About Me
I’ve worked widely throughout the arts, culture and heritage sectors in leadership positions. My principal roles have been:
- Director of the central London concert Hall, St John’s Smith Square, and subsequently Co-Director of Southbank Sinfonia at St John’s Smith Square;
- Executive and Artistic Director of the London Festival of Baroque Music;
- Centre Manager for the local authority multi-purpose theatre and conference centre, Aylesbury Civic Centre;
- Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Blackheath Halls in south east London;
- Director of the Westminster Schools Music Trust;
- Founding Community & Education Officer of both the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square.
Others who I've worked with:
Aldeburgh Festival
Arts Council England
Association of British Orchestras
BBC World Service
Brighton Philharmonic Society
The British Council
Cervantes Institute
Channel 4 Television
Cheltenham Festivals
Dartington
Goldsmiths College
Institut français
Royal College of Music
Southbank Centre
The Theatre’s Trust
University of Chichester
University of Greenwich
Warwick Festival
Some of my achievements include:
- Achieving long term sustainability and transformational change at St John’s Smith Square through initiating and delivering a merger with the orchestra Southbank Sinfonia, moving the venue from a hall for hire to an international centre of excellence for orchestral development.
- Receiving the ABO/Classical Music award for 'Concert Hall Manager of the Year' in 2018.
- Providing developmental and experiential opportunities for emerging talent by creating and managing the St John’s Smith Square Young Artists’ Series. Alumni include The Gesualdo Six, Tabea Debus, the Ligeti Quartet, Palisander, Mathilde Milwidsky and Joseph Havlat amongst others.
- Securing the long-term future of Blackheath Halls, including major capital investment, by guiding and managing the process of the venue becoming a part of Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance.
- Planning and delivering major gala fundraising events with positive results of £100K+.
- Creating the London International A Cappella Choir Competition alongside Peter Phillips of The Tallis Scholars. Welcoming choirs from around the world and working to celebrate both the heritage of choral music and music of today, with featured composers John Tavener, Gabriel Jackson and Arvo Pärt.
- Directing five editions of the London Festival of Baroque Music, with themes of ‘Beyond the Spanish Golden Age’, ‘Grounds for Optimism’ (exploring music from restoration England), ‘Treasures of the Grand Siècle (working alongside guest director Sébastien Daucé), ‘Crossing the Border’ (music by refugees, emigres, and travellers), and ‘Between the Land and the Sea’ (celebrating the Venetian Republic).
- Creating, with Nigel Short of Tenebrae, the Holy Week Festival at St John’s Smith Square, as a parallel to the long established and much-loved Christmas Festival.
- Developing and launching the first programme of university accredited Continuing Professional Development training for orchestral musicians engaged in community work in conjunction with the University of Manchester and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
I’m a trustee of the vocal ensemble, The Gesualdo Six and the recorder quartet, Palisander, and I’m the Chairman of the Dartington International Summer School Foundation.
From 2017 to 2022 I was a Director of the European Early Music Network, including serving as Vice President from 2019 to 2022. I was a Trustee of the British Arts Festivals Association from 2011 to 2017, and Treasurer for three years.
I’ve served as a trustee of both Greenwich Arts Education Forum and Lewisham Education Arts Network and as a school governor for an inner city secondary school in Lewisham, London.