Handbook 17: Staff

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17. STAFF

HMDT_red_ensuring

 

Adam Eisenberg General Director

Tertia Sefton-Green Creative Director

Gavin Stewart Senior Manager

Abby Swain Projects and Marketing Coordinator

 

SATURDAY PROGRAMME ASSISTANTS

Simon Wilsher

Kwame Anomah

 

THE TUTORIAL STAFF AND COACHES

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Imogen Morrall Early Years

Tertia Sefton-Green Creative Director

 

Alistair Burton Accompanist

Vahan Salorian Coach – Early Years

 

Alistair Burton Music Director (Minis, Juniors)

Jo Carey Stage Director

Livio Salvi Dance Coach, Choreographer

Tertia Sefton-Green Creative Director (Minis, Juniors, Seniors)

 

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Jessica Anderson Brass, Ensembles

Alistair Burton Piano, Ensembles

Sophie Hooper Flute

Rowan Jones Clarinet

Kate Leigh Cello, Ensembles

Martyn Lewington Brass, Ensembles

Imogen Morrall Flute, Recorder, Early Years

Riccardo Mura Guitar, Ensembles

Izabela Musial Bassoon

Anna Pietrzak Violin, Ensembles

Joana Rodrigues Violin, Ensembles

Vahan Salorian Early Years, Choirs, Orchestra, Ensembles

Lucía Sánchez de Haro Piano, Accompanist

Vilhelms Patriks Skabardis Drums, Percussion

Alexander Thomas-French Jazz Blues, Jazz Orchestra

 

Tom Highnam Workshop Musician, Saplings

Tim Yealland Workshop Leader, Saplings

 

Bridget Carey Workshop Musician, Trees

Paul Griffiths Workshop Leader, Trees

Thomas Kleyn Workshop Musician, Trees

Imogen Morrall Teaching Assistant, Saplings/Trees

 

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Julian Joseph Artistic Director

Tony Kofi Coach

Alexander Thomas-French Jazz Essentials Coach & Programme Manager

Byron Wallen Coach

Trevor Watkis Associate Music Director

 


WHO’S WHO AT THE SATURDAY PROGRAMME

Jessica Anderson

Trombone & Ensembles Coach

Jessica is a London-based trombonist, currently a scholar of the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Dudley Bright, Matt Gee, and Peter Moore. While specialising in classical trombone, Jessica is a versatile musician who loves to create music across a wide variety of genres. She is sponsored by Sir Roger Vickers in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and has since played with incredible artists including Bob Mintzer and Hermeto Pascoal, and has recorded with NYJO too. She has performed at major venues across the UK, including the Barbican, Birmingham Symphony Hall, and Bridgewater Hall, and has played and interviewed on BBC Radio 3 In Tune. Jessica is alumni of the University of London Symphony Orchestra, Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, CBSO Youth Orchestra and many other prolific ensembles. As well as being very enthusiastic about musical education and accessibility of the arts, Jessica is passionate about exploring the mind-body-soul-instrument connection and practises Alexander Technique to heighten awareness of self and wellbeing. Jessica has a fundamental belief that it is essential for younger children to have the opportunity to connect with music, with an ultimate aim of impacting and enriching other’s lives by introducing them to the language, history, and power of music.

 

Kwame Anomah

Saturday Programme Assistant

Kwame holds a BA Business (Hons) degree from Kingston University, where he graduated from in 2015. Prior to joining HMDT Music, Kwame was Music Mentor for Ark. He has been playing drum kit and percussion since he was eleven at his old school, Mossbourne Community Academy, which helped to focus his energy prior to taking up kit and tuned percussion. His musical influences have mainly been funk, drum & bass and dance music. Jamiroquai influenced Kwame with playing style and drumming beats and effective percussion play. Drum & Bass and dance music were something used in his early days to experiment with drum techniques.

 

Alistair Burton 

ICS! (Musical Director Minis & Juniors), Piano Coach

Alistair is a pianist and accompanist currently studying for a Master’s in Repetiteur Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As an undergraduate at Clare College, Cambridge, he studied music and received coaching in song accompaniment from Joseph Middleton as part of the Pembroke Lieder Scheme. As a repetiteur Alistair has worked on a number of student opera productions, including of contemporary works such as Philip Venables’ multimedia opera Denis and Katya (2020), and more recently on Cumbria Opera Group’s 2021 production of Così fan tutte.

