Staff A-Z

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.

Raphael Wallfisch is one of the most celebrated cellists performing on the international stage. He was born in London into a family of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and his father the pianist Peter Wallfisch.

At an early age, Raphael was greatly inspired by hearing Zara Nelsova play, and, guided by a succession of fine teachers including Amaryllis Fleming, Amadeo Baldovino and Derek Simpson, it became apparent that the cello was to be his life’s work. While studying with the great Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in California, he was chosen to perform chamber music with Jascha Heifetz in the informal recitals that Piatigorsky held at his home.

Tom Walsh, b. 1991,  graduated from the Royal Academy of Music’s Jazz Course in 2013, and since then has gone on to work with artists such as Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau & Randy Brecker. Tom has played with some of the premier large ensembles and orchestras in Europe, including WDR Big Band, BBC Big Band, Philharmonia Orchestra and the English National Ballet Orchestra. Alongside his role of Professor of Trumpet at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Trinity College of Music, he is an active session musician and arranger, having recorded on over 1000 tracks from his home studio.

Benjamin graduated from London Studio Centre in 2009 with a First Class BA Hons Degree in Theatre Dance. He has spent the most part of his career with Michael Clark Company, with whom he has performed extensively across Europe, Australia, and America (as well as in all seasons at the Barbican, London) in, come, been, and gone, animal/vegetable/mineral, and to a simple, rock n roll.. song since their creation. He still performs with the company on a seasonal basis.

Renowned as one of the top British jazz trumpet players both at home and on the international scene, Steve began his career while studying at Trinity College of Music, playing with the European Community Jazz Orchestra and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Since then, he has worked regularly on the British and European jazz scene with John Surman, Andy Sheppard, Tony Coe, Carla Bley, Don Weller and many others.

Cleveland was born in Hackney, East London to a Jamaican family. At age 16, he won twice in a local singing talent competition, hosted by “FatMan” of FatMan Sound System (North East London Based Roots, Reggae & Dub Sound System). Later he studied music at the London School of Singing and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama thereafter. He was taught by the most respected coaches in the industry.

He has worked closely and performed together with the diverse range of artists across the world, including Stevie Wonder, The Who, Richard Spaven Trio, Louis Moholo, Bobby McFerrin, Goldie, Björk, Talvin Singh, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Abdullah Ibrahim, Shabaka And The Ancestors, Nigel Kennedy, George Martin, Black Top, William Parker & Hamid Drake, Branford & Wynton Marsalis +JALC, London Community Gospel Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra and many others.

Steve Watts has been playing jazz on the British scene for over 25 years, during which time he has worked with many musicians of international stature, incuding: Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Julian Arguelles, Kenny Wheeler, Stan Sulzman, Jim Mullen, Joe Lovano, Kirk Lightsey, Richard Rodney Bennett and many more. He is a member of the influential Loose Tubes jazz orchestra and “The Printmakers “- a band featuring Norma Winstone, Nikki Iles and Mike Walker. He has made numerous broadcasts for radio and television and has recorded widely.  Live work has taken him all over the world and his playing can be heard on the soundtracks of many films.

He is a committed educator and currently teaches at Trinity Laban and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has previously taught at the Royal Academy of Music and for the National Youth Jazz Collective as well as teaching and leading workshops in schools across the country.

Robert is an internationally experienced arts educationalist. He has worked across a broad range of formal and non-formal settings: primary schools to higher education, dementia centres to prisons, even leading arts education across an entire country. Some of the UK’s most respected ensembles, orchestras and venues (Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Brodsky Quartet) have used him as a leader or advisor for their education projects.

Chris West is one of the few double bass players in the country to have reached the highest levels both as a soloist/chamber musician as well as in chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, opera and film & TV sessions. This breadth of experience enables him to help students achieve their goals in whichever area of the profession they lie. His book Reaching The Heights – A Guide To Thumb Position on the Double Bass has been described as ‘an important contribution to the Double Bass technique repertoire’.

For over thirty years, Chris has appeared regularly as guest principal with many major UK orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Academy of St.Martin-in-the-fields and Britten Sinfonia and he can be heard on iconic soundtracks such as Downton Abbey, and Harry Potter films. His chamber music recordings have appeared on the RCA/BMG, Hyperion, Naxos and Somm labels.

Paul joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra at 16, and studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with James Merritt (principal bass, London Philharmonic Orchestra), and at the Royal Academy of Music with John Dankworth and Graham Collier.

Born in London but brought up in Kent, Philip started playing the trombone aged 8. At 13 he became a founder member of the National Children’s Orchestra and at 14 entered the junior department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Here he studied with Leon Taylor and two years later won the coveted brass prize. Upon leaving school, Philip went to the Royal College of Music, where he spent four years studying with John Iveson and Arthur Wilson. He graduated with a GRM Hons degree and a ARCM performing diploma.

Mary Wiegold is known for her committed performances of new music and has given over two hundred premieres. She has had many works written for her and in 1989 she started collecting a songbook of works by composers ranging from Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Milton Babbitt to Elvis Costello and Keith Tippett. She has sung in the festivals at Aldeburgh, the Almeida, Bratislava, Brighton, Cheltenham, Glasgow Musica Nova, Huddersfield, Montepulciano and many others.

Since 1990 Sioned Williams has combined her position as Principal Harpist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra with recitals, concertos, broadcasting, recording, researching and teaching both in the UK and abroad. As a soloist, Sioned has performed all the major concertos, as well as more unusual repertoire in major concert halls, on radio live and television, with orchestras such as the City of London Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra.