Andrew was born in Kenya, educated in Zimbabwe and, when he had played the violin for three years, won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. He studied with Antonio Brosa, Sylvia Rosenberg and subsequently with Sascha Lasserson. He studied composition with Alan Ridout.
Andrew has led the Mercury Ensemble for Ballet Rambert and played in multiple London and Scottish orchestras. His solo performances range from the Wigmore Hall to East Europe, USA and Africa. Many composers have written works for him.
Andrew is in demand as a conductor and has worked with orchestras from the strings of the CBSO to the Brighton Youth Orchestras Trust, where he is the Director. He is Principal Conductor for the Musicians of All Saints and European Youth Summer Music. He is Director of the University of Brighton Choirs and Conductor of the Somerset County Youth Orchestra.
Andrew is a Professor of Violin at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London.
Steve is a conductor, clarinettist, educator and all-round enthusiast for participation in music making at every level. Founder and Director of Stane Street Sinfonietta, a professional orchestra for players in South East England; Musical Director of Kidenza, a professional orchestra giving concerts for children around the UK; founder and director of Talkestra, reaching new audiences for concert music; conductor of the Horsham Symphony Orchestra “one of the best community orchestras”, he is also a regular tutor and conductor at Dartington International Summer School.
Heavily involved in education work in the UK and abroad, Steve runs courses and workshops for schools and adults in performance and composition. Conductor of Ensemble Reza’s Community Orchestra, he has worked at the Sri Lanka Youth Summer Camp and takes regular trips to conduct the Nairobi Orchestra. As a clarinettist, he gives regular recitals and concerts throughout the UK and abroad and records for TV and film. A member of Juan Martin’s Flamenco Group featuring on ‘Musica Alhambra’, a founder member of the zany jazz band Itchy Feet, he now plays piano, clarinet, saxophone, melodica, rubber bread stick and composes and performs balloon modelling for the great Speakeasy Revival Orchestra.
Dan is a cellist, conductor and educator whose musical career has taken him from Brighton to Bangalore.
As a cellist Dan has performed commercially on BBC radio, Classic FM and ITV in musical settings ranging from full orchestra to cello quartet. Alongside this he has worked on a number of West End productions and recorded for Linn Records.
The recipient of the George Hurst Conducting Prize from the Blackheath Conservatoire, Dan has worked with orchestras from both the UK and abroad. He began his conducting studies under Andrew Morley, later working with Sian Edwards, Denise Ham and Colin Metters.
Dan teaches cello and directs ensembles at Junior Trinity and Eltham College. As a mentor he works with students on the joint Music Masters and Birmingham University PGCEi for instrumental teaching. The former Head of Strings at Highgate School, he is currently also Director of Music at West Lodge Prep School.
Catherine is a founder member of the Bridge String Quartet, established for nearly 30 years as one of Britain’s foremost quartets. They have recorded over a dozen CDs and regularly receive five-star ratings. They are currently the quartet for the EMR label. As Kirckman Concert Award winners the quartet performed for 3 consecutive seasons on London’s South Bank and subsequently at the Wigmore Hall. They have toured throughout Europe and further afield in Kenya and USA as ambassadors of English music in many festivals, and have played live on European stations and for BBC Radio 3.
Catherine has developed long associations with the English Chamber Orchestra and Glyndebourne Touring Opera in her freelance career. More recently, she has worked with English Touring Opera which she also co-leads. She is a regular player in Primavera and is part of their elite Octet group. Catherine was recently appointed leader of Kew Sinfonia, a fine amateur chamber orchestra.
Charlie enjoys a varied career as a freelance violinist, ranging from regular performances with orchestras such as English Touring Opera and English National Ballet to improvising with the storytelling company ‘Everyday Magic’, where she is resident violinist. She has played in shows in the West End and National Theatre and leads the Symposia String Quartet.
Charlie is committed to working with young people and, as well as her work at EYSM since 2005, she coaches two string ensembles weekly and is the Violin Tutor for Haringey Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. Charlie is a qualified practitioner of the Alexander Technique. She holds positions at Junior Trinity, Tonbridge School and Sevenoaks School.
Michael completed the Joint Course at the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University and subsequently joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Other major orchestras for whom Michael has also played worldwide include the Philharmonia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal National Orchestra of Wales, Welsh National and Glyndebourne Touring Opera companies and chamber orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, London Primavera and City of London Sinfonia. Michael also has played principal viola for Sinfonia Viva and English National Ballet.
Sam was born into a musical environment and took up the ‘cello at the age of five. He studied with David Kenedy and Natalia Pavlutskaya, winning the ‘John Barbirolli Memorial Prize for ‘Cello’ at the Trinity College of Music. On hearing Sam perform in a chamber music competition, Siegmund Nissel of the Amadeus Quartet described him as ‘an excellent ‘cellist who provides the ensemble with harmonic logic and rhythmic energy!
