CoMA London is an ensemble of strings, woodwind, brass, piano and percussion. There is a very friendly, supportive atmosphere, and we welcome new members on any instrument. We are a mixed ability ensemble ranging from intermediate to graduate level players.
Our aim is to play music of high quality which is accessible to amateur players, whether it is written by established composers, students or CoMA members. We work towards concerts – usually three or four a year – and often work directly with the composers. In recent projects we have worked with Edward Nesbit, Lloyd Coleman, Héloise Werner and nonclassical associate composers. The ensemble has performed at venues such as Iklectik, King’s Place and St John’s Smith Square, and has appeared at national festivals, including Spitalfields Festival for seven consecutive years.
A composers in residence programme we have run since 2023 has embedded composers in the ensemble, and led to some excellent music written perfectly for our strengths and interests.
We also run evenings in which members have the opportunity to try out their own compositional ideas with the ensemble, sometimes with feedback provided by professional composers and teachers. And alongside our usual rehearsals we will often have workshops on improvisation and group composing.
The ensemble runs on a subscription basis, which keeps us self-sustaining, and covers the cost of the rehearsal venue, concerts, the music director, printing music for players, and generally allows us to smoothly run an exciting and creative programme for everyone. The standard monthly subscription is £35, there is a concession of £25, and we also operate on the principle that no one should be excluded for lack of funds. If you want join and would not be able to pay those amounts, we would happily find an alternative level that would be appropriate for you.
Our Music Director is Lucia Švecová, a Slovak-British conductor, specialising in opera, contemporary music and training young musicians. Apart from directing the CoMA London Ensemble, she is also the Musical Director of Shoreham Oratorio Choir and Assistant Conductor at Opera Holland Park, Blackheath Halls Opera and Gothic Opera.
Lucia has conducted ensembles across the UK as a Guest Conductor, while also working with young musicians at St Catherine’s School as Director of Chapel Choir and Assistant Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. Among her recent successes is winning the Audience Prize at the International Conducting Competition in Baugé-en-Anjou and receiving the Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellowship. Her passion for contemporary music has led her to commission works, as well as conduct numerous world and UK premieres and work at the New Pathways in Improvisation Conference at Middlesex University.
Lucia started her musical journey as an organist and choral singer, winning two national organ competitions in Slovakia and becoming Organ Scholar at Jesus College, Oxford. She is also an active arranger, having arranged chamber versions of symphonic and operatic repertoire.
We rehearse on Tuesday evenings in east London.
We are particularly open to hearing from prospective new members to join us when start our projects, though do get in touch at any time. Our current project started on 21 April and we are working towards a performance with Terra Invisus (a piano/clarinet/cello trio) on Tuesday 7 July. We will arrange a suitable rehearsal for you to come and try us out.
Contact Caroline Star on london@coma.org if you would like to join the ensemble or would like more information about us. Caroline checks and responds to emails on Fridays.
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Our Composers in Residence for 2026 are Hannah Lam and Joe Mathawaphan.
We are also always interested to hear from composers who have a project or composition they would like to pitch to us. Please think carefully about why CoMA London would be the right ensemble to work with you, and fill in this form. Approaches received this way will be reviewed at the start of each of our terms, in January, April and September, and we will contact any composers we would like to hear more from.
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