Meet the Members
Louisa Kataria
Soprano Saxophone
Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Louisa Kataria enjoys a colourful portfolio career spanning an array of genres including classical, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary, and commercial music.
She has performed with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, Pegasus Opera, Tête-á-Tête Opera, and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Louisa is also in demand as a woodwind ‘trebler’, having made her West-End Debut at the London Palladium in 2022. Musical Theatre credits include Hairspray, Anything Goes, Merrily We Roll Along, Sister Act, and Curtains. Commercial bookings have taken her from Vogue’s Red Carpet to OVO Wembley Arena, and she was a regular member of RCM Jazz Orchestra and later lead clarinet in Lewes Big Band. Having achieved her ATCL Diploma with distinction aged 16, she later won the woodwind categories of the St Albans and Rickmansworth Young Musician competitions. Louisa very much still enjoys classical solo performance, and is looking forward to upcoming recitals at St Mary’s, Barnes and St Michael’s, Highgate.
Louisa is a passionate educator and holds Woodwind teaching positions at ACS Hillingdon International School and Orchard House School. She was also the clarinet/flute tutor for LMTO’s outreach programme: Upbeat in 2023 and is excited to rejoin the team for 2024’s programme.
Louisa’s musical training began as a chorister of St Albans’ Cathedral. Later, studied as a Leverhulme Arts Scholar at the Royal College of Music, where she learned saxophone with Martin Robertson, clarinet with Janet Hilton, and jazz flute with Andy Panayi. Louisa graduated from her bachelor’s degree in 2023 with First Class Honours.
Lydia Cochrane
Alto Saxophone
Lydia Cochrane is a saxophonist and multi instrumentalist who recently graduated from the Royal College of Music with first class honours.
She is passionate about jazz, funk, folk, and classical music and how these disciplines can intertwine to create new sounds and spaces to explore - she is eternally inspired by her frequent playing with a ceilidh band and takes this into her other groups, exploring the fusion of trad folk with rhythmic music.
A few recent highlights include playing at Cadogan Hall with Lisa Simone, with her quartet at the Pride of Britain Awards, Ronnie Scott's, the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, the Southbank Centre, the Natural History Museum, La Sagrada Familia, Latitude festival, and has toured with Nikki Yeoh, Tommy Blaize, Steamdown, and played at the Young Euro Classics festival in Berlin with NYJO. She recently played in Yolanda Brown’s band at the Kings Cross Sounds Festival.
Alexandros Dani
Tenor Saxophone
In addition to his work in theatre, Alex has a strong passion for jazz. He has had the privilege of performing with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) on their Ray Charles Tour with leading vocalist Tommy Blaize. Alex has played at some of the UK’s most esteemed venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John Smith Square, Usher Hall, Norwich Playhouse, and The Poole Lighthouse, and has collaborated with prominent band leaders such as Mark Armstrong, Pete Long, Chris Dean, and Winston Rollins, as well as playing alongside world-renowned drummers Benny Greb and Jojo Mayer.
Alex also enjoys session recording work, lending his skillset to a range of projects across different genres. Most notably, he recorded on Mina Samy’s track “Agent J” at the iconic Abbey Road Studios whilst at RCM.
Beyond performance and recording, Alex is a dedicated and passionate teacher with multiple years of experience teaching saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Alex has taught students of all ages and has successfully guided students of all abilities from complete beginners to diploma level through their musical development, preparing many for graded exams with outstanding results.
Alexandros Dani is a multi instrumental woodwind player celebrated for his versatility and skill across the saxophones, clarinets, and flutes.
Alex is a graduate of the Royal College of Music with First Class Honours, and a recipient of the Winifred Law Scholarship. During his time at RCM, Alex studied saxophone and clarinet under the tutelage of Martin Robertson and flute and jazz under Andy Panayi, also receiving ensemble coaching from Kyle Horch. Alex also played in masterclasses with Amy Dickson and Gerard McChrystal during his time at RCM.
Alex has a deep passion for musical theatre. His participation in the London Musical Theatre Orchestra's Development Scheme provided him with invaluable experience, allowing him to learn from and perform alongside leading players and musical directors from London's vibrant West End scene. Most recently Alex has played on Something Rotten! In Concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Pericles" in Stratford-upon-Avon. Other musical theatre highlights include Anything Goes, Chess, In the Heights, Legally blonde and Sweet Charity.
Ethan Townsend
Baritone Saxophone
Ethan is a London-based saxophonist and reed player originally from the West Midlands. As a Neville Wathen Scholar and recipient of the Henry Wood Trust Award, he recently graduated from the Royal College of Music, where he studied saxophone with Kyle Horch, Martin Robertson, and Andy Panayi. He also studied clarinet with Tim Lines. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s in Jazz Saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music, benefitting from an entrance scholarship, along with a Postgraduate Award from HelpMusicians for the 2024/25 academic year. Ethan aims to be a sought-after jazz musician while staying active in classical saxophone settings.
A valued chamber musician, Ethan plays with Versa Winds and the award-winning Astral Saxophone Quartet, who recently reached the semi-finals of the Royal Overseas League. The group won the RCM Woodwind Chamber Competition, earning a week-long residency at the picturesque Boconnoc Estate in Cornwall as their award-winning residents. They have also performed in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall as part of their Coffee morning concert series.
Ethan has performed with renowned groups including the Syd Lawrence Jazz Orchestra, National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and Pete Long’s Swing Band. He has also played alongside esteemed jazz musicians and band leaders of Europe, such as Chris Dean, Pete Long, Mark Armstrong, Clare Teal, Benny Greb and most recently Winston Rollins.
Classical performance highlights include performances with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, RCM Saxophone Ensemble, and the RCM Wind Ensemble. He has also won the West Midlands regional Rotary Competition twice.
Aside from his playing career, Ethan enjoys teaching and has 5 year’s experience teaching all ages. Recently, he assisted on In-Deep Therapy sessions for children with special needs.