As a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra of Switzerland for several years Sam had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Mischa Maisky, Maxim Vengerov and Gautier Capuçon. He was a member of the Southbank Sinfonia, and in 2008 moved to Chile to become Co-Principal ‘Cellist in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago.
He has taught dozens of students over the years in one of Chile’s most successful youth music programmes as well as performing as soloist, chamber musician and electric ‘cellist in a rock band.
Claire was a member of EYSM and of the National Children’s and National Youth Orchestras and is now delighted to be a tutor for EYSM. Claire studied at the Royal Academy of Music and freelanced in London for five years playing with all major London orchestras such as LSO, BBC Symphony Orchestra and many chamber groups such as London Chamber Ensemble.
Claire has also been fortunate enough to record and play along side many stars in all genres such as Elton John, Alesha Dixon and Alison Balsom (trumpet). Claire has also developed a session and West End career, playing at the London Palladium and recording at the famous Abbey Road studios
In 2009, Claire became a member of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales where she has since toured in Asia, America and Europe with many prestigious conductors and soloists. Whilst based in Somerset, Claire has continued to further her freelance career alongside building up teaching both privately and in schools.
Susan Torke grew up in East Aurora, New York and started playing the flute at the age of 10. She attended Interlochen National Music Camp and was a scholarship winner to the Chautauqua Institute. Susan has studied with Julius Baker, John Wion, Sam Baron, and Judith Mendenhall and was a Leverhulme Scholar at the Royal Academy of Music,studying with William Bennett, where she won the All Flutes Plus Flute Prize and all the prizes for chamber music with her wind quintet.
For the past 25 years, London has been Susan’s home and she has performed with the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Opera and Royal Birmingham Ballet Orchestras. Also, Camber Orchestra of Europe, London Bach Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Ballet Rampart, English Classical Players, Northern Ballet, National Symphony Orchestra and Cantiere International d’Arte – Montepulciano. She has performed in over 15 West End Shows and recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, BBC Radio and TV and is in demand as a chamber musician travelling in Europe and the Far East. She has performed all the Brandenburg Concerti in Japan, with the Emerson String Quartet and with Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now scheme for 15 years. She has recently been working on a project with the Australian composer, John Carmichael.
Susan has taught students from the age of 7-70 privately at home, in a local state school, at a private school and at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. She has been made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for her services to music and is on the Council for the British Flute Society.
Clare Hoskins was a Choral Exhibitioner at Trinity College, Cambridge, who trained and worked as a primary school teacher, leaving teaching to become a postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music. She has worked extensively as a freelance player, including many years with Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Garsington Opera and the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with English National Opera, the Royal Opera House and City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC Concert and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, the City of London Sinfonia and London Mozart Players.
Clare teaches for Camden and Haringey Music Services and takes part in music workshops and outreach projects for orchestras, and for Create Arts, a charity which aims to transform the lives of disadvantaged people through the creative arts.
George is a London based freelance clarinet and bass clarinet player and teacher. Since gaining a Masters degree with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music George has performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Paraorchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Notes Inégales, Brandenburg Sinfonia and for thousands of young audience members every year with Kidenza Orchestra.
He regularly records music for TV, adverts and the theatre and has released two critically acclaimed albums of original music with his group iyatraQuartet, with music rooted in ancient melodies and folk tales. George has taught on many music courses and summer schools, including at Benslow Music, is clarinet teacher at London’s City Lit and conducts Palace Band and the Surbiton Royal British Legion Youth Marching Band.
Don studied the Bassoon with Gareth Newman and became a member of the Royal Marines Band Service. He was Principal Bassoon for much of his 32-year tenure, performing for many important occasions including the handover of Hong Kong, major sporting events and private dinners for the Royal Family and HM Government. He also spent time as the Bassoon Instructor at the Royal Marines School of Music.
Don is currently the Conductor of Symphony Orchestra, Classroom and Bassoon teacher at St Catherine’s School. He is also the Conductor for Brass Roots at Southampton Music Service, where he also teaches all woodwind instruments. He has been the Musical Director of Meridian Winds since 2008 where he guided them to both Gold and Silver awards; he has also been a guest conductor for the National Wind Band Association.
Andy Tweed was born in Northern Ireland and studied clarinet and saxophone at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He is a particularly versatile musician happily moving between the jazz and classical approach to playing the saxophone.
He was a mainstay of Saxtet for many years appearing on national TV and Radio. As a freelance player he has performed with London Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra as well as jazz orchestras – the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Ed Leaker’s Swing Machine and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra as well as working on the West End and on touring shows across the country playing all the saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet and flute. He is a regular member of the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra and Karen Street’s Streetworks and her Tango Band Carismático.
Andy teaches saxophone at Birmingham Conservatoire and Wells Cathedral School. He has given masterclasses, workshops and examined at Royal College of Music, Welsh College of Music & Drama, Leeds College of Music, Chetham’s School of Music, Aldeburgh Young Musicians and various British Saxophone Congresses.
