Composer Of The Month
Alex Heffes
INTERNATIONAL
COMPOSERS
FESTIVAL
PEFORMERS 2022
Adrian Charlesworth
Violinist / Leader
Adrian has freelanced in many professional orchestras such as the RPO, LCO and English National Ballet. He is involved with many educational charities, coaches inspiring young violinists working with the National Children’s Orchestra, London Schools Symphony Orchestra and others. With appearances as diverse as with Kylie Minogue, Katherine Jenkins, Burt Bacharach and Sir Simon Rattle as well as many others. Adrian also obtained a masters degree in Medical Immunology
John Andrews Conductor
John Andrews is Principal Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra and Conductor-in-Association with the English Symphony Orchestra. Born in Nairobi and brought up in Manchester, he graduated from Cambridge University with a doctorate in music and history.
With a special affinity for Italian bel canto and the English baroque, he has conducted over 40 operas with companies including The Grange Festival, Opera Holland Park, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera, Opera de Baugé and the Volkstheater Rostock.
In 2021-2 he returns to the Grange Festival and further recordings with the BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as making his debut with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Daisy Noton
Solo Flautist
Award-winning British flautist Daisy Noton at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department. She was a woodwind finalist in BBC Young Musician 2020 and a winner many international competitions. Daisy has performed as soloist with the London Mozart Players and in prestigious venues from Venice to Glyndebourne, St John Smiths Square to Duke’s hall London and locally at White Rock and Opus Theatre, etc. and will be principal flute at the BBC proms this summer.
Oliver Poole
Pianist & Composer
An incredibly talented and charismatic British pianist and composer. He gave his first solo performance with the National Youth Orchestra at the age of 8 and has since performed all over the world in many prestigious venues with many renowned orchestras and many leading artists. His mantra is to make the world a better place through music.
Tim Posner
Cellist
Tim is the first-ever British prizewinner at the International Karl Davidov Competition in Latvia. Born in 1995, Tim began playing the cello at the age of eight, studying with his mother, Julia Desbruslais, and is currently studying in the ‘Solo Class’ of Leonid Gorokhov at the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover. Tim made his debut concerto performance at the age of 14. Since then he has performed as soloist with renowned orchestras including the NDR Radiophilharmonie, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Mozart Players.
Eleanor Grant
Singer
Hailed as one of Britain's greatest talents (Hollywood Vienna 2019) Eleanor was educated at Queenswood School on both music and drama scholarships. Now a student at the Royal Academy of Music, she is an accomplished singer, actress, double bassist, and bass guitarist. She has performed double bass under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, Sakari Oramo, Sir Mark Elder, and Edward Gardiner. Eleanor recently made her vocal debut with the BBC Concert Orchestra recording The Way of Light by Nigel Hess which she will be performing at the International Composers Festival 2022.
Jack Wong
Associate Conductor (2022)
Jack Wong
Associate Conductor
Born in Hong Kong, Jack began his piano studies at the age of five and violin studies at the age of eight. He later graduated with honours at Royal Academy of Music and at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Jack founded the Hornton Chamber Orchestra and appeared as conductor and soloist on piano and violin. He has won several notable prizes for conducting and has also taken part in the Verbier Festival as one of the four young conductors in the Conducting Mentorship Program, where he assisted Valery Gergiev, Andras Schiff and Pinchas Zukerman.
Julia Desbrulais
Cellist
Julia Desbruslais was a founder member of the all-female Fairfield String Quartet. After ten successful years, she became co-principal cello with the London Mozart Players, also playing as guest principal cellist with other London orchestras. With a driving passion for working with young people, she was one of the leading lights in the vast education and outreach programme of the LMP.
Aliki
Soprano
Aliki is a classically trained Greek-British Soprano and Classical Crossover Artist mixing styles together and performing in over five languages. Aliki has recorded two albums with The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, “Reflections” and “My Kind of Christmas” To date, Aliki has gone on to perform around the world, both, solo concerts and also in collaborations with other artists including Mario Frangoulis, Il Divo, Nathan Pacheco, Jonathan Antoine, Oliver Poole and many others. We are very proud to welcome Aliki to the Composers Festival!
Nicky studied for her Masters Degree in Music Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has been involved with the Ashover Festival a resident member of the Cardiff Camerata Orchestra and currently Principal Flute with the Bradstow Orchestra (since 2015) as well as working as a soloist with the Canterbury Orchestra, Maidstone Wind Symphony and the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra.
