Staff A-Z

Joe is Head of the BA Music Performance and Industry, and the Head of CoLab at Trinity Laban He also leads the ground-breaking artist development work that prepares students for sustainable careers in the music industry. Initially a self-taught musician in the punk era, he later trained in Jazz on the violin at the Guildhall in the 1980s and then at Community Music with John Stevens, using improvisation as a tool for social change.

Violinist Lana Trotovšek has won admiration for her expressive playing and unique musicality. The Washington Post has described her as ‘Radiant’ and praised her ‘clean, refined tone with musical sense of phrasing and impeccable intonation’. She has captivated audiences with her ‘warm sound and formidable technique’ (La Vanguardia) and her talent of bringing ‘freshness, depth and insight’ (Broad Street Review) to her interpretations.

Praised for his ‘“astonishing technical facility” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Massachusetts), “engaging self-assurance” (The Washington Post) and “extraordinary calculation and tonal refinement” (The Irish Times), Peter Tuite has garnered international acclaim for his recital and concerto appearances throughout the world. From acclaimed performances of Beethoven Concertos to his joint traversal of the complete fifty-two Sonatas for Keyboard by Joseph Haydn, his engagement with the music of the 18th century in particular has been widely praised.

Described by The Independent as “a worthy champion” of contemporary oboe music, James has dedicated much of his performing life to promoting and extending the oboe repertoire. James has performed frequently throughout the UK and Europe, including solo recitals at the Wigmore Hall and live on BBC Radio 3.

Christopher Underwood’s Professorship at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland reflects his seventeen years there as Head of Vocal Studies and his career-long specialism in the study and performance of Mélodies Françaises. His studies in Paris with Pierre Bernac and Camille Maurane and in Switzerland with Hugues Cuenod, followed his previous appointment as Assistant Head of Vocal studies at the RNCM and his being awarded the Prix Mélodies Françaises at the Concours International de Paris. Further successes in the English Song Award, and the prestigious singing competition at Snape Maltings, led to a busy performing career throughout Europe. This took him to the Albert Hall, The Wigmore Hall, the Festival Halls and the Cheltenham Festival. He toured Italy with the Tölzerknabenchor and in France gave a recital in the Salon of the Princesse de Polignac and performed Fauré’s Chansons de Venise for Prince Louis de Polignac in his Chapel in Brittany.

Lilli Unwin is a singer & songwriter producing multi-genre music which fuses jazz, folk & pop amongst many others. Her EP ‘it may not always be so’ was described as “a beautiful collection of songs featuring a wide array of styles and soaring melodies that stay with you long after each listen” and Lilli “…a refreshingly authentic, tender, and fearless songwriter…” by Grammy-nominated US artist Becca Stevens.

American violist Stephen Upshaw regularly appears as a soloist and chamber musician in festivals around the world including the BBC Proms, Cheltenham, Aldeburgh, Lucerne, Huddersfield, Aix-en-Provence, Wien Modern and the Salzburg Chamber Music Festival.

Bulgarian violinist and conductor Vasko Vassilev is Concert Master of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. He joined the Orchestra as Concert Master in 1993, the first person to hold the position.

Vassilev was born in Sofia and first began studying the violin aged five. He trained at the Moscow Conservatory, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal College of Music. He was appointed super soloist at the Lyon Opera House aged 21 and appointed Concert Master at the Royal Opera house aged 23. In 2005 he made his British conducting debut at the Royal Albert Hall, and was appointed Creative Producer of the Royal Opera House. He is Artistic Director of Trittico, for which he produces and performs both traditional and contemporary repertory with numerous artists, groups and orchestras. He is also Artistic Director of the Soloists of Covent Garden, London Chamber Orchestra and Laureate, an orchestra he founded made up exclusively of international prize-winners.

Vassilev’s wide discography includes, with Laureate, Total Immersion and Virtuoso Vivaldi; with Covent Garden Soloists, Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet and Andersen’s Fairytales; with Vanessa Mae The Original Four Seasons; and Voodoo Violin and Viva Vivaldi.

