Staff A-Z

With her established knowledge of linguistics and classical musical background, Elise has pursued many other avenues in her career, branching out into several projects such as Mosaic Languages, a courses curated to aid linguists in studying new languages through the medium of music.

Elise has expanded into other mediums such as television. She has worked as an assistant director for Fresh Film Productions, ensuring lingual accuracy of a film’s subjects and employing vocal warm-up techniques to achieve a natural delivery from the participants.

Elise began her formal studies at the Trinity College of Music, majoring in a Bachelors Honours Performance Degree (Singers) 1st Class. She went on to study at the Conservatoire of Trieste for two years, under the tutelage of renowned Professor of Italian Language and Diction Rosalba Trevian, gaining a 10/10 distinction. Thereafter Elise took on a 35 hours a week German language course at the Deutschakademie Berlin for one year.

A Park Lane Group Artist, Live Music Now Artist, Cross Trust & Keyboard Charitable Trust Artist, he was the recipient of the Weingarten Prize & Silver Medal Keyboard Award for his studies and was an Emerging Artist for the Usher Hall’s 2023/24 season. A laureate of numerous competitions including the Liszt International Piano Society, Vrsac International Chamber Music Festival, Anton Rubinstein & Gothenburg International Piano Competitions, he has worked with orchestras including the Scottish Sinfonia and Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras.

In an all encompassing repertoire, Phillip has broadcast works by Kenneth Leighton on BBC Radio, RTE Radio 1 & given numerous world premiere performances. Festival appearances include Endellion, English Music Festival, Hertfordshire, Concerts of the Tempietto & Perth Festival. He studied at Trinity Laban, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Northern College of Music & L’Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris with teachers including Philip Fowke, Alexander Ardakov, Margaret Fingerhut, Kathryn Stott, Aaron Shorr, Peter Tuite amongst others. An adjudicator for the London Young Musician Competition, Phillip runs a piano course ‘The Art of Practice & Performance’ at Jackdaws in Somerset annually and frequently gives masterclasses across the UK and abroad. He teaches at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and Kingston University.

During this time Matthew, enjoyed success with a number of youth ensembles including the National Youth Brass Band, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and as principal trombone of the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Following his long connection with the Royal Academy of Music, Matthew is proud to recently accept the award of Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

In January 2020, Matthew was appointed the principal trombone of the BBC Concert Orchestra with whom he has been featured as a soloist, recently recording the Albrechstberger Concerto. Matt has performed as guest principal trombone with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the English National Opera amongst others.

He also enjoys a varied freelance career that has spanned from touring Europe with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, to performing at large scale club nights with the Heritage Orchestra the in arenas across the UK.

In recent years, Matthew has featured on the soundtrack of many films including Mission Impossible, Death on the Nile and the latest Wonka film. He is the trombonist in Inner City Brass and enjoys playing as a guest in many other chamber ensembles including Septura and London Brass, with whom he recently toured giving masterclasses, solo concerts and adjudicating the Dutch Brass Band Open.

Alongside his performing, Matthew is a regular guest in the UK’s top music schools and conservatoires, and is professor of trombone at St Paul’s School and Dulwich College.

He has gained recognition in the Wagner repertoire, is official accompanist for the Wagner Competition, recipient of the Bayreuth Bursary Prize and has worked with Anthony Negus on all Wagner operas at Longborough since 2008. Kelvin has accompanied both Sir Thomas Allen and Sir John Tomlinson in recital, and accompanied Sir John Tomlinson and Stuart Skelton on Radio 3’s “In Tune”. He has accompanied masterclasses given by Sir Antonio Pappano, Brigitte Fassbaender, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Dame Josephine Barstow, Nelly Miricioiu and performed at the Wigmore Hall, St Johns Smiths Square, and the Royal Festival Hall Clore Ballroom (as musical director for Opera Forge for the Wagner 200 celebrations in 2013).

He has conducted: Carmen (ROH Education /English Pocket Opera at the Olympic Copperbox Arena) Samson et Dalila, The Turn of the Screw, Norma, Otello, La Fille du Regiment and Acis and Galatea, La Boheme, Così Fan Tutte, Amahl and The Night Visitors, and assisted on: Der Fliegende Holländer (Longborough) Don Giovanni, Un Ballo in Maschera, Albert Herring (Steuart Bedford) Rape of Lucretia (Grimeborn) A Christmas Carol (Musgrave-Trinity Laban).

He was Chorus Master for: Opera Holland Park 2012, Chelsea Opera Group, The Mastersingers and Dorset Opera.