Nicky Catterwell
Flautist
Véronique Bracco
Composer & Pianist
A prize-winning French pianist and composer, Véronique began composing at the age of 10. Published at Editions H. Lemoine at 13, she wrote her 1st piano Concerto at 14. Her multifaceted compositions have been performed internationally, her pieces are frequently programmed as compulsory works in competitions such as L.Bellan, Les Clés d’Or, Concours Steinway-Prodige Art. Her own Piano Method will be published in 2022 and 2023 by F2M Editions". Passionate and creatively curious, she's always eager to explore and compose for various instruments and in miscellaneous styles and genres.
Laura Rickard
Solo Violinist
British violinist Laura Rickard is a highly in demand soloist, chamber musician and teacher. She studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music where upon graduation she was appointed as Meaker Fellow in Violin and she now continues teaching violin and chamber music. Laura performs regularly with the Mila Piano Trio around Europe, and is founder and artistic director of the Romsey Chamber Music Festival which brings international artists to her hometown in Hampshire.
St Richards Catholic College Choir
St Richard's Catholic College Choir has around 80 pupils who contribute weekly to performances, rehearsals, liturgical services, masses and concerts. They make their way down to the weekly rehearsals armed with beautiful voices and a whole lot of enthusiasm. Thankfully, our school has a wonderful singing culture established; singing is something that is celebrated and encouraged throughout the year groups. The choir sings a wide range of different repertoire including musical theatre, jazz, pop, classical, hymns, Taize, and thoroughly enjoys the challenge of 4 part choral works.
Amy Fairchild
Composer & Pianist
Amy Fairchild is a composer, classically trained pianist, and music instructor from Oregon, USA. She holds a degree in Music Theory and Composition from Linfield College. Amy’s recent album of her piano compositions, “Serendipities”, displays her melodic and haunting style and draws on her love of the natural world. Amy’s passion is writing for students of the piano, from beginners to more advanced learners. Her pieces provide students with contemporary and beautiful options that are a joy to play and build technique.
Sound of
Rock-A-Nore
Sound Of Rock-A-Nore is a Hastings based shanty singers group whose members are Toby Barelli, Tom Kelly, Andi Rivett and Bob Tipler. The popular group will be performing for the very first time together with a symphony orchestra. Probably a world first!
LEKIDDO
Singer
Encouraged to take singing lessons by Stevie Wonder, LEKIDDO trained classically with ENO’s David Bowman and in West End style with Mark Maylan. He has appeared on TV and radio, and in theatre, commercials, audiobooks and films as an actor and voiceover artist, performing with Tina Turner, Kid Creole & The Coconuts and George Michael. Glastonbury Festival describe him as "a Cult Classic" and he has performed there annually from 2009 to this year, 2022. His new album “Lobsterliciously” releases this summer.
Graziana Presicce
Pianist
Graziana Presicce is an Italian pianist based in Yorkshire, UK. She recently completed a scholarship-funded PhD in Music Performance at the University of Hull (2020), exploring music and visual imagery. As a performer, Graziana actively engages in recitals as a soloist as well as accompanist. In 2017, she performed what is believed to be the recorded premiere of works by the forgotten composer Ethel Leginska, alongside baritone Lee Tsang. The events were also featured on BBC Radio 3’s Music Matters.
Dawn Walters
Composer & Singer
Dawn Walters has set all the songs from Shakespeare’s plays and 26 sonnets for ithe nternet company, ‘The Bardcode’. ‘Pro Dolorosa’, a lament, for those affected by Covid, which was premiered by the Swan Consort. Elaine Dave, Soprano, and Graziana Presicce, Pianist, perform with Dawn as Allegoria.
Dawn Walters
Composer & Singer
Dawn Walters has set all the songs from Shakespeare’s plays and 26 sonnets for ithe nternet company, ‘The Bardcode’. ‘Pro Dolorosa’, a lament, for those affected by Covid, which was premiered by the Swan Consort. Elaine Dave, Soprano, and Graziana Presicce, Pianist, perform with Dawn as Allegoria.
Timng-Ru-Lai
Violist
Born in Taipei Taiwan, violist Ting-Ru Lai appeared as a soloist at the Malaysian Royal Gala Concert at the age of 16. She has won top prizes in the Queens Young Artist Competition, National Taiwan Viola Competition. She has performed as a soloist with Philharmonie Baden-Baden,Guildford Symphony Orchestra, Hsin-Tien Symphony Orchestra and Yu-Yun Youth Orchestra. and holds a Graduate Diploma from New England Conservatory (USA) and an Artist Diploma from Guildhall School of Music and Dram. Since January 2019, she has joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Sub-Principal Viola.
Lasolepa
Dancers
Lasolepa Dancers Lauren Hyland, Sophie Devonport, Alex Linscer and Paul Dixon all are 2021 graduates from the prestigious Bird College for Professional Musical Theatre and Dance and all graduated with a BA Hons degree. They were all in the same class throughout their 2nd Year (when the pandemic hit) and completed a large portion of their training in their living and bedrooms on zoom. Whilst it was quite an unpredictable experience, it taught them many lessons for which they were grateful for, they all worked through it and kept fighting for the moment they would be back in the studio doing what they love most.