Clare began playing the horn at the age of 12 with Willi Watson. A member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for 4 years, for two years she was Principal Horn. She studied at The Royal Academy of Music in London, with Derek Taylor and was a busy freelance player in and around London.
During her playing career, Clare has performed, recorded and toured with all the major London orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, the London Symphony, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, City of London Sinfonia, Philharmonia and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. She has also played with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Orchestra, Brighton Philharmonic, and La Camerata, Athens Chamber Orchestra. As well as performing, Clare enjoys a busy teaching career both locally to home, in East Sussex and in London.
Thom grew up in Northampton before studying Trumpet and Baroque Trumpet at the Royal College of Music with Paul Beniston and Bob Farley.
Since graduating he has had a varied freelance career ranging from performing with early music groups such as the OAE and the Armonico Consort, to backing Rick Wakeman and Deep Purple.
Some recent highlights have been performing Bach’s Magnificat at the Bach festival in Leipzig and an authentic Victorian Christmas at the Tower of London – in costume!
Thom also enjoys education work and teaches in London and Oxford. As a former EYSM student, he is thrilled to involved with such an amazing course.
David studied Trombone at the Royal Academy of Music before embarking on a career in music ranging from Principal Trombone at English National Opera to working in studios recording music for films, TV and major recording artists.
He has appeared as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra playing the David Gow Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, which was written for him. Other aspects of his work have been playing in over 48 different countries and teaching and coaching for the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music, the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, the University of Surrey and many other organisations in and around London.
Daniel Trodden was born in Cardiff in 1983 and began playing tuba at the age of eleven, taking lessons with Matthew Thistlewood. He continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Patrick Harrild, and upon graduation in 2006 began a varied freelance career playing with the UK’s top symphony, opera and ballet orchestras, in addition to working with artists such as Paul Weller and These New Puritans.
Daniel has been Principal Tuba of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales since 2011 and continues to enjoy a busy freelance schedule across the UK. He has been a member of the Faculty of Brass at RWCMD since 2014.
Clara Gatti Comini is an Italian harpist, currently carrying out a doctoral research in harp at the London College of Music, as a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with Distinction at Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, where she studied as a scholar under the guidance of Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly. In 2016 she obtained a Harp Diploma at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Paris. Prior to this, she studied at the Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona. In 2017, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Development from King’s College London.
In 2023 Clara was selected to be a member harpist of the European Union Youth Orchestra, performing in Amsterdam Congertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Grafenegg Wolkenturm, Wiesbaden Kurhaus, Bolzano Teatro Comunale, under the baton of Antonio Pappano and Manfred Honeck and with the soloists Julia Fischer, Martin James Bartlett and Benjamin Grosvenor. Since 2019, she is a member of Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, performing at St. John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall. Clara is a winner of the UK Harp Association Emerging Artist 2024, the John Marson Harp Prize for Outstanding Musicianship 2020, the Cherubim Music Trust Harp Prize 2020, and holds third prize at the London Camac Harp Competition 2020.
As a harp teacher, Clara’s students have won multiple prizes at harp competitions, including first prize at the London Camac Harp Competition, London Young Musician, Glowing Harp Competition in Ukraine, International Fringe Association in Hong Kong, and have been accepted to the National Children’s Orchestra in the UK. She teaches harp at Colfe’s School and privately. Clara performs on a Lyon and Healy Style 100, generously donated by the Cherubim Music Trust.
Simon Limbrick’s involvement in music embraces performance, composing and education, both in the UK and Internationally. His creative output, reflecting his wide-ranging experience in many disciplines of composition and performance, can be observed in musical contexts that include improvisation, contemporary music, film and theatre.
Recently, he has created a film score performed on a building, 3 Church Walk (dir. Emily Richardson), and released Relay, a double CD of music for contemporary steel-pan and electronics. He regularly performs in the UK, abroad and on BBC Radio with Apartment House, Notes Inégales, and as a soloist.
There are four first study composition places. Composers will have the opportunity to explore ideas and write music for a full symphony orchestra, and their music will be performed and professionally recorded by the Course Orchestra towards the end of the week.
Simon Limbrick’s involvement in music embraces performance, composing and education, both in the UK and Internationally. His creative output, reflecting his wide-ranging experience in many disciplines of composition and performance, can be observed in musical contexts that include improvisation, contemporary music, film and theatre.
He has created a film score performed on a building, 3 Church Walk (dir. Emily Richardson), and released Relay, a double CD of music for contemporary steel-pan and electronics. He regularly performs in the UK, abroad and on BBC Radio with Apartment House, Notes Inégales, and as a soloist.
His own compositions are broadcast and streamed on radio and television networks. Six short performative films were released in 2018 when his PhD looked at the evolving locus of new music performance. A collection of pieces for vibraphone and electronics was released in 2020.