 2019 Aladdin and ‘80’s Symphonic’ TV advert

  • Gregory Porter at the Royal Albert Hall

  • Barbra Streisand at the 02

  • Michael Buble at the 02

  • Richard Thompson - Meltdown Festival 2010 (Royal Festival Hall)

  • Faster than Sound: ‘Brainwaves Project’ 2010 with Mira Calix/Anna Meredith/Loop pH

For a more thorough listing of work, please see Sophie’s MAS listing page.

COLLABORATION

Over the years, Soho Strings has grown into an informal family of musicians and creatives who have worked on various projects together.

CELLISTS

Many of the string arrangements we record tend to include cello lines, and this is very often done by Bryony James. Bryony is also London based, and has recorded and performed with a huge range of artists including Adele, Madonna, Kanye West, and Stormzy. Read Bryony’s full biography here.

WHY REMOTE RECORDING?

From the beginning, it was really important to us that the remote recording side of Soho Strings was not about being a budget recording option. Of course, it is a sensible option if you are on a budget - there are simply fewer people involved who need to be paid and the overheads are lower. However, from the very beginning we wanted to achieve the highest professional standards from this style of recording.

We have also discovered many other perhaps unexpected advantages to remote recording from our experiences over the past years:

  • In a studio that’s being paid for by the hour, it is easy for everyone involved in the recording process to be hyper aware that every minute is costing money. By contrast, the beauty of remote recording for musicians is that there is a little ‘secret’ time where we can experiment and be truly creative as no one is watching.

    It can also give musicians time to really chat about the meaning of a cue and try out a few different versions of it, which can make the process feel much more creative and rewarding. Freed from the need to instantly impress, there is potential to achieve something much more original and exciting.

  • We feel really happy and proud to have built a working studio environment that feels completely safe to be creative and free. For example, if you are not a string player but want to ask ‘what would happen if we try this’ then you can find out in a completely non judgemental space.

  • Sometimes you get given scores that are very tricky - sometimes simply because it is technically tricky music, but then also sometimes because they have been programmed or written in a way that doesn’t perhaps consider the technical practicalities and limitations of string instruments.

    Sometimes using a bit of recording trickery and breaking things down a little can be very helpful to make sure all the requirements of the score are met without causing performer or composer too much stress trying to achieve it.