Q&A with Jacob Garside
Wednesday 4 February 2026
Jacob Garside is a London-based cellist and viola da gamba player working across orchestral, chamber and theatrical performance. He studied baroque cello and viol at the Royal Academy of Music with Jonathan Manson, and viola da gamba at the Royal College of Music with Richard Boothby and Reiko Ichise, supported by the Enlightenment and Hill Scholarships. He is currently completing the Konzertexamen in viola da gamba with Robert Smith at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Köln. Jacob performs regularly with ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music, La Nuova Musica, Instruments of Time and Truth, Gabrieli Consort and Oxford Bach Soloists, and is a founding member of The Hampstead Collective. He also appears internationally in the Manchester International Festival production The Faggots and their Friends: Between Revolutions. We had a quick chat with him about the upcoming performance he is joining us for: The Food of Love.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m a cellist and viola da gamba player, specialising in historical performance. Vache Baroque’s ‘The Food of Love’ will be a total highlight, outside of that I’m looking forward to venturing outside of my usual baroque haunts this spring, performing Gilbert & Sullivan The Gondoliers and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci with English Touring Opera all over the country. As always, Bach’s passions are a mainstay of the Easter season, and it’s a real privilege returning to such profound music.
“Bach’s passions are a mainstay of the Easter season, and it’s a real privilege returning to such profound music.”
Is there a moment/person/group in your life so far that has shaped you most as a performer?
What do you hope audiences feel during/take away from this programme?
Do you have a favourite love song/romantic piece of music?
Joni Mitchell – A Case of You
Here’s a bit of it…
I met a woman
She had a mouth like yours
She knew your life
She knew your devils and your deeds
And she said, “Go to him, stay with him if you can
But be prepared to bleed”
Oh, but you are in my blood
You’re my holy wine
You’re so bitter
Bitter and so sweet
Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling
Still I’d be on my feet
I would still be on my feet
Outside of music/performing, what inspires your creativity?
My new mini joy is messing on doing little oil-pastel paintings, usually of fruit and veg that I have the right colour combos for!
What is your favourite food, and go-to post show drink?
Ham & pease pudding in proper stodgy stottie with slabs of butter and lots of black pepper. Nothing hits like a post show pint of lager and a fag.
Join us for Food of Love on Friday 13 & Saturday 14 February 2026 at Fidelio Cafe.