Asklepios Orchestra
The Orchestra of the Medical School, University of Birmingham

The Asklepios Orchestra is an amateur orchestra, founded in 1969 by Dr. David Humphreys, a Physician in the Birmingham General Hospital where the orchestra originally rehearsed. However, following refurbishment of the General, our orchestra needed to move and we now rehearse in the Medical School of the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston.
Although the orchestra has a "medical" origin and we are based within the Medical School, we welcome players from anywhere. You do not have to be "medical" or a member of the Medical School or the University to join us.

We do not hold auditions.

At the moment we have a full woodwind section, but we do have spaces for string and brass players.

If you enjoy playing for fun but to as high a standard as possible, then contact us.

Have you not been able to play for some time and would like to start again? Get in touch!

Are you a student in the University who enjoys playing but do not wish to play in the University Orchestra, or would like more practice with your second instrument? Get in touch!

Do you enjoy playing, but have the sort of job that means you cannot commit to a rehearsal every week? Get in touch, we understand those commitments!

We give up to three concerts a year, sometimes in the Medical School itself but also in other local venues.
We play music from the classical repertoire and we try to play works suited to the resources we have available at the time. We are very fortunate that the orchestra has always had a close relationship with the University Department of Music (indeed many of our conductors have come from the Department) and players from the Department and also from other amateur orchestras in the Midlands, frequently join us for concerts.

Our Conductor, Thomas Payne

Thomas is currently Principal Conductor of Derby City Youth Orchestras, Asklepios Orchestra and Birmingham Conservatoire Student Symphony Orchestra. He is also Associate Musical Director of Birmingham Concert Orchestra and guest conductor with the Warwick University String Orchestra. He currently studies violin at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Simon Smith and also studies Conducting privately with Philip Ellis. In addition to his conducting commitments he is a regular guest with the Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. Future plans include working more regularly with the Conservatoire Composers' Ensemble and enjoying his first season with the Asklepios Orchestra!

What's in a name?

The title of the orchestra derives from the ancient Greek healer Asklepios (Latin form Aesculapios). Asklepios was said to have saved the unborn child of Apollo and became physician of the argonauts. He and his daughter Hygeia were later deified with special responsibility for healing. Various temples were built to Asklepios, perhaps the most famous being at Epidaurus (the statue in the picture comes from there) where a magnificent theatre was also constructed. David Humphreys visited Epidaurus during a holiday and the link between early medicine and entertainment gave him the initial idea for the title of the orchestra. In addition, however, close by Epidaurus is Delphi where the oracle was also associated with music. It seems likely that Asklepios would have visited Delphi, hence a further link between Medicine and Music.