Zoe also works extensively in Theatre including productions for the Birmingham REP, Lyric Hammersmith and West End Credits including Dr Semmelweis (starring Mark Rylance) and Matilda the Musical (RSC) where she works currently as part of the Voice department. Zoe also has a roster of private clients, who she works one-to-one with to help prepare them for auditions, TV, Film and Theatre productions. 

Ji Liu has worked with orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Beijing’s NCPA Orchestra, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, etc. He gave the world premieres of Ludovico Einaudi’s Piano Concerto Domino with RLPO and Boris Bergmann’s The Richter Scale and China premieres of Philip Glass’s Complete Piano Etudes and Frederic Rzewski’s People United Will Never Be Defeated! Variations.  

As a published composer, Ji Liu has written for orchestras, chamber ensembles and solo instruments. His 18-hour Sonata Fantasy was certified as “The Longest Ever Released Instrumental Work” by the Guinness World Record. His discography encompasses repertoires from the Baroque period to the 21st century.  

His research has been presented at institutions such as the University of Oxford, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Orpheus Institute and the University of California.  

Ji Liu studied Piano Performance with Professor Christopher Elton and Composition with Professor Ruth Byrchmore at the Royal Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music (supervised by Professor Daniel Leech-Wilkinson) from King’s College London and received the Forrest Creative and Performance Leadership Fellowship. Shanghai FM94.7 appointed him the Inaugural Music Ambassador. Since 2018, Ji Liu has served as the Head of Performance at the Kent International Piano Course and is a visiting professor at Shenzhen University. 

Matilda’s critically acclaimed debut album Casta Diva (Chandos Records), featuring opera aria transcriptions, was named BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Month in June 2023. Her follow-up album Resonance, released in November 2024, features Weinberg’s Trumpet Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Lee Reynolds. Alongside performances in support of the release, Matilda continues to appear with leading orchestras across Europe, including recent and upcoming engagements with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Malta Philharmonic, Estonian National Symphony, and Teatro San Carlo in Naples. 

In the 2024/25 season, Matilda was an ECHO Rising Star, performing recitals in 18 of Europe’s most renowned concert halls including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverein Wien, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Philharmonie de Paris. She also continues her collaboration with vocal group The Gesualdo Six, with their programme Radiant Dawn set for release on Hyperion Records in August 2025. A passionate advocate for new music, Matilda gave the world premiere of Robin Haigh’s Trumpet Concerto LUCK at the Aldeburgh Festival with Britten Sinfonia and has commissioned four new works for trumpet and organ by British composers for her upcoming album Fantasia (Chandos Records, September 2025). 

Deeply committed to music education, Matilda is an ambassador for Brass for Africa, having seen its impact first-hand in Uganda, and is a mentor for Future Talent. She is Head of the Trumpet Studio for the OAcademy Artist Diploma in the U.S. and teaches at conservatoires and brass festivals across Europe. 

Matilda studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, the Royal Academy of Music, and with Håkan Hardenberger in Malmö. A former winner of the BBC Young Musician Brass Final, she made her BBC Proms debut in 2016 and has since won multiple international awards, including First Prize at the Eric Aubier International Trumpet Competition. She is a Yamaha Artist. 

Joan teaches clarinet and chamber music at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona and Trinity Laban in London. He is regularly invited to give master classes and recitals in major Music centres such as California State University, Royal College and Royal Academy in London or Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow.

As a soloist Joan has performed and recorded the clarinet concerto repertoire, and many composers have written new concertos for him, among them Sir John Tavener, Joan Guinjoan or César Cano. His premieres of Qualia with the OCV and Zubin Metha and Elogio del horizonte, both by Sánchez Verdú were greatly acclaimed both in Madrid and Munich with the Bayerische Rundfunk.

Among his recordings are Mozart’s clarinet concerto with Sir Neville Marriner (Trito) and with Antony Pay (Cala). He has recorded also with the Tokyo, Bordsky and the Alexander String Quartets. His interest in recovering and promoting Spanish music has produced 5 recordings, for Harmonia Mundi and Clarinet Classics. With Moonwinds Joan has recorded unknown divertimenti by Martin y Soler, as well as Mozart’s Gran Partita and wind Serenades. Most recently two new recordings appeared in the market, both with the Alexander String Quartet: In Friendship (Brahms and Cano quintets) and Gershwin & Kern transcriptions (Foghrn Classics).

Joan has performed as a conductor-soloist with orchestras such Pablo Sarasate Orchestra of Pamplona, Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra or Kensington Chamber Orchestra both in London. He also conducted the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Orchestra.

Joan was appointed in 2006 by Lorin Maazel principal clarinet of the Orquestra CV del Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. He was previously a member of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, and principal guest in orchestras such as Royal Philharmonic, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London Mozart Players, London Symphony, City of Birmingham, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, etc. He was a co-founder of the Cadaqués Orchestra, where he remains principal clarinet.

