Our Team

Alexandra Davidson

I’m a professional bassoon player who took up the instrument at the age of 11, pretty much the minute I was big enough to hold it up (almost) properly. Eventually it became my job and I’ve since played in the orchestra for Elton John tours, performed on board the QE2 and made odd noises on the soundtrack for Dr Who. When not playing I’m often to be found at a pub quiz, where my specialist subject is 1990s pop lyrics.
Alice Hall

Since studying in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music, Alice enjoys a busy freelance career performing with Orchestras in London such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. She has recorded many film and TV soundtracks (including 'Downton Abbey') and performed with pop artists such as Katie Melua and Pixie Lott. She has appeared on TV shows such as X factor and The Graham Norton Show, and performed for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. When not performing Alice can be found running and cycling many miles in Kent and painting oil landscape paintings!
Anna Bringham

Violinist, geeky enthusiast about obscure stuff and other fun things
Anna Downes

Anna enjoys a busy career as a freelance violinist, performing across the classical and pop genres, with artists such as Katherine Jenkins and Russell Watson. Anna is a regular player with The Limelight Orchestra which performs 'Ibiza Classics' concerts across the UK at festivals and arenas. Most recently Anna has toured with the International Film Orchestra, supporting West End Stars Kerry Ellis and Louise Dearman. Anna has a busy private teaching practice, tutoring violin, piano and theory to over 40 students each week. In addition to music, Anna loves travelling and spending time with her crazy teenage sons!
Anna Drysdale

I’m Anna and I play the horn. My work takes me anywhere from playing Bach in Germany to the music of Prince at the Royal Albert Hall, working with orchestras like Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic. I attended the Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music in London, as well as studying historical horn in Amsterdam; I’ve always had strong ties to Europe (as a massive foodie as well as a musician…) and can’t wait to get back to travelling for music again!
Bethan Greenaway

Bethan is a clarinettist based in Oxfordshire. Like many musicians she started on the recorder and then took up the clarinet aged eight. She studied at Birmingham University and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and has worked in the arts ever since.

Recent career highlights have included performing at Gloucester Cathedral (where Harry Potter was filmed) and being dubbed “The Queen of Music Production” by John Rutter whilst working at Oxford University Press.

When not clarinet-ing Bethan loves running and baking, because life is all about balance!
Bethan Semmens

Soloist | Chamber Musician | Orchestral Harpist
Cai Isfryn

My name’s Cai Isfryn and I’m a trumpet player who’s performed with Public Service Broadcasting and Bastille, appearing numerous times at Glastonbury Festival as well as some of the world’s most famous concert halls such as the Sydney Opera House and The Royal Albert Hall. I studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and am endorsed by Bach (I play a Stradivarius model 37). Aside from the trumpet I enjoy yoga and meditation as well as any endurance sport. I’m currently training for my first Ironman next year.
Carina Drury

Carina grew up in Dublin and started learning the cello when she was 9 years old. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Carina loves the focussed environment of the recording studio and she has recorded music for BBC and ITV television, film soundtracks and her own album which was played on Irish, UK and German national radio. When she’s not playing the cello Carina loves to bake and she brings her cakes to rehearsals to share. She lives beside the sea and loves to go for long runs along the seafront.
Carl Woodcroft

Carl has performed with orchestras including the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He has recorded with Bastille at Abbey Road Studios, played at Glastonbury and the BBC Proms. Carl studied at the Royal Academy of Music and has also performed for The Queen. Interestingly, he has appeared in film and TV as a musician in The Ipcress File remake, Military Wives and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Carl teaches at Royal Holloway University, Highgate School, Surrey Arts and as a visiting guest at Junior Guildhall.
Chloë Vincent

Chloë is a graduate of the Guildhall School and concert highlights include the BRIT awards with Billie Eilish, The Who at Wembley Stadium and performing for the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Chloë regularly records at studios such as Abbey Road, working for artists such as Kanye West, Madonna and Michael Kiwanuka as well as film sessions. Orchestral work covers tours of China and Japan and performing at the Musikverein in Vienna. Chloë lives in Oxfordshire with her trumpeter husband and enjoys cooking and playing board games in her spare time.

Twitter - @chloeflute
Cory Barger

Cory Burns Barger is a bassoonist based in Mexico, where she is the principal bassoon of the filarmónica de Boca del Rio y Veracruz. She has performed in over 20 countries on 4 continents. She studied in London at the Royal College of Music. When she isn't performing, she loves to start DIY projects and spend time with her cat.
Dave Danford

Dave Danford is an established orchestral contractor actively working in the UK, providing orchestras and ensembles of professional musicians for concerts, events and theatre productions throughout the country. As a Percussionist he has performed with leading professional orchestras, for West End theatre productions, and as a soloist (including recitals and orchestral concertos).
Dawn Hardwick

Dawn Hardwick hails from the small town of Mountain Ash, in the Welsh valleys where she began her piano studies. Dawn attended the prestigious Chetham's School of Music studying with Alicia Fiderkiewicz followed by the RWCMD with Richard McMahon and Philip Martin, and continued her performance studies at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Julian Jacobson. Dawn is an experienced concerto soloist, with a varied repertoire from more traditional piano concertos to contemporary collaborations and experimental music. Most recently, she performed John Psathas’ double concerto ‘View From Olympus’ with percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and the British Sinfonietta to great acclaim, and was subsequently invited to perform with Dame Evelyn at the Southbank Sky Arts Awards, broadcast on the Sky Arts channel, and also on BBC One’s ‘The One Show’. One of her great loves is orchestra/ensemble playing, and she regularly works as an orchestral pianist/celeste/keyboards player with many of the UK's top orchestras both at home and on tour. Dawn regularly performs as an accompanist for various musicians, and has been involved in many radio and television broadcasts such as James May’s ‘Man Lab’, BBC One's ‘The One Show’ and the Southbank Sky Arts Awards. She was the pianist for English Touring Opera’s production of Tippett’s ‘King Priam’ for which they won an Olivier Award and has recently been working with animator Gregoire Pont in his performances of ‘Cinesthetics’ – live animation to the solo piano music of Ravel, in association with Maestro Arts.
Doug Hanvey

Doug started playing piano at age 6. He studied classical piano and music composition at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington (one of the foremost music schools in the US), later working as an accompanist at the School. In Los Angeles, Doug studied contemporary (jazz/blues) keyboard styles with John Novello, one of the country’s leading keyboard teachers who has taught and/or played with Chick Corea, Stevie Wonder and Andy Summers of The Police.

Doug was later mentored as a teacher by Novello. Doug has regularly gigged and worked as a music director in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Doug also holds a master’s degree in adult education. He is the author of the Creative Keyboardist Adult Piano Course, a systematic and sequential method designed especially for adult learners. Doug has composed hundreds of piano pieces and songs and the score of a full-length musical. He is a member of Music Teachers National Association.
Elaine Booth

Elaine Booth a reed player, equally happy on flutes, clarinets and saxes. All types of music: classical, musical theatre, jazz, pop.
Elaine Kingscott

Elaine is a reed player, equally at home playing saxophones, flutes and clarinets. She’s generally found below the stage in a pit band, and is currently a regular dep in the band for Only Fools and Horses in the West End. She has also toured the UK with ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’, and ‘The Magic Flute’. Elaine has played at the National Theatre, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and many other theatres throughout the UK. She loves cats and cooking, and listening to jazz.
Elinor Jane Moran

Elinor is a world-class Opera singer and Olympic Hip Hop Dancer all combined into one! She is currently travelling the globe on tour with André Rieu and The Johann Strauss Orchestra as a guest soloist.

Whilst not performing on the stage, she likes making records - and was recently featured on the SONY BMG album, “The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan” which reached the top of the Classical Chart. Oh, and did we mention she also loves hip-hop! What a brilliantly odd combination...
Ellen Porter

Ellen Porter is a cellist based in North Yorkshire, UK. She is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Eduardo Vassallo and Jennifer Langridge. Later, she completed postgraduate training with Johan Stern in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she specialised in orchestral performance. Ellen has performed throughout the UK and Europe as a member of several orchestras including the Swedish National Orchestra Academy, Berlin Opera Academy, Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra and Baroque in the North. She has also performed in masterclasses with cellists Hannah Roberts, Guy Johnston, Gillian Thoday, Emma Ferrand, Miklos Perenyi and Peter Somodari; and previously studied with David Smith

Ellen has always been passionate about communicating and sharing her passion for music with others. She currently works for North Yorkshire Music Education Hub as an Instrumental Teacher having previously worked as a supply music teacher in Sweden. In 2021, she completed the Ambassador Programme with the Benedetti Foundation, and completed articles for Ted's-List. She has also worked with Global Grooves as part of the LIME Music UK 2017 Festival, the National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain, RNCM Young Basses and the Halle Youth Ensembles team.

Ellen currently plays on a modern Italian style cello dated 2012 and a French bow in the style of Tubbs. She was supported in her further musical study by The Edna Newill Charitable Trust, to whom she is forever grateful.

Apart from music Ellen enjoys learning languages, travelling and going on long walks with her dog, Digby!
Fiona Gibbs

Fiona Gibbs is a violinist and academic based in London. After reading Music at King’s College, London she commenced doctoral studies at the Royal College of Music. Since graduating in 2018 Fiona has worked as a freelance violinist and academic across the UK. She has performed at the Royal Albert Hall with Cinematic Sinfonia, and for members of the Royal Family during her time at the RCM. Aside from music, Fiona loves to travel and explore new places in the UK and abroad, visiting Australia and Cuba in recent years.
Fred Lawton

Initially an electric guitarist, Frederick Lawton decided to move to classical guitar whilst already at university studying Popular Music and Jazz. Despite coming to the instrument late, he has quickly established himself as a player with a rare understanding and ability to project and display a sound which shows the colours of the instrument freely. He studied under Paolo Pegoraro at The Segovia Guitar academy in Pordenone, Italy. Before this he studied with Craig Ogden at The RNCM and Graham Anthony Devine for his MMus at Trinity Laban. In 2018 he became the international board member for the Norwegian Guitar Festival and became the first English guitarist to record solo for Guitar Salon International in Los Angeles California.
Gemma Murray

After studying at the University of Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music, Gemma enjoys a busy career as a freelance double bassist. In addition to working regularly with the UK's top opera, ballet, and symphony orchestras, Gemma has also performed with the Bootleg Beatles and toured with Il Divo! When not playing the double bass Gemma enjoys running and Crossfit training, and can often be found throwing dumbbells around at her local gym. During lockdown last year she also began studying Scottish Gaelic, which she hopes will eventually help to deepen her understanding and practice of traditional music.
Guy Passey

Guy is a professional saxophonist based in London. Trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he has performed and recorded with leading artists such as Paul Weller, Hannah Peel and Public Service Broadcasting, and played at renowned concert halls around the UK and Europe from the Royal Albert Hall to Berlin’s Konzerthaus. Alongside the saxophone he also performs on clarinet, flute and oboe, and is currently trying to complete the woodwind set by learning the bassoon! In his spare time he bakes bread, and plays chess very badly.
Hannah Haefele

My name is Hannah, and I'm a flutist and piccolo player. I've performed with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra and played in a professional recording studio. My sheet music has been purchased by musicians in the United States, Ireland, Germany, and Myanmar. I have a master of music in flute from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Outside of music, I love watching old Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows. And if I could live anywhere, regardless of money, I would choose the Cayman Islands.
Hugh Richardson

Hugh Richardson is a bass player and writer currently based in London, UK. Recently, he has been busy playing on West End shows and tours including Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, Kinky Boots and Priscilla. When he's not performing, he is probably teaching or spending time perfecting his table tennis game!

You can find out more about Hugh from www.onlinebassguitar.com
Jamie Hutchinson

Jamie Hutchinson is a Welsh violinist, and has recorded and played with artists as diverse as Robbie Williams, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Peter Gabriel, Procul Harum, Paul Weller, Barbra Streisand, Bryn Terfel and countless others.

For nine consecutive years Jamie has performed at the BBC Proms, including at the Last Night of the Proms both at the Royal Albert Hall and in Hyde Park. She is frequently to be heard on the radio with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra, all of whom she has toured with internationally.

In her spare time she is a dedicated Pilates student and a keen runner. She is also a book worm and has tentatively started a blog due to her love of words.
Jenny Joy Porton

Dr Jennie Joy Porton attended the Royal College of Music a ‘year early’ aged 17, on the Joint Principal Study pathway, on clarinet and saxophone. She also took a semester of study on clarinet at the Universitat Mozarteum, Salzburg, and received intensive saxophone training in New York from Dr Paul Cohen (of Manhattan School of Music). As a freelancer, Jennie enjoys a varied performance career. She was a member of the orchestra for Matthew Bourne’s world premiere production of Romeo and Juliet, with a residency in Sadler’s Wells, live performance screening in cinemas across the UK and UK tour. Other notable performing work includes Miss Saigon UK/Ireland tour, and the UK leg of Idina Menzel’s world tour (venues including Wembley Arena). Jennie works regularly with Welsh National Opera and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, on both clarinet and saxophone. She also freelances in London’s West End. As a teacher, Jennie teaches saxophone and clarinet/saxophone doubling, and supervises students on academic projects. She has also worked in a teaching/coaching capacity at the New York Summer Music Festival.
Kate Telfer

Kate is a soprano graduate of Royal Holloway College, and plays the piano, tenor horn and violin. She has performed at Kensington Palace for the Queen Consort, played in a brass band marching display at Lord’s cricket ground, and sung on stage with Katherine Jenkins at the Royal Albert Hall. Kate has also been known to moonlight as an opera surtitler (the person in charge of the captions above the stage) and recently surtitled the world’s first Drive-In opera at Alexandra Palace!
Katie Bennington

Katie Bennington enjoys a varied freelance career playing regularly with orchestras around the country such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, ENO, ENB, and CBSO. She is also a keen chamber musician and enjoys working in collaboration with artists from different genres.

She is a Masters graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she studied oboe with Richard Simpson, Gordon Hunt and David Walter, and cor anglais with Jane Marshall. She then went on to take part in the LPO's Foyle Future Firsts Scheme and in 2010 was a member of Southbank Sinfonia. She was a British Double Reed Society prize winner at the Barbirolli International Oboe Festival and Competition in 2009. At GSMD she was a Needlemaker’s Woodwind Prize Finalist in 2008, and in Dec 2007 she won the Slaughter and May Musician of the Year Award. She plays on a Sound Alchemy Enigma oboe and a Loree Royal cor anglais.
Kymia Kermani

Dutch-Iranian clarinettist Kymia Kermani attended the Amsterdam Conservatory’s Young Talent Class from the age of 15, where she graduated with distinction. She continued her studies on a scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London and was generously supported by various foundations.
Leo Nicholson

Leo Nicholson studied at the Purcell School, the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, and with Douglas Finch and the late Yonty Solomon at Trinity Laban. He was a consistent prize-winner at Trinity, winning both the John Longmire Beethoven Competition and the Alfred Kitchen Chopin Competition, and graduated with First Class Honours, the TCM Silver Medal (Keyboard) and a Silver Medal awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He continues to work as a soloist and performs with the Birmingham based contemporary group Thumb. Leo is also a much sought-after accompanist, and has returned to Trinity as a faculty member, primarily accompanying singers and wind players. Five years ago he formed a flute and piano duo with Rosanna Ter-Berg, and their critically acclaimed Purcell Room début (under the auspices of the Park Lane Group) in January 2012 led to performances at the Wigmore Hall and the Bridgewater Hall. More recently Leo started working with saxophonist Anthony Brown, who he met through the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and they have since played together all over the country. Leo has a fondness for Musical Theatre, and has worked on everything from small fringe shows (Belle Canto’s Opera Hour, and the Crowd (wept) and Hamlet! The Musical) to large commercial productions (Jekyll & Hyde UK Tour). Leo joined Piano Circus in 2015.
Lewis Turner

Lewis is a professional guitarist based in London, UK. Over the years he has built up a diverse career, including playing on West End shows such as The Lion King, Mamma Mia, Man of La Mancha, Bat Out Of Hell, Strictly Ballroom, The Band, The Last Tango, Jersey Boys, Jackie The Musical, Exposure, Beyond The Fence, Adrian Mole, WAGGS, Momentous Musicals, The Addams Family (UK Premier), Legally Blonde, Fame, Hairspray, Grease, The Wedding Singer and many more. He has been fortunate to work with some fantastic musicians over the years including Mark Knopfler and Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits). All in all, Lewis is just a phenomenally talented guitarist who is also a really nice chap! See him in action on the Ted's List YouTube channel under the playlist guitars section.
Lucy Downer

Lucy plays the clarinet, saxophone and flute, and teaches at all levels from complete beginner to university level. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Lucy has played all around the world, and her favourite concert halls are the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Pantheon in Rome. She has played on BBC TV and Radio, and for recording sessions at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios. When not playing music, Lucy can be found canoeing down white water rivers or baking cakes for her friends.
Lyndsay Evans

Drummer, percussionist and DJ based in the UK. As well as sessions and playing with some incredible DJ's including Miss Kelly Marie, Boy George & Luke Slater, she managed to tour 5 out of the 6 continents in 12 months. Lyndsay has just finished drumming on the west end stage with Adam Garcia and the boys of Tap Dogs before she went off on an Australian tour to see out the British winter. Currently she has her own solo project, "She Plays Drums", where she DJs and plays percussion together!! As well as DJing, Lyndsay has been playing drums and percussion for lots of well known people around the world, including Ricky Martin, Peter Andre, Eros Ramazzotti, The X Factor lot, Reverend & The Makers, Patti LaBelle, Katy Carr, Electric Dolls, The It Dolls, Hed Kandi, Jazzy Jeff, Luke Slater, Kelli Le Roc, Omar, Nile Rogers, Billy Bragg, Wyclef Jean, Omar Hakim, High On Heels, Kelly Rowland, The Black Eyed Peas and some Berbers up a mountain in Africa who were awesome.
Mark Gibbs

My name is Mark and I’ve been playing the viola since I was ten years old. I studied at the Royal College of Music in London for four years. Since then, I’ve played with Rod Stewart at the Brits, played with the likes of Katherine Jenkins and travelled all over the world, doing what I love! In my spare time, I love learning languages. I’ve been learning German for several years now and speak some Czech, too. I also enjoy studying maps, as well as playing and watching football.
Matthew Gee

After starting his career in the opera pits of Scotland, Chile and Yorkshire, Matthew took up positions with the Royal Philharmonic and Aurora Orchestra almost simultaneously. A love for contemporary music and chamber ensemble playing grew, largely through his work with Aurora, which now makes for an interesting portfolio career alongside teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and working with the brass septet Septura. Having said all that, he would swap it in an instance to play cricket for England.
Nadine Galea

Award winning, multi-genre violinist Nadine Galea has performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Family & all political World Leaders at Buckingham Palace broadcasted live on BBC 2
Nathan Williamson

Pianist and composer Nathan Williamson studied with Joan Havill, Malcolm Singer, Martin Bresnick, Ezra Laderman, Robert Saxton and Joan Panetti at the Guildhall School, Oxford University and Yale University, where he also held a prestigious teaching fellowship. Nathan is involved in a wide range of concert activities, including solo recitals both at home and abroad, and concerto and chamber music collaborations with a wide range of artists, including James Gilchrist, Mariko Brown and Julian Jacobson, NOW Ensemble, Charles Watt, Guy Johnston, David Chivers, the Allegri and Sacconi Quartets, and orchestras in Europe, USA and Korea. 2017 will see CD releases of solo American piano music on SOMM label, and 20th Century British violin and piano works with violinist Fenella Humphreys on Lyrita. Nathan’s debut disc Brahms & Schubert: Late Piano Works was released in 2013, and his own compositions can be heard on recent releases by NOW Ensemble and Piotr Szewczyk on New Amsterdam and Navona records. Nathan lives in Southwold, on the Suffolk coast, where he founded the Southwold Concert Series in 2008 and more recently the Southwold Music Trust, which aims to place music at the centre of the town and the surrounding community. Nathan is also director of a new concert series, ‘Music at Wardens’, held at Ness House, Sizewell. He also leads outreach projects with students from the Yehudi Menuhin School and is involved in various education projects at Aldeburgh Music. Nathan joined Piano Circus in 2016.
Neil Georgeson

Neil Georgeson is a pianist, writer, composer and director from the Shetland Islands. He appears regularly and widely as a solo pianist and chamber musician, and has performed as a soloist all over the world, and at UK venues such as King's Place, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Barbican, St David's Hall in Cardiff, the Colston Hall in Bristol and the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh, as well as more unconventional venues like the Glastonbury Festival and the Village Underground, and at London contemporary music nights Kammerklang and Nonclassical. He has appeared at festivals such as 'Soundings' at the Austrian Cultural Forum, the York Late Music Festival, Sounds New in England and France, and the Johnsmas Foy in Shetland, for which he was commissioned as a composer. He has worked with a great many illustrious composers on their music such as Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Martin Bresnick, Diana Burrell, Bent Sørensen and Jonathan Harvey. Neil has performed with the Kammerklang Ensemble, the Arcomis Ensemble, the Continuum Ensemble, the Riot Ensemble and the London Contemporary Orchestra. He also performs in a piano duo with James Young, giving their London debut at The Forge in Camden in 2014 for the Park Lane Group. He enjoyed a prize-winning academic career on scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Patsy Toh, Joanna Macgregor and Ian Fountain. He completed a Masters degree with a highly-acclaimed thesis on the role of the performer in classical music, which became the exemplar dissertation for Masters students, then became a Fellow at the Academy working with composers on new music. Also having a theatre background, Neil has written three opera libretti: KETTLEHEAD for Darren Bloom, Angela, an inverted love story for Corin Buckeridge, and Njogel for James Young, with whom he also created the improvised music-theatre show Event001. He has directed, produced and written music and text for "Piano Theatre", a cross-disciplinary tour of Taiwan with Veronica Yen. Neil is Artistic Director of new-music group the Ossian Ensemble, for whom he plays the piano as well as curating concerts, directing new chamber opera and creating site-specific promenade events incorporating theatrical elements and multimedia. Neil joined Piano Circus in 2015.
Reg Clews

Violinist Reg Clews resides in London, UK working as an orchestral musician while also seated as Sub-Leader with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Reg studied with distinguished pedagogue Mauricio Fuchs, attaining an L.Mus. from McGill University, Canada.His love for instruments lead him to luthierie where he made his own violin, and currently rehairs bows for a London violin shop. He's performed with several award-winning artists like Ray Charles, Leona Lewis, John Williams, John Powell, Joseph Calleja, Andrea Bocelli, Ray Chen, Hilary Hahn. He also has an A.S. in Business Management.
Robert Emery

Robert Emery is Founder & CEO of Ted's List. He has performed all around the world as a conductor and pianist. From Sydney Opera House to the Royal Albert Hall, Robert has enjoyed bouncing around on stage in most of the major venues in the world. As a record producer, he has worked on fifteen No 1 albums, and hopes he can get to sixteen asap! The Times called him 'the eccentric barefooted maestro' and the Mail quoted that 'the assured baton was controlled by the rather energetic and brilliant conductor'. Robert has a wife (Mrs. E), two children (Master T and Master A) and four cats (Merlin, Mulberry, Partridge & Penguin). Between performing, producing, composing and running Ted's List, he runs an entertainment business called The Arts Group, comprising of a symphony orchestra, choir, live event production house, digital TV company and artist agency. Any spare time is usually devoted to sleep.
Rory Cartmell

Rory is a Trombone player from Northamptonshire. Beginning in brass bands before moving to London to study at the Royal College of Music. Rory works with many of the UK’s top orchestras, in the muddy fields of Glastonbury and the ornate stages of Europe’s concert halls. As well as this he can be heard on various movie soundtracks including Paddington, Disney’s Nutcracker, the Avengers: Age of Ultron and Emancipation. In his free time Rory enjoys finding the next best place to eat and exercising to burn off the calories!
Sam Jowett

Sam is a first class graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. He has played for a number of professional ensembles including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, British Sinfonietta and the Novello Orchestra, which have led him to perform on some of the countries finest stages including the Royal Albert Hall and London Palladium. Alongside Tongwynlais Music Academy, Sam is also a tutor for Rhondda Cynon Taf Music Service. Sams current project is exploring the world of junk percussion, he also enjoys making whisky based cocktails.
Sarah Nixon

Sarah Nixon was born in Reading in 1978. Originally a flute player, she went on to learn bassoon at The Royal Northern College of Music. Since graduating she has been pursuing a busy and varied freelance performing career. In addition to playing frequently with some of the country’s top orchestras, including a trial period for the position of Principal Contra Bassoon with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Sarah’s musical interests are diverse, and she is passionate about teaching.
Sonia Sielaff

Sonia Sielaff is Eflat/Sub Principal clarinetist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a position she’s held since 2017. She’s a faculty member of the Clarinet Maestro Festival and Play With a Pro. A versatile musician, Sonia has performed with the band Heart at Royal Albert Hall, and performed for royalty at Buckingham Palace.

Originally from Minnesota, Sonia holds degrees from University of Southern California, Glenn Gould School, Michigan State University, and Lawrence University. Apart from playing clarinet, Sonia loves baking, speaking Norwegian and nature walks with her dog Sophie.

www.soniasielaff.com
Toby Coles
Tom Scaife

Tom Scaife began playing the Trombone aged 12 and quickly progressed through the numerous youth music ensembles of the Carmarthenshire Music Service, West Wales. He was a member of various national ensembles, including the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Tom recently completed his masters study with distinction at the Hochschule der Künste, Bern, studying with Ian Bousfield. Tom previously studied and graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal Academy of Music, London, having studied with Ian Bousfield, Dudley Bright and Matthew Gee. As a soloist Tom has appeared in a variety of concerts and competitions, the most latest been winner of the Ian Bousfield Tenor Trombone Competition and the John Solomon Brass prize at the Royal Academy of Music, and performing Arthur Pryor’s Blue Bells of Scotland with Symphonic Brass Wales in concerts across the Greek islands.
Yona Marie

