Community Stories

Turning the page: how Arcantora Publications began

Grow London Local

Posted: Tue 28th Oct 2025

Arcantora Publications offers sheet music for string quartet, string trio, string duo and voice.

Here, founder Nina Kopparhed shares what inspired her to start the business, how Grow London Local has supported her journey and what's next for Arcantora Publications.

Can you tell us about your business and how it all began?

I've always been a musician. I started as a viola and violin player and now I'm a classical and opera singer.

The idea for the business really began years ago when I played in a string quartet. We often got last minute requests for specific songs from a CEO or a bride whose mother-in-law loved a certain piece. If we couldn't find an arrangement, I'd write one myself.

Over time, I realised there was a genuine need for this kind of work. People even started asking me for copies of my arrangements, though at the time I didn't have the rights to sell them.

Fast forward to about three years ago, two colleagues started a platform called Stringtastic and invited me to join. My arrangements sold really well there, which confirmed the demand.

Later, my colleagues got a publishing contract and no longer needed the platform, so they passed it on to me.

I then launched my own business under the name Arcantora Publications. Arco means "bow" in Italian and cantora is Portuguese for "female singer". The name reflects both sides of me: the instrumentalist and the singer.

What inspired you to take this path?

Music has always been a part of me. At my baptism, my mum joked that I'd be an opera singer because I screamed so loudly the whole church echoed, and here we are!

Business-wise, my inspiration came from one of the colleagues who invited me onto Stringtastic.

Years before I knew him, I was actually buying his sheet music arrangements and only later discovered he was the publisher behind them.

He encouraged me to publish my own because he saw something in my work. That gave me the confidence to take the leap.

Is there an entrepreneur or business leader you particularly look up to?

Karren Brady. I thought she was amazing on The Apprentice and even bought her book, Strong Woman. It was a revelation – the idea that you can be your own boss and powerful.

At the time, there weren't many women in such strong positions, so she planted the seed for me. Many years later, I have my own business.

How did you first come across Grow London Local?

When I set up Arcantora Publications, I knew I needed business skills. I could create the arrangements but I didn't know how to reach my audience.

I found courses by The Visionnaires, which were fantastic. During one of the courses at the Jobcentre Plus in Kentish Town, I gave a business presentation to a panel, including members of the Grow London Local team. That's how I met my Business Support Manager, Marie François.

She contacted me after the event and what struck me was how much she listened. She wanted to understand me, my work and the kind of support that would actually help. Then she acted on it. That's rare and it really impressed me.

What kind of support have you received, and how has it made a difference to your business?

Marie referred me to an adviser at The Loco, who had experience in music publishing. That was a game-changer. She understood immediately what I was talking about and gave me industry-specific advice.

Thanks to The Loco, I started using tools like Linktree, which gives me analytics about who clicks where.

Before that, the only thing I knew about my customers was what country they were in. Now I can actually see what people are interested in and tailor my arrangements.

Through Instagram and Facebook, I run small, targeted ads. This has been brilliant for reaching more people while building my customer base.

Wenta was also great for more general business support, like seminars. And Marie pointed me towards industry-specific funding, YourGrant Agency, which has been very valuable.

Have you found value in the networking opportunities?

Yes, very much. Until this year I'd never been to a networking event, so it was all new to me. But I attended Grow London Local's Coffee Friday and enjoyed it.

You learn so much from hearing other people's stories, even if they're not in your industry. Everyone's at different stages and that's inspiring in itself.

Would you recommend Grow London Local to other businesses?

100%. I mention them to everyone I meet who runs a business. Whether it's coffee mornings, direct support or the resources on their website, there's something for everyone.

How do you balance your creativity with the demands of running a business?

As a singer and a business owner, I fit things in when I can. Sometimes it feels like a seven-day-a-week job.

What's surprised me most is how much time the business side takes, from analytics to marketing to research. Often, it's more than just creative work.

But that feeds back into my music too because it tells me what's popular and what's trending.

What do you enjoy most about being your own boss?

I love having the final say in everything, from the design of an arrangement to the focus of an ad campaign. It's very freeing to have the creative control.

Then there's the flexibility. If I want a day off, I can take it. Whether I do take it is another matter. When your business is your baby, it's hard to switch off. But the autonomy is wonderful.

What's next for your business?

In the short term, I'm focusing on creating more arrangements. I use any downtime to build up a bank of new pieces.

I'm also refining my advertising and marketing, and it's paying off, with each post reaching more people.

In the long term, I'd like to explore additional sales platforms and launch my own website. This would give me independence from commission fees and mean taking full responsibility for driving traffic.

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