 

Bridget Carey

Music Treehouse (Workshop Musician)

Bridget Carey studied jointly at the Royal Academy of Music and London University, graduating in 1987 with a Masters degree in Performance. Since that time she has pursued a varied freelance career based in London, and has developed a particular reputation in the field of new music.  For 15 years she premiered new chamber opera for the Almeida, whilst working in dance scores  with Siobhan Davies and Rambert companies, classical contemporary with Opus 20 and Music Projects/London and  new complexity with Ensemble Expose. From 1995-2005 she was viola player with the Kreutzer string quartet. More recently, her chamber music interests include east/west fusion group Okeanos and the RPS award-winning experimental music group Apartment House, with whom she continues to add to her chamber music discography.  She has been a member of Britten Sinfonia for the last 20 years, and is a regular guest with London Sinfonietta and BCMG, among others.

 

Jo Carey

ICS! (Stage Director)

Jo was awarded a first-class BA Honours degree in Theatre, Film and Television from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and an MA with Distinction in Film Studies from the University of Nottingham. She has been working in the theatre industry for 15 years, most recently as Participation Manager at The Almeida Theatre in Islington and has held various project management positions within the National Theatre’s Learning Department. She is an experienced facilitator and director of young people and regularly works for the National Theatre and the Primary Shakespeare Company for whom she has directed performances with Primary School students of Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet. She has previously led acting workshops for The Almeida Theatre, The Old Vic Theatre and Polka Children’s Theatre and was the director of two youth theatre groups for Creation Theatre in Oxford.

 

Adam Eisenberg

HMDT Music (General Director)

A native of New York City, Adam holds a B.A. degree in East Asian Studies and Politics and an M.A. in Social Studies Education and Cultural Studies from New York University. He began his career as an educator, teaching Secondary School students in History and Social Studies. He then moved into the entertainment field in 1989, and worked as a talent agent in Los Angeles, booking a variety of international musical talent, from pop and rock-and-roll to jazz and world beat music. As Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera (1994 – 98), Adam was responsible for the San Diego Opera Ensemble and Operation:Opera, the largest opera education programme of its kind in the United States. Prior to his appointment at HMDT Music in 1999, Adam served as a Manager in the Orchestral Touring Department at IMG Artists (London), where he was responsible for the booking of tours for a number of UK and foreign orchestras in Europe, the United States and the Far East. Since becoming General Director, Adam has led the HMDT Music team in the development of The Saturday Programme and HMDT Music project commissions including Trench Brothers, the Olympic projects Shadowball and The Brown Bomber, R U Listening, I’ll Be Seeing You, children’s operas The World Was All Before Them, and The Hackney Chronicles, international project Hear Our Voice, as well as the RPS Award winning education projects Operaction Hackney: On London Fields and Confucius Says. Together with Creative Director, Tertia Sefton-Green, Adam is responsible for the strategic and artistic direction of HMDT Music, and as Secretary and Chief Executive, oversees all the business and statutory responsibilities required to operate the Company. An avid fan of all forms of music, he has hosted panel discussions and outdoor concerts with featured artists and continues to give presentations on opera and the music business. He was a tutor for the Rose Bruford College distance learning degree in Opera Studies, has appeared on several panels on the subject of music education with OPERA America, served as a grants advisor and reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and continues to act as an advisor for grant giving organisations in the UK.

 

Paul Griffiths

Music Treehouse (Workshop leader)

Paul Griffiths is an internationally renowned music educationalist, project leader, composer and performer. His musical roots lie in jazz, rock and funk but through his work he has developed a unique artistic voice and flexible workshop style that transcends musical, social, cultural and age barriers. His work is underpinned by a commitment to providing high quality musical access to all and a profound understanding of the impact that creative arts work can have upon individuals and communities. He has over a quarter of a century’s experience of working in music, cross arts and trans cultural projects in the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. These projects are conducted in conservatoires and music schools, arts centres and concert halls, primary and secondary schools, special needs schools, prisons and a multitude of diverse community settings. He works extensively in the field of training and professional development for musicians, artists, workshop leaders and teachers.