Sam Armstrong
Piano
Hailed as 'a major new talent' International Piano and a ‘pianist of splendid individuality’ Arts Desk English pianist Sam Armstrong has made solo recital debuts at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam Kleine Zaal, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York as well as at the Wigmore Hall in London, and has also appeared in such festivals as Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Krzyzowa Music, Mecklenburg-Vorpommen, Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music and Ravinia. He studied with Helen Krizos in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music and later in New York with Richard Goode at Mannes College of Music.
Tim Crawford
Violinist
Currently studying in Basel Musik Akademie with Rainer Schmidt, Tim is a highly sought after British chamber musician and soloist. He plays regularly with his string trio, The Teyber Trio, a musical partnership with Timothy Ridout and Tim Posner that they’ve shared since the age of 15. They look forward to a European tour next year.
Tim has been attending the IMS Prussia Cove Masterclasses since he was 18, studying with Andras Keller and Steven Isserlis. In 2019 and 2022 he has been invited on the IMS Open Chamber Music Tour across the U.K. Later in 2019 he began playing occasionally with the Nash Ensemble.
Elaine Dave
Soprano
Elaine enjoys giving recitals as well as performing the major Oratorio works with Choral Societies in and around Yorkshire. She has performed the Berlioz ‘Les Nuit D’ete’ and Gliere’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano with the Scarborough Symphony Orchestra. Having recently relocated Elaine is enjoying involving herself in local music making.
Paul Tiberghien
Flute
Paul started to studying flute at 7 years old in the music school of his hometown Mons-en-Baroeul in the north of France. At the age of 10 he also started the piano and later joined the Lille Conservatoire studying flute, piano and piano accompaniment. During the Covid pandemic Paul won the first prize of the Bellan competition online. After graduating at the age of 18, he now studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Paul has performed with several orchestras to date.
Huw is 18 years old and studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He also studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama department for nine years under the tuition of Kathryn Rees. Huw is the winner of the Rotary Young Musician of Great Britain and Ireland 2017, he was also a strings finalist of the BBC Young Musician 2020. Huw enjoys playing orchestrally and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Huw also plays plays flute and piano which he has also achieved grade 8 distinction in.
Jennifer Maslin
Singer
Jennifer Maslin is an extremely versatile singer. Having gone through formal training and since forged a career as a performer and singing teacher, she has found her own unique style - regarding her voice as an instrument to be wielded according to each genre, be it as a classical or jazz soloist, or a cathedral chorister.
Huw Boucher
Harpist
Huw is 18 years old and studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He also studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama department for nine years under the tuition of Kathryn Rees. Huw is the winner of the Rotary Young Musician of Great Britain and Ireland 2017, he was also a strings finalist of the BBC Young Musician 2020. Huw enjoys playing orchestrally and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
Andrew Davis
Violist
Andrew Davis has played viola for many orchestras and choral societies in the United Kingdom. Often principal viola for the Cranbrook Sinfonia, he played in the Kent Concert Orchestra, the Connaught Orchestra, Andrew was a viola pupil of Keith Lovell of the renowned Dartington String Quartet
Eastbourne Academy of Dancing
Building self-esteem and confidence through praise, encouragement, and discipline is a key factor within a friendly caring school. Over the years pupils have gone on to lead successful careers in dance. Many pupils have joined professional dance companies, others have furthered their dance studies of dance at major stage schools and dance colleges including the Royal Ballet School, Central School of Ballet, Laines Theatre Arts and many more.
Yumino Seki
Dancer
Japan born Yumino Seki is a U.K based independent dance artist, Butoh practitioner, performer, teacher and qualified somatic movement educator & therapist. She was born in Japan and has trained in both classical and contemporary dance. Collaborating with artists from diverse disciplines has given her a broad approach to her dance practice. Seki’s work crosses the boundaries of dance, performance art and installation. Seki’s work is formed by the cultural depth and diversity of both the UK and Japan. Her development in her dance has been a gradual exploration of both her collective and self-identity.
Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi
Bandoneon
Born in Atessa on December 26th 1980, Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi graduated with honours from Santa Cecilia Academy of Music in Rome. A brilliant performer with refined musicality, Mario has won many national and international competitions. He has played with Andrea Bocelli, Angela Gheorghiu, Andrea Griminelli, Erwin Schrott, Anna Netrebeko and the Abruzzo Symphony Orchestra, among many others. Mario has performed in Italy, England, France, Belgium, Croatia, Serbia, Germany, USA, Poland, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, Armenia, Russia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lebanon, Belorussia and China.