Singer/songwriter/pianist Paola Vera is a highly sought after and experienced performer, composer, musical educator, and vocal coach. She first started singing and playing the piano at the age of 13, later going on to continue her musical education at Trinity College of Music and then went onto graduate with Distinction in her Masters degree from The Royal Academy of Music after receiving the Elton John Scholarship.

Pianist and composer Andrea Vicari was born in Miami (Florida) and grew up in Birmingham (England). Educated at Cardiff University (Bmus(Hons) PGCE) she won a scholarship to study at The Guildhall School of Music in London. Andrea has to date eight albums in her own name and two musicals; and has contributed to others such as ‘Round Trip’ and “East and West’ with Jazz Extempore plus ‘The Vortex Foundation Big Band’; Claude Deppa and Trudy Kerr. She played a successful season at London’s ‘Bass Clef’ club with the late US sax innovator, Eddie Harris and gigged with US trumpet legend Art Farmer.

Bozidar Vukotic is the founder member of the Tippett Quartet, with whom he performs regularly at Kings Place, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, on BBC Radio 3 as well as playing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Opera House, Bridgewater Hall, The Sage Gateshead and at the BBC Proms. He has recorded extensively, to much critical acclaim, for EMI Classics, Decca, Naxos, Vivat, Signum, Guild, Dutton Epoque, Somm, Boosey & Hawkes, Classic FM Records and Peter Gabriel’s ‘Real World’ Records, covering a diverse repertoire of Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky through to the complete quartets of Tippett, Górecki, Lutosławski, Penderecki, Rózsa and Bernard Herrmann.

Bozidar Vukotic is the founder member of the Tippett Quartet, with whom he performs regularly at Kings Place, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, on BBC Radio 3 as well as playing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Opera House, Bridgewater Hall, The Sage Gateshead and at the BBC Proms. He has recorded extensively, to much critical acclaim, for EMI Classics, Decca, Naxos, Vivat, Signum, Guild, Dutton Epoque, Somm, Boosey & Hawkes, Classic FM Records and Peter Gabriel’s ‘Real World’ Records, covering a diverse repertoire of Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky through to the complete quartets of Tippett, Górecki, Lutosławski, Penderecki, Rózsa and Bernard Herrmann.

Alexander Walker is a regular guest conductor with orchestras throughout the world. In the UK, he has conducted the BBC Philharmonic (broadcasting on BBC Radio 3), City of London Sinfonia, the New Queens Hall Orchestra and recently made his debut with the English Chamber Orchestra at London’s Cadogan Hall. In recent years, he also developed a relationship with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting them both in the recording studio and the concert hall, including the prestigious Elgar Birthday concert in Malvern. This year, he was awarded the Elgar Society awarded him their highest honour, the Elgar Medal.

His engagements internationally have included concerts with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, Russian Philharmonic, Belgrade Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra New Russia (Music Director Yuri Bashmet), George Enescu Philharmonic, Bucharest and North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted most of Poland’s major orchestras and works regularly with a number of orchestras in Finland, Denmark, the Balkans and elsewhere.

Byron Wallen (b. 1969) was raised in a musical family and as a child studied classical piano, euphonium, trumpet, flute, and drums. In the mid 1980’s the trumpet became Wallen’s primary instrument of choice. Wallen’s first major work, Tarot Suite (1994), was inspired by a love of mythology and symbolism, which reflected the archetypal journey of human life through an interdisciplinary pan-continental approach.

Byron Wallen (b. 1969) was raised in a musical family and as a child studied classical piano, euphonium, trumpet, flute, and drums. In the mid 1980’s the trumpet became Wallen’s primary instrument of choice. Wallen’s first major work, Tarot Suite (1994), was inspired by a love of mythology and symbolism, which reflected the archetypal journey of human life through an interdisciplinary pan-continental approach.

Errollyn Wallen CBE is a multi award-winning Belize-born British composer named as one of the world’s top twenty most performed living classical composers.