Carina Cosgrave, founder of Sabi Ensemble

Double bassist Carina Cosgrave is the founder of Sabi Ensemble

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?

I didn’t really set out to have a career in music, I just loved making music with other people and kept doing that! I was lucky when I started learning the bass, Bromley Youth Music Centre had some incredible teachers and I’ve been guided, herded, mentored, inspired and prodded by some incredible musicians to this day.

Maggie Urqhuart and Peter Buckoke had a huge influence on my playing as teachers but there are so many other special musicians that have inspired me, I couldn’t list them all! Basically, my career, if that’s what were calling it, has been a series of happy accidents filled with gorgeous musicians that have shaped me musically.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

The London Underground. A double bass. Rush hour.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?

Getting any idea all the way from vague thought all the way to a live performance or recording is a feat in itself, so I’m proud of us all for doing this!! I’ve been lucky enough to do some very beautiful performances, with different musicians, and in many different countries and venues that I treasure, but I guess the concerts that spring to mind are the ones where you see or hear that the audience is really involved and on a journey with you, if someone is inspired by something they hear, in any way, those are the performances that are what making music is about for me.

Which particular works/composers do you think you perform best?

This is an impossible question! I love delving into the story behind the music, the historical context, the composers story and what shaped them musically. I think those things enrich the experience you have with their music hugely.

How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?

I’m quite new to programming so there’s no method to this yet!

I hope I’ve managed to find works that move and spark curiosity in audiences, I’m interesting in the stories behind artists and threads between works. I look for relatable themes and ideas and works that compliment each other to create a moving performance and I also want to hear composers whose music is brilliant but has been historically sidelined.

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?

There are some truly special venues where performers and audience can enjoy gorgeous acoustics and these are always a pleasure to play in. Personally, I most enjoy smaller venues where you can feel, quite intensely, how much the audience is part of a performance. Having said that though, a venues chance of making it to my favourites list is greatly influenced by the tea making facilities available…

What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage?

I love live theatre, I think actors are incredibly courageous performers and there are some gorgeous theatres in in London where I live, so I go when I can!

What is your most memorable concert experience?

Personally I’ve had some memorable moments on stage, strings breaking (yes, even bass strings!) chairs collapsing, lights failing…all the things that can happen in live performances. However, the concert that has moved me the most in recent times, in fact, had me in tears, was Reginald Mobley with the Academy of Ancient Music. Just an absolutely phenomenal, sensitive artist, a beautifully curated concert and incredible playing and singing.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

I think success is being able to do something that feels meaningful, striving to make work I believe in with people I admire, and contributing to leaving the musical world a bit better for that. It’s also something shared, the Sabi Ensemble and the wider community is discovering something together and this conversation is collaborative and a step in the right direction.

What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?

For me, it’s less about growth and more about removing the quiet barriers that prevent people from feeling welcome, from inaccessible venues and intimidating etiquette to underfunded music education and narrow canons. When we create spaces shaped by care, and genuine invitation, the community expands on its own.

What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about which you think we should be?

I think we often don’t talk enough about the emotional cost of working in this industry which is often compounded by financial, cultural and also power structures. Musicians reporting high rates of mental health conditions needs to be addressed urgently, and there simply isn’t always enough support for people, especially when pressures are intersecting.

What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?

Be curious and kind, embrace community, make music that matters to you!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Family dog walk, a cup of tea, and a slice of cake!

From the Heart, Sabi Ensemble’s debut recording, is out now