He successfully completed postgraduate studies on the pioneering Guildhall School of Music Performance and Communication Skills course in 1988. Since then he has worked with the majority of the preeminent London and UK based Symphony and Chamber Orchestras (LSO, LPO, RPO, BBC SO, Halle, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, CLS, NYO, Britten Sinfonia), Contemporary Music Ensembles (London Sinfonietta), Opera Companies (ENO, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House), Arts Centres (South Bank Centre, Barbican, Sage Gateshead, Aldeburgh Young Musicians at Snape Maltings), Conservatoires (Guildhall, RCM, RNCM, Trinity) and International Festivals (BBC Proms, Huddersfield, Bath, Cheltenham, Lincoln, Lichfield, Dartington, London Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Salzburg, Abu Dhabi). He began teaching at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1989 at undergraduate, postgraduate and masters levels and was a cornerstone figure within the acclaimed ‘GSMDBarbican ‘Connect’ project. This Department was the recipient of the ‘Queens Award for Services to Higher Education’ in 2006. He is a tutor on the GSMD Masters in Leadership course, Masters and Postgraduate elective courses, Undergraduate elective modules and Continuing Professional Development Courses.

He is a highly skilled educational collaborator and has worked in partnership with a wide range of UK and international artists and ensembles from a broad cross section of music including Mark Anthony Turnage, Tan Dun, the Alim Qasimov Ensemble, Robert Glasper, Gretchen Parlato, Nitin Sawnhey, Jerry Dammers, Billy Ocean, Viktoria Mulova, Julian Joseph, Denys Baptiste, Shabaka Hutchings, Christian Lindberg, Tunde Jegede, Ensemble Moderne, Steve Martland, Jef Neve and the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra.

 

Tom Highnam 

Music Treehouse (Workshop Musician)

Tom Highnam is a Classical, Contemporary and Jazz percussionist based in London. He is currently in his fourth year as a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music studying Classical Percussion and Timpani. During this time Tom has explored many different areas of the classical world, from performing Baroque music to displaying brand new commissions. Here he has studied with some of the best percussionists in the UK, if not some of the best in the world, including Neil Percy, Simon Carrington, Bill Lockhart, Colin Currie, Eric Sammut, Joe Locke, Paul Clarvis and Dave Hassle to name a few. He has worked with many notorious conductors as well during this time, including Semyon Bychkov where he performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Oliver Knussen, Edward Gardiner, Ryan Wigglesworth and many more. Before joining the Royal Academy as a scholar, Tom was a specialist musician at Wells Cathedral School, A specialist music school in Somerset. He was given many opportunities whilst at the school, including appearing on the television twice, firstly for an ITV show called Born to Shine which saw him teach former royal correspondent Jenny Bond to play percussion, before performing live on the ITV show. The second television appearance was after gaining a place in the percussion category final of BBC Young Musician of the Year, where he performed a short recital for the competition. Alongside these great experiences, Tom also travelled abroad with the school. Firstly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he performed at the Petronas Philharmonic hall at the base of the Petronas towers. He also travelled to Budapest where he worked with renowned percussion group Amadinda as well as performing at the British Embassy. And finally he toured to Hong Kong where he performed alongside students from the Hong Kong Music Academy. Whilst abroad he also took part in and helped lead workshops in schools for both able and handicapped children, providing vital experience in a field he is now passionate about. Tom is now in his final year of study, so looking to the future he hopes to audition for orchestral graduate schemes, Contemporary ensembles, and looks to venture further into latin percussion.

 

Sophie Hooper

CYMH (Flute)

Sophie is a British flautist and a current MMus student at Royal Academy of Music, studying with Laura Jellicoe, Katherine Baker, and Patricia Morris. In 2019, she graduated from Royal Holloway University with a 1st class honours degree in music and was also deemed a winner of Royal Holloway’s Concerto Competition, where she performed Mozart’s Flute Concerto in D Major in December of that year. Through her avid interest in performing, she has been able to perform in countries across Europe both as a solo artist, and with multiple ensembles and orchestras. Previously, Sophie was an orchestral scholar for Royal Holloway’s Symphony and Chamber Orchestras and received a scholarship to attend ‘rarescale Summer School’ in 2019. While she has a strong interest in contemporary music, she also encompasses music from multiple eras with equal ardour and currently studies baroque flute with Lisa Beznosuik, and low flute with Carla Rees.

