The musicians of Sòlasan have been performing together in various forms since the ages of nine and up. Meeting through chamber music programmes, university, and work with Big Noise, the group are now based in and around Edinburgh. Whilst their individual work encompasses a variety of fields including biological research, music education, medicine, and engineering, the group are united by the common loves of chamber music and food.
We are committed to performing works by new and established composers, with the highest standards of excellence, in a warm and welcoming environment. We are always keen to hear from potential audience members, fellow musicians, and concert organisers: please get in touch if you would like to find out more, perform with us, or engage any of our members. We look forward to meeting you!
Josie Robertson
Josie graduated with a MMus as a scholar of the Royal College of Music in 2012, where she was supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and studied with Levon Chillingirian. As a member of the Arbellio Quartet she attended the Trondheim International Chamber Music Festival, Young Virtuosi Festival, and won the RCM’s quartet prize. She has also performed at the Mendelssohn on Mull chamber music festival, with the London Chamber Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra, London Concertante, 13North, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Josie currently works as a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, combining her role as an anaesthetic doctor with studying for a PhD in molecular epidemiology.
Jerome Woodwark
Jerome was extensively involved with music as an undergraduate at Cambridge University, leading the chamber orchestra, and performing works including Mendelssohn's Octet, Brahms's Sextets and a wide variety of quartet repertoire. He has continued to fit in music when he can since then, most recently leading the University of Edinburgh string orchestra, and joining the Mahler Players in Inverness for performances of works by Beethoven, Bruckner, and Wagner. Jerome works as a research engineer at the University of Edinburgh, where he develops satellite instruments to measure greenhouse gas emissions.
Rebecca Minio-Paluello
Rebecca was a violinist until she gifted herself a viola two years ago. Since then she has been catching up on older viola repertoire, as well as premiering new music by Annabel Kershaw, Egidija Medeksaite and Emma Lloyd. In Edinburgh she plays the viola with Sòlasan and in the Tesseris string quartet, and is one of the musicians at Big Noise, a musical community-strengthening programme working with young people in Wester Hailes. Previously she worked in various musical programmes in Palestine for a number of years. As a violinist, Rebecca had the opportunity from a young age to perform in festivals such as Glastonbury, Lucerne, and the BBC Proms, with artists including Simon Rattle, Susanna Mälkki, Barbara Hannigan, Unsuk Chin, and Deep Purple. She studied with Krysia Osostowicz and David Takeno in England, and Helge Slaatto in Germany.
Joseph Donmall
Joseph enjoys a varied career as a performer and teacher. He studied at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen, Germany with Alexander Baillie and Johannes Krebs, and completed his postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London with Josephine Knight. As an orchestral musician he freelances across the UK and Germany, most recently with The Halle Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, RSNO, and Kammerensemble Konsonanz. A passionate educator, he teaches at Big Noise Wester Hailes in Edinburgh and has delivered workshops for Drake Music Scotland, RAM Open Academy, and Play for Progress. When not making music he can be found climbing mountains, baking bread, and losing at board games.
Nadanai Laohakunakorn
Nadanai is a pianist with broad interests in vocal and chamber music. He has worked extensively with singers, with repertoire ranging from romantic lieder to modern songs, and has collaborated with the Institut Stimmkunst (Zurich), Opera Siam (Bangkok), and Fife Opera (Kirkcaldy) as répétiteur and conductor. He has appeared as soloist with the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra and Siam Sinfonietta, and performs regularly in the UK and abroad. Outside of music, Nadanai works at the University of Edinburgh as a research scientist and group leader in synthetic biology.
Louise Martyn
Louise is an Irish singer and teacher based in Edinburgh, where she has resided since 2020. Early in her career, she transitioned from classroom teaching to pursue a deeper exploration of the voice, a journey that has led her to vocal studies across Europe. Louise’s musical passion spans art song, opera, and oratorio. In 2024, she made her Gilbert and Sullivan debut as Gianetta in The Gondoliers with EDGAS at the Festival Theatre. She will sing Mimì in Fife Opera’s La Bohème in November 2025. Louise remains a dedicated educator, teaching at her vocal studio Saoirse Singing, and the Edinburgh School of Music. https://www.louisemartyn.com/