Paul Silverthorne has combined a busy solo career with the position of Principal viola of both the London Symphony Orchestra from 1991 and the London Sinfonietta from 1988.

On leaving the LSO in October 2015 he was appointed Professor of Viola at the School of Music at Soochow University in Suzhou, China where he has joined the international faculty there. From his base in China he continues to perform and teach in the UK and elsewhere.

His solo performances regularly take him to the USA, the Far East, Australia and Russia as well as closer to home in the UK and Europe.

He has performed with such conductors as Sir Colin Davis, André Previn, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, Oliver Knussen, John Adams and Kent Nagano, with the LSO and other major orchestras in the UK, USA and Europe. After a performance at the Proms, The Times described him as ‘[...] a virtuoso in sensitivity and technique’.

His recordings cover a wide range of repertoire and appear on EMI, Naxos, Chandos, Koch International Classics, ASV, Meridian, Albany and other labels to widespread acclaim. His recent album, ‘Beethoven by Arrangement’ with pianist David Owen Norris, a collection of works arranged for viola and piano, was issued on the Toccata Classics label and widely praised – ‘[...] with a performance of the quality here, we can experience the dedicated and delightful musicianship that these players bring to this wonderful music’ (International Record Review).