 

Rowan Jones

CYMH (Clarinet)

Rowan Jones is an award-winning London based clarinettist and music tutor with a wealth of orchestral, contemporary and chamber music performance experience. Her musical education began at the Walthamstow Music Service and continued through outreach projects led by Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning. She went on to study at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she was awarded the Principal’s Prize in 2017, the Clarinet Prize in 2016 and 2017 and was a finalist in the Lutine Prize. Rowan has graduated with a Master’s of Performance from the Royal College of Music in 2023 and a Bachelor of Music with First Class from the Royal Academy of Music in 2021 as a scholarship holder. Rowan is a recipient of the RCM Musician’s Grant Fund Instrumental Award 2023, St Marylebone Educational Foundation Grant and UMUK Sound Foundation Instrumental Award 2022/23. She has enjoyed performing with the English National Opera, Wild Arts’ opera run and tour of the Elixir of Love 2023 and recording with Shadwell Opera. Her versatile performance and instrumental skills have lead her to thrive in contemporary music settings too, having attained the 2023/24 clarinet place in the London Sinfonietta Academy and she has also recorded for Naxos. Rowan has also taught clarinet, piano, saxophone and music theory lessons privately and previously through London Music Centre for a number of years.

 

Julian Joseph

JJJA (Artistic Director)

Hailed as one of the finest pianists to emerge this side of the Atlantic, for over two decades Julian Joseph has been a towering figure in contemporary jazz. A prodigious composer and arranger, an admired and respected bandleader, an inspirational collaborator and educator, and a highly knowledgeable and engaging broadcaster he is, essentially, a true champion of the music. As well as four albums and a mass of original material for small band, Julian has written a number of large-scale works for big band and symphony orchestra, including The Great Sage for big band and strings premiered at the 2002 London Jazz Festival, Mountain of Hope, The Reverend: Back Home to Glory, A Ballade of Love, Guardian Angel, and an arrangement of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for big band, premiered at the 2003 City of London Festival. Two movements of a 5-movement suite for orchestra, Symphonic Story: The Great Exception, have been performed by the Halle and BBC Concert orchestras. In 2007 Julian toured his first jazz opera, Bridgetower: A Fable of 1807. His collaborations with HMDT Music include his opera for children, Shadowball (2010) his dance suite, The Brown Bomber (as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad) and Trench Brothers (2013), with composer Richard Taylor.

 

Thoms Kleyn

Music Treehouse (Workshop Musician)

Highly in demand multi-instrumentalist Thomas Kleyn has an exciting as well as varied musical career to date. Performing experience includes internationally touring and recording for Salsa/Jazz/African/Pop groups, competitions as a soloist, T.V and radio appearances, Musical Director for cruise ships and theatre work as well as performing with various UK Jazz and Soul groups. Thomas has been honoured to share the stage with some great musicians including: Ronan Rudnytsky [virtuoso classical pianist], Jason Rebello [pianist (Sting, Jeff Beck)], Tito Puente Jr.[Timbale (Salsa)], Derek Watkins [Jazz trumpeter (BBC Big Band)], Lucky Ranku [South African guitarist], Omar Puente [Cuban Violinist (Courtney Pine)], Wilson Manyoma [Colombian singer], 

 

Tony Kofi

JJJA (Coach)

Tony K_biogAfter studying at Berklee, in the 1990s, Tony worked with The Jazz Warriors and Nu Troop as well as appearing in the front line of innumerable high profile musicians and groups and composed original music for his 10 piece group the Afro Jazz Family. The Tony Kofi Quartet is dedicated to bringing the music and genius of jazz legend Thelonious Monk to new audiences and its 2004 Album features a selection of Monk’s work. Other work in this period includes the Anglo-American Big Band and the Rivbea Orchestra and forming The Tony Kofi Trio + 1. Instrumentalist winner of the BBC Jazz Awards and Ensemble winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, Tony is the first UK artist to work with the World Saxophone Quartet and also works with Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s Coltrane Configurations Quartet, EKAYA with Abduallah Ibrahim in South Africa and the Trio Standard Time. He is committed to education work, both teaching and leading workshops on a regular basis.

