Bianca Wesley-Smith (she/her) is a South African-Argentine violist, living and freelancing in Glasgow since 2022. 

 

Since graduating in 2018, Bianca has performed in numerous ensembles, festivals, and projects in South Africa and abroad, including two years with the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra, and two seasons with the Immling Opera Festival in Bavaria, Germany. Her musical journey encompasses diverse musical styles and genres, and  has taken her through notable concert halls, including the Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouw, Konzerthaus Berlin, as well as festivals such as Verbier Festival, Celtic Connections, and Edinburgh International Festival.

 

In 2009, it was attending a performance of Piazzolla’s Estaciones Porteñas that largely inspired her to pursue string playing professionally. This, combined with her Argentine heritage, cultivated a passion for the tango genre. She is one of the founding members of Garúa Tango Club, and hosted the ensemble’s first concert in her Glasgow flat in December 2023 - a brimming success, in every sense of the word!