Catherine Marwood won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 17 where she studied with Sidney Griller and Stephen Shingles. The first few years of her professional career were spent in the competition winning Fairfield Quartet with whom she toured extensively in the UK and Europe and recorded a widely acclaimed disc. 

Catherine then moved to Scotland to take up the position of Principal Viola in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and then as violist in the Scottish Ensemble whose busy schedule included many visits to the Wigmore Hall and a recording under the prestigious Wigmore live label. She frequently appeared as soloist with the SCO and premiered Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Strathclyde Concerto No.5 as well as partnering visiting soloists such as Yuri Bashmet, Stephen Isserlis, John Harle, Peter Donahoe, Jamie Laredo, Lawrence Power, Brett Dean and Ernst Kovacic.  

As a member of the Marwood family Catherine played with her brothers and sister in the Marwood Ensemble, winning several awards and recording under the Hyperion label including a widely admired disc of the music of Jean Francaix. Catherine is also a member of the Hebrides Ensemble and has appeared many times in the Edinburgh International Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival, and in 2022 were the first group to broadcast a Prom chamber music concert outside London. The group has also released many highly acclaimed recordings.  

Catherine is now Principal Viola in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and much in demand as guest principal in orchestras and chamber groups around the country. She has worked with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ulster Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, English Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. She taught at St Mary’s Music School and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is an examiner for the ABRSM. She was awarded an FTCL, LRAM and also an ARAM for her distinguished work in the profession.