 

Kate Leigh

CYMH (Cello, Ensembles)

Kate Leigh_biogKate began studying the cello at the age of seven, and at the age of ten received a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department, where she was awarded the String Prize in her final year. She went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music under Paul Watkins and Josephine Knight, and graduated in 2004 with a first class honours degree. Kate is an experienced soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and has given recitals and workshops around England and across the world. Kate also loves jazz and pop music, and has her own Jazz trio. She has performed on the Parkinson show, Top of the Pops, CDUK and the X Factor, and has toured with Sir Elton John. She also works as a session musician and has performed on film soundtracks and commercial recordings. Kate is an experienced teacher with a long waiting list for private students. She was cello coach for the Bedfordshire Youth Training Orchestra for several years, and currently teaches cello and musicianship for the Milton Keynes Music Service as well as her work at CYMH.

 

Martyn Lewington

CYMH (Brass, Ensembles)

ML_biogMartyn Lewington’s musical career began, possibly, too early in life, since his mother’s assistance was required initially to enable him to support the trumpet. Once able to hold it unaided, he went on to gain a place at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 1987. His subsequent career has been diverse – performing at venues ranging from the Sydney Opera House to the back of a lorry and playing before the Queen and behind a donkey! Martyn has worked at The Saturday Programme since 1999.

 

 

Imogen Morrall

CYMH, Music Treehouse (Flute, Recorder, Early Years)

Imogen is an English/American flutist who completed her studies at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating in 2018 with a distinction. She has been teaching the flute, recorder, and piano for over four years and has worked with students of all ages and abilities. Imogen firmly believes that teaching is a collaboration between the teacher and student, and that the pair must work together to improve and progress as a musician. Imogen regularly enters students into music exams, and has prepared students for ABRSM exams, as well as competitions, recitals, and other performances. Imogen graduated with a Master of Arts in Flute Performances from the Royal Academy of Music in 2018, and has been freelancing and teaching around London ever since. In 2019, Imogen received a fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music to work on creative learning and participation projects in schools, hospitals, and care homes across London. She is incredibly passionate about providing musical opportunities to people who might not get regular exposure to classical music. Recent performances have included a summer tour across the east coast of America with her chamber group, “In Tandem”, and performances of Oliver Knussen’s “Where the Wild Things Are” at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and The Alexandra Palace Theatre in London. Imogen also regularly gives solo recitals in churches and care homes across London.

 

Riccardo Mura

CYMH (Guitars, Ensembles)

Riccardo is a guitar teacher/session musician based in London.He very passionate about my job and, beside being a musician, really loves and enjoys the educational side of Music. He has over 10 years of experience as a Guitar Teacher and currently works for a London-based music agency and with some online teaching platforms. As an active session musician, he is currently playing a music residency at the famousHard Rock Hotel in London.
Riccardo always strives to share his passion, knowledge and love for Music and the Guitar, and aims to inspire student in their music making.

 

Izabela Musial

CYMH (Bassoon)

Izabela was born and raised in Poland, where she began playing bassoon at the age of 12. She completed her BMus (2012) and MMus (2014) studies before moving to London to continue with Postgraduate Diploma (2014-16) at the Royal College of Music and studying with Andrea de Flammineis, Sarah Burnett and Martin Gatt. In 2018 Izabela took part in Southbank Sinfonia fellowship, which focuses on various aspects of being a musician: performing, educational work, experimenting with the music. Since graduation from RCM Izabela enjoys her freelance career, trialing and working with orchestras such as BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House,Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Philharmonia, Britten Sinfonia. In 2018 Izabela was awarded Royal Philharmonic Society Allianz Instrumentalist Prize, focusing on endangered instruments and advocating for them. Her education work includes working with Philharmonia Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia Academy, Family Concerts with Southbank Sinfonia, mentoring London state school children, mentoring In Harmony Lambeth participants in side-by-side projects and also private teaching across London.

 

Joana Rodrigues

CYMH (Violin, Ensembles)

 Joana Rodrigues started her musical studies at the age of 8 in Conservatório Regional de Setúbal, where she studied with António Figueiredo until her graduation with distinction in 2017. In 2021, Joana completed her undergraduate degree in Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD), where she studied with Simon Fischer. Joana is currently doing her MMus degree in Performance (Orchestral Artistry) in GSMD with Stephanie Gonley and Ofer Falk. Joana has also been learning baroque violin with Pavlo Beznosiuk for 3 years. Joana is an extra player with Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa (OSP) and frequently plays with other orchestras, such as Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa (OCP), Orquestra XXI, Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa. Joana has played under the baton of Semyon Bychkov, Roberto Gonzalez-Monjas, Vassily Sinaisky and has worked with acclaimed musicians, such as Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay, Robert Levin, Levon Chilingirian. Joana won the 1st prize in the Montijo National Competition in 2016 and has been awarded scholarships and bursaries from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Orquestra Sinfónica Juvenil (OSJ), Gestão dos Direitos dos Artistas (GDA) and Jovem Orquestra Portuguesa. Joana enjoys a freelance career in teaching, chamber music and orchestral playing. 

 

Livio Salvi

ICS! (Dance Coach and Choreographer)

Originally from Bergamo (Italy), Livio has been working internationally as a performer, choreographer and performing arts teacher since the age of 16. Credits as a performer include: West Side Story, Cats, Sound of Music, The animal FarmTelevision: CD UK, Top Of The Pops, MTV, Regis and KellyConcerts: Trieste Operetta Festival, Hyde Park Summer festival; Films Florence Foster Jenkins and the independent movie Sycamore. He was part of the pop group A.T.C. – A Touch of Class – (BMG Berlin GmbH), attaining 9 Gold records and 3 Platinum. He has also worked as choreographer on feature films : ‘Walking on sunshine, Man Up . International theatre shows: La fattoria degli animali , (theatre Sistina, Italy) – ‘Wella fashion show’ , (Perugia, Italy),  –Everymen for herself ,(Courtyard theatre, London) – Divinely Betty (Camden Fringe Festival London) and  for  commercials and live events (Cuervo Bar, PBL jewels, Hyde Park Summer Festival, LalaLand Grosvenor square flashmob). He is the artistic director of THAT REALLY COOL COMPANY (www.thatreallycool.com), a creative hub for entartainment & events and in his spare time he enjoys performing with his swing,pop and jazz band, Demodé Trio (www.demodetrio.com)

 

Lucía Sánchez de Haro

CYMH (Piano, Accompanist)

Born in Spain, she began her musical training aged seven. In 2007, she moved to San Sebastián to work with pianist Ricardo Requejo at the Higher School of Music ‘Musikene’, where she obtained the Higher Diploma in Music. At the same time, she specialised in chamber music with Irini Gaitani. In 2012, she moved to London to pursue a postgraduate degree. In October 2014, she graduated with a Master of Performance (piano) from the Guidhall School of Music & Drama, where she studied with teachers Peter Bithell and Noriko Ogawa with the support of the Guildhall School Trust and the Leverhulme Trust. She has performed in Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom at venues including Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Royal Festival Hall and Milton Court Concert Hall. She has developed her music career as a soloist as well as chamber musician. She has collaborated with different instrumentalists and she works regularly as a duo with violinist Tomer Marcus and with cellist Felicity Smith. She has also explored the music theatre world working with Theatre Alibi and has collaborated as a répétiteur with Bloomsbury Opera. Lucía was chosen as a Concordia Foundation Artist in 2015. She won the piano place for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Foyle Future Firsts Development Programme 2015/16. She has been selected, as part of the Duo 234 Strings with Felicity Smith, as resident ensemble to take part in the Chamber Tots Concerts at Wigmore Hall during 2017/18.

 

Vahan Salorian

CYMH (Early Years, Choirs, Orchestra, Ensembles)

Vahan studied Classical Composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with second study flute, graduating in 2015. During this time, he was composer-in-residence for the Norwich Centre for Young Musicians as part of the CYM’s outreach program and continues to be a passionate music educator- having worked for the pioneering Every Child a Musician program in Newham and as a tutor with Hackney Music Service and HMDT Music.

Often working in music for stage, Vahan’s first opera, Boys of Paradise, received a British New Music Theatre nomination and his second, Goldilocks and the Three Little Pigs, received rave reviews when it premiered in February 2018, including 4 stars in The Observer. His work has been performed in venues as diverse as the Barbican, The Copeland Gallery, The Royal Institute of Psychologists and the National Flute Association Convention in the USA.
Alongside performance artist Bryony Kimmings, he created an opera for the documentary Opera Mums, which premiered on BBC4 in September 2020. He created work for the RPS award winning mini opera series Episodes during lockdown and current commissions include a full-length musical for the large-scale City of London community event, The Becket Pageant for London, a new reorchestration of Kurt Weill’s The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken for GSMD, a multi-media operatic retelling of Beauty and The Beast for The Opera Story (shortlisted for the Fedora Prize) and a commission from Battersea Arts Centre for their 2023 season.

