Staff A-Z

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. 

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

A new dimension to Richard’s career was initiated in the mid-eighties when he began to develop as a conductor under the guidance of his mentor, the distinguished American conductor, Ezra Rachlin. Since taking up the baton, conducting has claimed a significant proportion of his performing activities associating with orchestras as far afield as Australasia and South America and often featuring joint appearances as soloist and conductor. Chamber music plays an integral part in Richard Markson’s artistic life. For many years he partnered Michael Roll and Mayumi Fujikawa in a piano trio. He has also enjoyed musical partnerships with Peter Frankl, Nobuko Imai, Jean-Rodolphe Kars, Gerald Robbins, Cristina Ortiz, John O’Connor and Jorge Federico Osorio. The Markson/Osorio Duo began more than twenty years ago and has performed throughout Europe, Latin America and Japan.

His interest in teaching has led to associations with musical educational establishments worldwide from the Universities of Southern California, Irvine, Indiana, Texas, Michigan, Boston and CUNY in the US to the principal  music departments and conservatories in Australia, Mexico and Brazil. As an enthusiastic supporter of online musical access he has edited the concerti of Dvorak, Haydn, Elgar, Lalo, St. Saëns & Boccherini for Virtual Sheet Music. In addition to his  Senior Fellowship at Trinity Laban he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority.

He is passionate about the role of the violin in jazz and other improvised music from across the world, and has played in the London, Montreux and Berlin Jazz Festivals and toured with Jamie Cullum and Bill Lawrence (Snarky Puppy). In 2012, Kit travelled to Mysore, India, where he studied with Nadayogi V. Ambaprasad, writing an article about Karnatic violin that was published in The Strad magazine. His television work includes hand-doubling for Rupert Everett in the BBC’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. He also wrote and performed the music for a Renault Clio advert.

I was a founder member of the New D’Oyly Carte Company at the Savoy: Yeoman of the Guard (Sgt Meryll), Iolanthe (Private Willis), Mikado (Pish Tush) and Pirates of Penzance (Sergeant of Police) (last one recorded), and spent several years at the Coliseum with English National Opera playing in Pacific Overtures (Shogun’s Mother) – coached by Stephen Sondheim! died and went to heaven!, Die Fledermaus (Frosch), Street Scene (Harry Easter) (there was a lovely young song and dance girl called Catherine Zeta Jones in the cast – I wonder what happened to her?), and Orpheus in the Underworld (Mars). All of those recorded as well.

Trips abroad include: Paris for Curlew River; the Batignano Festival in beautiful Tuscany, singing Il Ritorno D’Ulisse in Italian to an Italian audience (brave or what!), United States and Ludwigshafen with ENO, and Opera Omaha and Portland Opera for My Fair Lady (Col Pickering). Short National Theatre season at the Royal National Theatre in a new opera, Baby Doll as Archie Lee. With Modern Music Theatre Troupe I had some quick changes in Stephen McNeff’s The Waste land at the Covent Garden Festival (also in Hay-on-Wye where it rained so hard we couldn’t hear the orchestra in the big plastic tent!). Lots of great stuff with Music Theatre London Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte, Boheme, Falstaff, touring the Netherlands, and seasons at the old Drill Hall, London.

With Lincoln Theatre Royal I did Annie as well (Daddy Warbucks) and took that and Peter Pan (Captain Hook) to Malaysia, 6000 feet up a mountain. Also with them I was in a comedy called Five Blue Haired Ladies on a Green Park Bench (Marvin, William Morris and Richard) which did a season and a tour.

At the Players’ Theatre Club I was a Music Hall Turn and was often the Chairman, introducing the acts and interacting with the audience.

Most recently I’ve been working with Charles Court Opera, a vibrant young company, doing Pantos, Gilbert and Sullivan and avant-garde concerts, and had three summers in Buxton at the International G&S Festival As Mikado, Private Willis and Adam Goodheart (not all at the same time, though!).

