Keith Allen

Keith Allenstudied at: Royal College of Music, London; Birmingham University, Kingston University, with a Master's Degree from the University of West London.

He worked professionally with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Previous positions include: Clarinet/Saxophone Tutor: Birmingham Conservatoire; Head of Birmingham Music Service.

Current positions include: Music Director: Birmingham Symphonic Winds; Festival Director: National Concert Band Festival (UK); Conductor in Residence: Birmingham University Wind Band; Conductor: Solihull Youth Wind Orchestra; Consultant Editor: Faber Music Ltd, Director: Best-of-British-Music.com – international trade advisory service; Adviser: London International Music Festival. Adjudicating/guest conducting in America, Spain, Latvia, Ireland, Hong Kong, Australia, China and the UK.

Margaret Cable

Margaret is Professor of Singing at the Royal College of Music where she was head of Vocal Studies for five years. She is Warden of the Solo Performers Section of the ISM.

Janet Coxwell

Janet is a member of the Tallis Scholars and has toured the Far East, Australia and the USA. She teaches singing at Cheam Shool and is Musical Director of The Cecilia Consort.

Ruth Gerald

Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal College of Music in London until August 1999 and is a Fellow of the Royal College. An international adjudicator, she is actively involved in many aspects of the work of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Rupert Jeffcoat

Rupert Jeffcoat read music at St Catharine's College Cambridge where he was also Organ Scholar. He is currently Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral.

June Lancelyn Green

June Lancelyn Green has travelled worldwide adjudicating Speech & Drama Festivals. She was Head of Drama at Wirral Grammar School and an examiner for 'O' level and the ESB.

Simon Lole

Simon read music at King’s College University, London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was later Organ Scholar at St Paul’s Cathedral, London and is Director of Music and Master of Choristers at Salisbury Cathedral. In May 2005, Simon was honoured by the Guild of Church Musicians with a Fellowship for services to church music.

Tim Ridley

Tim Ridley studied Organ, church music and percussion at the Royal Academy of Music before furthering his interests in rock and jazz. He is currently Head of Music Technology at Marlborough College.

Viviane Ronchetti

Viviane won a Junior Exhibition to the Royal Manchester College of Music to study the violin with the international concert artiste, Endre Wolf, at the age of 13. She became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain a year later and ultimately, the NYO’s sub-leader. In 1966, Viviane was awarded a place to study music at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music concurrently. She was a pupil of Professor Alexandre Mouskovsky at the RMCM and graduated with Bachelor of Music Degree with special Honours awarded in Performance. After graduating, Viviane studied with Manoug Parikian and started on a career combining teaching with free-lancing with the major London chamber orchestras. Viviane has held Head of Strings posts at Harrow School and Queenswood School and was Professor of violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior department for five years from 2003 to 2008. She is Director of the National Youth Strings Academy – founded in 1995 to promote the string orchestra repertoire and to develop the ensemble-playing skills of talented young string-players aged 9 to 21. She travels extensively in both the UK and overseas as a specialist strings adjudicator.

Gary Ryan

Gary studied as a junior at the Guildhall School of Music, where he won the Director’s Prize, and later was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM). In 1991 he graduated with first class honours and many awards including the Julian Bream Prize. Post-graduate studies followed at the RAM with an award from the Fleming Trust and was made an Associate of the RAM in 1997. Gary's London recital debut at the Purcell Room in 1994 was highly acclaimed by the critics. He subsequently performed a series of recitals for the Kirckman Concert Society at the South Bank Centre. In 1996, aged 27, he became Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music (RCM); he currently combines his role there as Assistant Head of Strings with a varied international career as a performer and composer. In 2013, he was awarded a Fellowship of the RCM becoming the first guitarist to be given this accolade since John Williams in 1983. Gary has also collaborated with John Williams and jazz guitarist John Etheridge to form 6 Hands. The guitar trio has since toured the UK extensively and has a new recording; further performances are scheduled for 2018. His celebrated compositions are often broadcast on Classic FM and have broadened the instrument’s appeal, combining traditional classical techniques and contemporary styles with a rich variety of musical influences from around the world.

Dave Townsend

Dave is a performer of both traditional and classical music, playing mainly English Concertina, accordion and violin, but these form only a part of a range of activities which include composition and research.
He created the Mellstock Band and founded the West Gallery Music Association, and has also worked as musical director and stage musician at the National Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic.

Guy Woolfenden

Guy Woolfenden is the President of the ISM. A composer, conductor and lecturer, he was formerly Head of Music at the Royal Shakespeare Company for which he composed 150 scores.