 

Sylvia Saunders

Music Treehouse (Music Therapy)

Sylvia trained as a music therapist at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama after studying jazz piano at Chichester College and English at Sussex University. As well as working for Music Therapy Tree, Sylvia works in Dementia Care settings as a part of GSMD Music Therapy Outreach. Sylvia has experience working with people from mainstream schools, and with ASD, ADHD, PMLD, complex needs, adult mental health, dementia, and Alzheimers. Outside Music therapy, Sylvia performs in the UK and Europe as a musician and is involved in arts and music community workshops and projects.  

 

Tertia Sefton-Green

The Music Box, ICS! (HMDT Music Creative Director)

Following an English Degree from Selwyn College, Cambridge Tertia studied singing at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Northern College of Music and went on to work with amongst others, Glyndebourne Opera and Opera North. In 1997 she received a Winston Churchill Fellowship to research Opera Education in the United States, and on her return wrote education materials for the major opera houses and worked on the Rose Bruford Opera Degree Course. Tertia was Executive Producer for the Covent Garden Festival’s Creation Day 2000, and the following year, set up and ran the prolific Education Department at the Handel House Museum. Specialising in using the arts to develop cross-curricular learning, Tertia’s work as Creative Director for HMDT includes developing and managing large-scale projects such as The Brown Bomber, the highly acclaimed primary school opera projects I Can Sing! The Hackney Chronicles, The World Was All Before Them, and Shadowball, and the RPS Award-winning projects, On London Fields (2004) and Confucius Says (2008). Tertia was Artistic Director and librettist for Hear Our Voice, about the Holocaust, which toured to Nürnberg and Prague in 2006 and our First World War project Trench Brothers. She has led The Music Box under 5s programme since 2007.

 

Vilhelms Patriks Skabardis

CYMH (Percussion, Ensembles)

Vilhelms Patriks Skabardis is an accomplished solo, chamber and orchestral percussion player. Originally from Latvia, now a UK resident for 8 years Vilhelms has performed multitude concerts and taken part in various festivals. Having won several prizes at the international music competitions – Fermo (1st prize) , such as the Nutcracker(Russia), Pendim (Bulgaria) , Olympo Musicale (1st prize, Lithuania) , National Latvian Percussion competition, two Southern Percussion prizes(1st prizes, UK) – Vilhelms got an opporutnity to perform in Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Russia, Italy, UK and the Netherlands. An RCM graduate and current Master of Performance in Marimba – Vilhelms has studied under tutelage of David Hockings, Daniella Ganeva, Callum Huggan, Marta Klimasara, She-e Wu amongst others. In addition to solo and orchestral performances Vilhelms is also an experienced percussion, drum kit, piano and musical theory teacher with years of experience co-leading and leading musical workshops and group activities.

 

Gavin Stewart

HMDT Music (Senior Manager)

Gavin holds both BMus (Hons) and MMus degrees from Royal Holloway, University of London where he focussed his studies on contemporary flute performance, composition, and the intersection of traditional Japanese music and Western Art Music. He is currently working towards completing his PhD, also at Royal Holloway, which retranslates traditional Japanese Shakuhachi techniques onto the Kingma System Flute. His research includes the organisation of a large commissioning project, Retranslated, which comprises works from eight composers across three continents for solo flautist and electronics. These studies have led him to work with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and the International Contemporary Ensemble on their respective young artist schemes. Gavin has a wide range of experience as an educator and has taught music across a range of learning environments from beginner to advanced flute and piano, through the secondary and further education classroom, and up to undergraduate level. Co-opted in 2020, Gavin is currently the interim chair of the British Flute Society where he leads on organising the direction of the charity and developing live events for members. As HMDT Music’s Senior Manager, Gavin manages The Saturday Programme and supports in the delivery of other HMDT Music projects.

