Sophia Kannathasan
Violin | 2026 Isserlis Scholarship
A note from Sophia
It is such a privilege to say I have been awarded the RPS Isserlis Scholarship to have lessons with Heime Müller. I had heard of Heime and met him at a masterclass a couple of years ago, and was taken by his ability to connect with every student and immediately help them become a better musician. I had been thinking of having lessons abroad for a while and after that experience, I knew I wanted to have Heime as my teacher. I think studying with Heime will help me make exponential progress and reach new heights in my career as a musician.
I am so excited to travel regularly to Lübeck and hopefully start to make connections in Europe! I am so grateful to my friends, family and teachers who have helped me get to this point. Thank you again to the Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society for all of your support!
Biography
Sophia Kannathasan is a versatile violinist who enjoys regular solo, chamber and orchestra performances in venues including Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Barbican, and the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre. She has just completed her Master's degree, studying with Krzysztof Smietana at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and is looking forward to continuing there as a Junior Fellow this year. She is also the recipient of the The Ruth Wright Memorial Award and is incredibly grateful to The Craxton Memorial Trust, The Zenith Fund and The Wavendon Foundation for supporting her studies.
Sophia has a growing reputation as a freelance orchestral musician, with recent performance engagements with the Chineke! Orchestra and Brixton Chamber Orchestra. Since 2025, Sophia has also been a participant on the Pathways Scheme with the London Symphony Orchestra and is being mentored by Bindi McFarlane. Sophia is proud to have been the solo violinist in the world premiere of HER DAY, an all-female opera, commissioned for Coventry UK City of Culture. She was also the violinist in The Promise, an opera by Danny Saleeb, which was composed to encourage its audience to come together to take personal and collective action on the climate crisis.
Sophia connects with openness and honesty, which shine through in her music making. Her candid approach to sharing the daily reality of practice and performance – chiefly on Instagram – has fostered a supportive community for fellow musicians. Sophia has been a featured guest on the Things Musicians Don’t Talk About podcast as part of their injury awareness week, and in an episode of podcast B4 The Stage, speaking about practice schedules, diversity in classical music, and imposter syndrome.