In 2002, he formed the band Grooveyard with saxophonist Alex Garnett which released a critically acclaimed CD “PUT THE CAT OUT” which went on to win the Best European Jazz Group award in the 2003 Granada Jazz Festival. Grooveyard completed a successful Jazz Services tour of the UK in 2005. Their 2012 album “THE STRUT” is the ‘sequel’ to PUT THE CAT OUT and has been released on the fabulous independent jazz label Whirlwind Recordings, “THE STRUT” was named Jazz Album of the Year” in MOJO magazine!

He also founded his own septet which released the album “NO MESSIN” in 2009 and went on to win best album in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards that year. This band features Robbie Robson (trumpet), Steve Kaldestad (sax), Trevor Mires (trombone/euphonium), Robin Aspland – (piano) Matt Miles (bass) and Matt Home (drums).

He has formed his own big band, a fruition of all Gareth’s musical interests – combining his cinematic influences of greats such as Jerry Fielding, Lalo Schifrin and Bernard Herrmann with the soul jazz and unrestrained improvisatory nature of Grooveyard and the intricate through-composed nature of his septet writing. Making their debut in the 2008 London Jazz Festival and influenced by, amongst others, Gil Evans, Maria Schneider, Kenny Wheeler, Jim McNeely, Thad Jones, Basie, Mingus and many more,the band blends heavy grooves and luscious orchestrations to spectacular effect. The band play almost exclusively Gareth’s compositions and arrangements. Watch this space for an album of this band some time in the near future!

A British Council and Arts Council England recipient, Howard Davies Emerging Directors Grant Recipient, One Dance UK DAD Trailblazer Fellow, Marion North Recipient. She was on the choreographic team for the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony (NHS Section) and is a member of the internationally acclaimed performance collective Hot Brown Honey.

With over 23 years of teaching experience, she has worked and collaborated with a multitude of diverse artists and organizations. A well sought-out teacher, choreographer, judge and host, she has established herself as one of UK’s finest and a highly respected role model within the Hip Hop dance community.

Yami previously worked at RAD, UEL , and Irie Dance theatre.

Qualifications/Educational Background

St Petersburg Conservatoire, 1999
Trinity College of Music – now Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Creative Outputs

Debut CD with Eleanor Percy on Russian label IMLab (2003)

Complete Mozart Violin and Piano sonatas for historic Russian label Melodiya:
Vol. 1, the Mannheim, Paris and Salzburg Sonatas
Vol. 2, the Viennese sonatas

Awards

1st Prize in the TCM Associate’s Soloist Competition, 2003

Jonny’s discography has been widely praised for its originality and ambition. His debut Elftet (Edition Records) introduced his distinctive compositional voice through an 11-piece ensemble, garnering critical acclaim. The Air in Front of You (Resonant Postcards) explored the intersection of psychology and music during his master’s studies, weaving strings and vibraphone into a strikingly intimate sound world. This was followed by Quartet! Live at Pizza Express, a document of the first tour with his long-standing quartet, capturing the raw energy of improvisation at the heart of his music-making. His forthcoming release Light Finds a Way In continues this trajectory, deepening his exploration of storytelling and collaboration through new quintet writing inspired by the work of Japanese author Mieko Kawakami.

As a composer, Jonny has received major commissions across jazz, classical, and community contexts. His hour-long suite inspired by the poetry of Simon Armitage was commissioned by Marsden Jazz Festival, broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and nominated for an Ivors Award. Other highlights include a vibraphone and trombone duo written for London Symphony Orchestra principals Neil Percy and Peter Moore, and arrangements for Universal Music artists, orchestras, and large-scale educational projects. In 2020 he released Album in a Day, a solo lockdown project composed, recorded, and produced within 24 hours.

Dedicated to education, Jonny teaches jazz vibraphone, composition, and rhythmic studies at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, as well as examining and delivering workshops at The Royal Academy of Music and The Royal College of Music. He is regularly invited to give workshops and lectures at conservatoires and universities, and has developed inclusive music-making practices through outreach projects such as the Verbier Festival’s “Reaching Out” programme.

Alongside his performing and teaching, Jonny is the founder of Resonant Postcards, an artist-led label through which he produces and releases adventurous new music. His projects have been supported by Arts Council England and featured in BBC Music Magazine, Jazzwise, Jazzthing, and MOJO. He continues to manage and produce his own touring ensembles, while collaborating internationally with artists such as Felix Ambach, Emmanuel Michael and Yazz Ahmed.