 

Abby Swain

HMDT Music (Projects and Marketing Coordinator)

Abby holds both a BA (Hons) Music degree and a MA degree in Audiences, Engagement, Participation from the University of Leeds, where her studies focused on the accessibility of musical theatre and the value of the arts in education from the perspective of university students. Alongside working with HMDT Music, she is also a freelance photographer, specialising in photographing theatre, live music, and a range of other events, having worked with organisations such as Leeds Playhouse and Opera North. As HMDT Music’s Projects and Marketing Coordinator, Abby works alongside Tertia Sefton-Green and Gavin Stewart in assisting in the management of projects, maintaining relationships with partners and developing the long-term vision for HMDT Music’s work.

 

Alexander Thomas-French

CYMH (Jazz Blues, Jazz Orchestra)

JJJA (Jazz Essentials Coach & Programme Manager)

A FrenchAlex received first class honours after studying music at the University of Hull. During this time he was president and music director of the University Big Band, conducted the jazz choir and was music director for a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. He specialised in classical and jazz music history, conducting, arranging, performance, and wrote his dissertation on the symbiotic relationship between jazz and classical music. In this time he also founded the eight piece functions band The Jazz Stallions. At the end of his studies he was awarded the University of Hull, Faculty of Arts Special Prize in Music. Since university, Alex has worked as a Barbican ambassador, and volunteered with Spitalfields Music (where he is currently involved with their core music leader training). Alex joined HMDT Music in October 2011 as the Projects Assistant Intern. He has been the Saturday Programme Assistant and a Saturday Programme tutor. Alex is now CYMH Jazz Coach responsible for the Jazz Blues and Jazz Orchestra, and for JJJA he is the Essentials coach and serves as the Programme Manager.

 

Trevor Watkis

JJJA (Associate Music Director)

Trevor Watkis _biogFollowing study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Trevor has worked as a respected pianist, band leader and composer and educator, working with renowned artists from both the UK and USA (Courtney Pine, Jean Toussaint, Cleveland Watkiss, Ernest Ranglin, Gary Bartz, Kenny Garrett, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Henderson, Betty Carter, Clifford Jarvis), and was one of the founding members of Tomorrow’s Warriors and Nu Troop. He has appeared at most of London’s prestigious concert halls and jazz venues including The Southbank Centre The Barbican, Jazz Café, Ronnie Scott’s, The 606 Club and the Vortex.Work on the international music scene includes performing in the USA, Japan, Oman,Turkey, Caribbean, and across Europe. His debut solo album, Straight Ahead…Ride For Tone! recorded in New York, features mainly new original music written by Trevor, received rave reviews by the UK and US press. The recording also features a lineup of some of New York’s greatest musicians: Steve Wilson, Darren Barrett, Reuben Rogers and Lewis Nash.

 

Simon Wilsher

Saturday Programme Assistant

Simon Wilsher portraitSimon began his musical career as a chorister in the Chesterfield parish church choir, before studying piano with Michael John Baker. He soon became interested in composition and in 2010 he graduated with a first class honours degree in music composition from Middlesex University. Since graduating, Simon has worked at the Hampstead Youth Music Centre and as a freelance pianist and music teacher. 

 

 

Tim Yealland

Music Treehouse (Workshop Leader)

As a singer and actor Tim performed principal roles for English National Opera, Opera Factory, English Touring Opera, Chichester Festival and Opera North. He has written and directed participatory projects for almost all the UK leading opera companies and orchestras. For English Touring Opera he has written the words for and directed many operas for young audiences, including In the Belly of the Horse, Different, This Is My Bed and, with composer Russell Hepplewhite, Shackleton’s Cat, Borka, and the award-winning Laika the Spacedog. With Woo Music he created Waxwings (revived in 2019), one of many such operas for audiences with autistic spectrum disorders. He has written a number of large-scale community operas, including One Day, Two Dawns in Cornwall (winner Royal Philharmonic Society Award), Under the Hammerbeam Roof for Hampton Court, A House on the Moon and Zeppelin Dreams for the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. For the Casa da Musica in Porto he has devised Border Control, Icarus, Spirit Level, Curado, Gulag, and in 2018 Montanha. Each of these productions featured large mixed ability casts of professional and non-professional musicians, actors and dancers. He has been involved for the last 10 years with Turtle Song, a project for people living with dementia.


 

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