I’ve got quite a long recording catalogue; and on TV Crackerjack (Crackerjack!)in which I was a jewel thief disguised as Cyrano de Bergerac, Get Well Soon (Doctor Waxman), and Cambridge Spies (Sir Clive Woodham).

Films for Capriol Films include Falstaff on location at a derelict Golf Course in Norfolk; La Boheme on location in a newly redeveloped part of Greenwich; Warlock: Some Little Joy (Augustus John), and Draw on Sweet Night (Anne’s Father). For Porterhouse Productions, Out of the Shadows (Dr Winston), this one with a Red Carpet Gala.

I’m on the Vocal Faculty at TrinityLaban Conservatoire in glorious Greenwich. Many of my past students have gone on to success in the West End and International stages, and in films and television. I still teach privately.

I’m so lucky having been able to meet and work with the greats of the entertainment industry, Sir Tom Allen, Leslie Crowther, Arthur Askey, Sir John Tomlinson, Lynda Baron, Michael Ball, Keith Warner, Anthony van Laast and Kenn Oldfield, to name but a few!

Andrew has also partnered instrumentalists including Richard Watkins (French horn), Joby Burgess (percussionist) and the    Allegri and Brodowski String Quartets.

A notable champion of contemporary music, Andrew has commissioned and given first performances of scores by composers including Michael Berkeley, Charlotte Bray, Laurence Crane, Jonathan Dove, Alun Hoddinott, Simon Holt, Hannah Kendall, Joseph Phibbs, Arlene Sierra and Augusta Read Thomas.

Andrew’s critically acclaimed recordings for the Naxos, NMC, BMS, Ty Cerdd and Nimbus labels have been Editor’s Choice (Gramophone), featured in the Classical Charts and are often broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

Andrew studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was recently elected an honorary associate. His teachers have included Eugene Asti, Christine Croshaw, Roger Vignoles and Andrew West. He is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards including the Sir Henry Richardson Award for Accompanists, Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Prize, John Ireland Trust Prize and the Ryan Davies Memorial Award. Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, and received the Outstanding Achievement in Music in Wales award from the Welsh Music Guild.

Gerard has performed in 30 countries including USA, South Africa, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Korea and Germany. He has recorded albums with BBC NOW, Ulster Orchestra, London Musici, guitarist Craig Ogden, The Smith Quartet, Yan Pascal Tortelier and record labels include Chandos, Signum Records and Silva Screen.

He has developed a repertoire of accessible new works, often with a celtic influence some of which have been published in his saxophone series by Reed Music, Australia and Camden Music, London.

Orchestras Gerard has worked with include Philharmonia, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, National Symphony of Ireland, Stuttgart Staatsorchester and the Orchestra of San Francisco Ballet. Venues include San Francisco Opera House, Baku Opera House, Royal Abert Hall, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, National Concert Hall, Dublin and a longhut in Sarawak, Borneo. He has worked with Philip Glass, The Smith Quartet, guitarist Craig Ogden, percussionists Ensemble Bash, The Soweto String Quartet, tenorist Tommy Smith and vocal groups Anuna and Codetta.

In 2010 he was invited to be an adjudicator at the Royal Overseas League Competition and the 5th Adolphe Sax International Saxophone Competition in Dinant, Belgium. Gerard is Artistic director of the next British Saxophone Congress in London, February 2011 and his new saxophone series is launched by Reed Music. His new programme Stand Up has won two awards from the Arts Council. Gerard is Professor of Saxophone at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. He is endorsed by Rico and is an ambassador for Derry-Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013. His album Aria was released by First Hand Records in October 2011.

Gerard runs annual courses for Dartington International Summer School, Aberystwyth Musicfest, The National Youth Wind Orchestra and Music at Little Benslow. In 1998 he was appointed Professor of Saxophone at Trinity College of Music and tutor at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff.