Steven Roberts

Steven has been a music adjudicator since 2001; has sat on the Adjudicators Council and in 2020 was re-elected for his third term of office to the Board of Trustees. He is a busy professional; conducting, teaching and lecturing. He brings with him experience as a manager, knowledge of quality systems, business acumen and many years of leading change.

He has successfully combined a career in education with his work as a conductor, musical director and adjudicator, working both in this country and in Europe and as far a field as Peru and Bahrain.

Steven has conducted numerous concerts throughout this country and throughout Europe with a variety of Choirs, ensembles and orchestras, winds bands and brass bands.

He studied piano, brass and voice and has worked in a variety of musical settings. He has worked alongside actors and dancers on many projects and is keen to support the work of the Federation to maximise opportunities for performance within all disciplines. He enjoys working with his colleagues on the Board, Councils and the wider community of volunteers that help to keep our Festivals vibrant.

Having previously held the post of Director of External Relations at Barnsley College he has excellent communication skills and enjoys collaborative working.

He his happy to adjudicate virtual/on-line Festivals.

Eva Maria Doroszkowska

Eva Maria Doroszkowska is an international pianist whose dramatic and colourful interpretation of the piano repertoire has earned her high acclaim. She enjoys a busy soloist and chamber performing career which takes her round the world and she has appeared on BBC and Polish television and radio. A keen interest in contemporary music has led her to work with two of the 20th Century’s finest composers, Gorecki and Per Nørgård leading to her giving the UK premier of Nørgård’s Cantica for Cello and Piano. Eva Maria won a scholarship to study piano at the Royal Northern College of Music. With awards from the Countess of Munster and government scholarships she also studied under the renowned Jasinski in Poland and took soloist diplomas in Amsterdam and Copenhagen winning many prizes and bursaries. Alongside her performing career, she is an adjudicator, gives masterclasses and workshops, teaches piano and chamber music at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, and is passionate about working with young musicians.

Kay Tucker

Kay was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire and began studies on the cello at the age of 12, continuing studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her portfolio career has combined teaching and adjudicating with performing as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. ‘Encouragement’ is a key word in all aspects of Kay’s work and she has great joy in working alongside musicians of all ages, particularly the very young. Kay’s passion for teaching led her to develop an early years strings & general musicianship system known as ‘Stringbabies’. Since its inception in 2004, ‘Stringbabies’ has become well established and accepted as a leading approach in strings teaching (surprisingly to all ages!) and is being delivered throughout the UK and abroad in individual teaching practices, schools and music services. In recent years, Kay worked as a consultant to Trinity Guildhall, selecting and co-selecting repertoire for graded exams and diplomas. Kay is a Trustee and member of the Executive council of the European String Teacher’s Association (ESTA) and chairs the Horsham Performers Platform.

Craig Ogden

Craig was born in Australia and is one of the most exciting guitarists of his generation. He studied guitar from the age of seven and percussion from the age of thirteen. In 2004, he became the youngest instrumentalist to receive a Fellowship from the Royal Northern College of Music in recognition of his achievements. Craig’s recordings for Virgin/EMI, Chandos, Nimbus, Hyperion and Sony have received wide acclaim, and BBC Music Magazine dubbed him "a worthy successor to Julian Bream". His debut solo CD for Nimbus Records of '20th Century Classics by British composers' was nominated for a Grammy Award. Craig has performed concertos with all of the major UK orchestras and also internationally. Craig regularly appears as soloist and chamber musician at the major London venues and collaborates with many of the UK’s top artists and ensembles. He has released a number of CDs and is Principal Lecturer in Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Liz Childs

Liz studied Flute with Gareth Morris and Piano with Graeme Humphrey at the RAM and has performed all over the world both as a soloist and orchestral/chamber musician. Her varied career includes performing with many orchestras, Quintessimo, adjudicating both abroad and in the UK where she is very busy as well as an extensive teaching schedule. A founder and Musical Director of the Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy she is also flute teacher at Beechwood Park School in Markyate, Hertfordshire and St Francis College in Letchworth. Liz founded alongside the BWA a Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy Flute Ensemble which goes from strength to strength and which has made in 2019 its 3rd European Concert Tour with a proposed tour to Slovenia and Austria in 2021. Liz thoroughly enjoys her work as an Adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals, regarding it a real privilege to be able to encourage and inspire performers. She believes that a positive experience at a Federation Festival can change a performer’s life forever. It did hers!

Peter Hunt

Peter is an experienced choral trainer and conductor having worked with a wide variety of singers and choral groups for over 40 years. He studied at Dartington and London before a long career in secondary music education, later focusing more broadly on choral education. He was Head of Creative Arts at Chipping Norton School for 10 years and still conducts the local Choral Society after 19 years. Until 2015 he was Head of Voice and Deputy Head of the independent music service Berkshire Maestros. Peter is the inspiration behind the VOICEWORKS publications with Oxford University Press that have transformed singing activities for many people. He has a national reputation as a workshop leader, trainer and adjudicator.

Mark Ashford

Mark is a world-renowned performer and teacher, beginning his formal musical training at Chetham's School of Music. He studied with Michael Lewin as a scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), graduating in 1993 with first class honours. Some years followed in Spain with guitarist David Russell, supported by various bursaries including one from the RAM. Early in his performing career he became a laureate of several major national and international competitions including Radio 2’s Young Musician and the Julian Bream Prize. He has performed at many of the UK's most prestigious music venues, and international performances have also taken him to Europe, the Americas and the Far East. He has performed concertos with leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra. Mark has ten CDs to his name including the Rodrigo Concerto. His latest CD is ‘Bachianas’ with the Vida Guitar Quartet and features saxophonist Amy Green. He is currently Head of Guitar at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Music.