About Leo

Leo is an autistic musician with alexithymia, a disorder that impacts the ability to comprehend emotions and empathy in the normal way. However, through music he found he was able to fully communicate where spoken language failed. He began his musical journey as a self educated musician, choosing the cello due to a shared love of the playing of Vyvienne Long, and playing the music of artists including Damien Rice in an acoustic band that would continue in some form over the next 14 years.

It was around this time that classical music education began to grow alongside pop performance, and through teachers from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, he developed a strong technique that informed his ability to compose and arrangement in the studio, and perform increasingly complex parts in various ensembles, from classical to contemporary. He joined the Westbourne Orchestral Society, Bournemouth’s oldest orchestra, and worked with a number of string quartets.

Ensembles included:

Bournemouth University Orchestra – Principal Cellist and Tutti Cello
Wessex Youth Orchestra – Principal Cellist and Tutti Cello
Westbourne Orchestral Society – Tutti Cellist
Boho Strings Wedding Quartet – Arranger and Cellist
Bournemouth Symphony Rusties Project – Cello
St Ambrose Strings – Tutti Cello and Viola

As a member, Leo has appeared on the following releases:

2005 Fearne Kinder Egg EP – Violin and Cello recording
2014 Kadia Beacon Fires – Cello and Vocal recording
2013 Fearne Songs on Postcards – Cello Recording
2015 Kadia East of Alexandria – Cello and Vocal recording
2007 Fearne Colour in a World of Grey – Cello recording
2016 Fearne Journey of a Man – Cello Recording
2017 Kadia The Outlandish Collection – Cello, Violin, Double Bass, Piano and Vocal recording
2020 The Last Inklings Alchemy – Cello/vocal recording
2021 The Last Inklings The Impossible Wild – Cello/vocal recording

As a session musician, Leo has appeared on the following releases:

2010 Andrea Soler Sonic Kitchen Studio – Violin and Cello recording Earth on an Axis
2010 Lou Brown Sonic Kitchen Studio – Violin and Cello recording
2014 Aaron Jamie ‘Angel 5a’ at Sonic Kitchen Studio – Cello recording
2017 White Horse Whisperers untitled project – Cello and Vocal recording
2014 Helen Nicholson EP – Cello recording
2014 Willowen Blue Car Single – Cello recording
2014 Ninebarrow While the Blackthorn Burns – Cello and Violin recording
2016 Nautical Graffiti at the Blue Room Dorset – Cello and Vocal recording
2016 Ninebarrow Releasing the Leaves – Cello recording
2017 Ange Hardy ‘Bring Back Home’ at Beehive Studios – Cello and Vocal recording alongside Peter Knight of Steeleye Span.
2018 Ninebarrow The Waters and the Wild – Cello recording
2021 Ninebarrow While the Blackthorn Burns – Cello recording

I continued to work in contemporary bands, being the singing-cellist frontman of folk trio Kadia that appeared on stage 2 at Cambridge Folk Festival having been featured in the Telegraph’s top albums, and later the singing-cellist in duo project The Last Inklings that charted in the official UK album chart.