Stuart Baran plays the violin in the Fidelio Orchestra and has been doing so for 34 years, having started at the age of eight. He studied violin at school with Jane Hargrave and later continued his studies with Jill Thoday in Northampton.

When not playing the violin, Stuart works as a barrister specialising in intellectual property – covering patents, trade marks, designs, and copyright – following an academic background in chemistry before attending law school. During his university years, he devoted as much time to rehearsal rooms and concert halls as to laboratories and lecture theatres, and had the privilege of serving as concertmaster of his university’s symphony orchestra for a year.

Although his legal work makes for a demanding schedule, maintaining the violin – particularly ensemble playing – has been essential for Stuart in achieving a sense of balance.

He has been a dedicated member of the Fidelio Orchestra since its formation in 2019, primarily playing in the first violin section, where he has sat in various positions from front to back, including occasional rotations into the concertmaster’s seat. Stuart also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Fidelio CIO charity, which manages the orchestra.