Juan Gabriel Rojas
Juan Gabriel Rojas is a Venezuelan violinist who studied at the National Network of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela, “El Sistema”, with Roberto Valdes, and at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent (Belgium) with Mikhail Bezverkhny where he obtained his Advanced-Master’s degree in Performance. Mr Rojas performed as a solo, chamber and orchestral musician in several countries in South America and Europe. As a teacher, he has broad experience as a violin tutor and coaching ensembles. Currently, he is the musical director at Sistema in Norwich. Juan will be giving expert feedback to Whole Class Ensemble Tuition classes at the 2019 Festival.
William Bruce
William Bruce studied with Christopher Bunting and took part in classes with Jacqueline du Pré and William Pleeth. He also attended chamber music courses at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies with the Amadeus Quartet. A passionate music educator, William is much in demand in the UK for masterclasses, workshops and summer schools. In addition to many years experience as an adjudicator, William is a Consultant Moderator for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
He was Commissioning Editor for Fingerprints for Cello and Spectrum for Cello, a volume of contemporary pieces which has received worldwide acclaim. Recital performances have taken him all over the UK, Europe, Australia and the US. He made his Carnegie Hall debut recital in 2005. William has been a visiting professor at the University of South Carolina and a member of the orchestra of English National Opera since 1982.
Full biography here >>>
William will be giving expert feedback to all Strings and String Ensemble performers at the 2019 Festival.
John Stephens
John’s experience is varied and includes teaching and examining undergraduate courses (conducting, aural training, analysis, counterpoint), alongside engagements as a performer and conductor. He leads workshops and conducts church choirs, choral societies and orchestras. John has a special interest in helping young people develop their musicianship through ensemble playing and founded The Orchestrate! Project in 2014. John is an experienced bassoonist. He is an examiner for the Royal School of Church Music. John has conducted many major works, and he has led a long list of musicals in the theatre. He holds a Master of Music degree in Conducting, a BA(Hons) degree in Music and the Licenciate of Trinity College London diploma as a pianist.
http://jsmusicservices.com/john-stephens/
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John will be giving expert feedback to all Orchestra performances at the 2019 Festival
James Boyd
James Boyd is a Classical Guitarist of international repute and an inspirational teacher. Throughout his career there has been a strong focus on English repertoire. James’ acclaimed album Shapes of Sleep was recorded at Snape Maltings Concert Hall and selected by Gramophone Magazine as an Editor’s Choice album. He is a winner of the Royal Academy’s Julian Bream Prize and The Robert Spencer Memorial Award. In 2014 James was elected an associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his distinguished contribution to music. He teaches a system of performance and learning for all areas of music at the Norfolk Centre for Young Musicians, a division of the Guildhall School of Music and through his business Taking the Tension out of Learning.
Full biography here >>>
James will be giving expert feedback to all Guitar performers at the 2018 Festival.
Paul Harris
Paul Harris studied at the Royal Academy of Music (where he won the August Manns Prize for outstanding performance in clarinet playing) and has gone on to establish a career which frequently takes him to all corners of the globe giving masterclasses, adjudicating, performing and presenting workshops. He has over six hundred publications to his name; most are concerned with music education. These include two clarinet tutors, a variety of works from short solo pieces to concertos and a ballet, and other books that deal primarily with stimulating and helping young players to develop their musical skills.
Full biography https://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/staff/paul-harris
Paul Harris will be giving expert feedback on Woodwind classes.
Val Whitlock
Val has worked nationally and internationally as a choral director, vocal animateur, workshop leader and teacher trainer. She is renowned for her infectious enthusiasm, energy and skill in motivating people of all ages and abilities about singing – from nursery-age through to adult. She has directed large-scale performances and choral festivals often involving hundreds of young people, as well as major performances at the Barbican, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Coventry Cathedral, Southbank Centre, the Royal Albert Hall and Warwick Arts Centre. She has conducted, and acted as vocal consultant to children’s choirs, youth choirs and adult choirs.
Full biography here >>>
Val will be giving expert feedback to all school choirs, youth choirs and adult choirs at the 2019 Festival.
Rachel Godsill
Rachel studied Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge and went on to study voice at Royal College of Music. Since leaving RCM she has enjoyed a performing career across Europe and USA with groups including The Academy of Ancient Music and London Voices. Her solo career has taken her to Prague, Bejing, Shanghai, Berlin and Budapest where she has performed with her duo Sopriola (Soprano and viola d’amore). She can also be heard on the soundtrack of Harry Potter films and Beauty and the Beast! Rachel has a busy teaching practice with the choristers and choral scholars of Cambridge University. She also teaches in local schools and directs community choirs.
Full biography here >>>
Rachel will be giving expert feedback to Young singers, Adult singers and Musical Theatre at the 2019 Festival.
Mark Read
Mark became the Musical Director of the Norwich Area Brass Band aged just 17, and soon conducted them to championship status. Mark is a cross-genre composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed with Speedometer all over the U.K and in Europe and also had the great honour of backing artists such as Grand Master Flash and Courtney Pine. Mark composes for brass band, string quartets, chamber ensembles, piano and violin and frequently writes new songs and jazz instrumentals. As an arranger Mark has achieved international acclaim with his horn arrangements and has produced arrangements for artists signed to Sony AU and EMI UK record labels. As a performer Mark works primarily as a jazz musician, playing bass trumpet, tuba and piano. Mark produces the arrangements and leads a vocal group called The Acafellas whilst singing Bass. Mark is an experienced music educator, having been involved in many projects to encourage the musical development of young people and those with SEN.
Full biography here >>>
Mark will be giving expert feedback to all Wind ensembles and bands, and jazz, pop, rock and brass performers at the 2019 Festival.
James Kirby
James has been a member of the Barbican Piano Trio for twenty five years. One of the UK’s leading chamber music ensembles, it performs regularly throughout Europe and the USA. The Trio has a repertoire consists of over seventy works and an impressive discography.
James is a dedicated teacher and enjoys posts at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Royal Holloway, University of London and is an Honorary Professor of the Rachmaninov Institute in Tambov, Russia. He gives many masterclasses in the UK and overseas and serves on the juries of many International competitions, most recently in Russia, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia and Hong Kong. As well as being in considerable demand as an adjudicator he is a member of the ABRSM examining panel, which has taken him all over the world.
https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/other/biography/keyboard_studies/james_kirby.aspx
Full biography here >>>
Shea will be giving expert feedback to all Piano performers at the 2019 Festival.