Rachel Marie, also known as Yona Marie, has been singing and writing almost all her life. She was born and raised in Maryland and parts of Washington DC. Rachel started out singing with her family often at a church by the name of First Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church, and in performing arts schools including Hyattsville Middle School, Suitland High School, and Jacksonville University, where she studied Music Business with a concentration in marketing. As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 200 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, features, nursery rhymes, and DJ drops, she currently spends her time engulfed in creating and marketing new music. She has developed a strong passion for creating helpful content for artists and musicians who share a similar plight of making their way through an ever-changing digital music world. Her most recent creative collaborations include work with PBS Sound Field, Tribe of Noise, and the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

MANAGEMENT

ROBERT EMERY - FOUNDER & CEO

Robert Emery created Ted’s List during the horrid time of the Covid pandemic in 2020. He was unable to work in the concert halls and music studios during lockdown, so he decided to setup Ted’s List as a great educational resource for all the budding young musicians out there. For more information on Robert Emery, please view his website here.

MATT HOLLAND - FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR

Matt Holland was one of the founding partners in Ted’s List. He has a specialist background in audio and is an experienced sales executive and marketer.

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DAVE DANFORD - FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dave Danford was one of the three founding partners in Ted’s List. His background began as a professional percussionist. Since his career launched, he has not only worked as a performing musician, but has diversified into other areas of musical life, creating orchestras, hiring music, and having a large stock of musical instruments to hire commercially.

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ANNIKA BENNETT - PROJECT MANAGER

Annika Bennett is a Managing Executive, specialising in bringing large teams together and making sure they all sing off the same hymn sheet! Annika is part of a third-party company called Gold Leaf, which specialises in Project Management.

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STAFF

JOSHUA SOLIDUM - SEO EXECUTIVE

Joshua has worked for Ted’s List since its creation in 2020. Indeed, he is the first-ever member of staff Ted’s List hired.

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APREEL MENDOZA - WORDPRESS & OUTREACH MANAGER

Apreel Mendoza is one of the newest team members of Ted’s List. She is a super fast uploader to wordpress.

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MARY SABALA - AFFILIATE MANAGER

Mary Sabala is a fairly new member of the Ted’s List team. She is the Swiss Army Knife of anything affiliate related!

JESSA MAE TORIAGA - CONTENT EXECUTIVE

Jessa Mae is the newest member of the Ted’s List team. She specialises in creating new exciting and engaging content within the site, and working with professional musicians to unleash their inner-author!

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Jowan Mead - Social Media Executive (Music)

Jowan Mead is a passionate member of the Ted’s List team, specialising in the crazy world of social media.

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JAEMY BANEZ - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jaemy Banez has worked with Ted’s List exclusively on social media content. She has created over 5,000 social media posts for us to date!

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JAI BARNACHIA - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jai Barnachia is super at pulling fascinating content from the internet, and reposting it on our social channels.

GIGI ADAMANTOPOULOS - WORDPRESS MANAGER

Gigi Adamantopoulos is a brilliant researcher and wordpress manager.

Aimal Hederzada - Website Developer

Aimal Hederzada a talented developer who has worked on the Ted’s List website

Kane Elworthy - Website Developer

Kane Elworthy worked on the original development of the Ted’s List website.

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Mouhamed El Masri - SEO Executive

Mouhamed El Masri a talented developer who has worked on the Ted’s List website

Hamdi Mohamud - Digital Marketing Executive

Hamdi Mohamud is a Digital Marketing Exec, specialising in reaching out to other musical communities for tie-ups.

Izabel Rose - Marketing Executive

Izabel Rose is a super marketer, pushing the Ted’s List brand out internationally. She focuses on Digital engagement.

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Charlie Wilson - Video Editor

Charlie Wilson is an animator and video editor. He is very talented at making potentially boring videos super exciting!

Victoria Loveridge - Video Animator

Victoria Loveridge, or Tory as we call her, is another talented video animator. She has a flare for knowing how to portray complicated musical elements, easily.

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Dylan Wilson - Video Animator

Dylan Wilson is one of the Video team members at Ted’s List. He creates vids very quickly, and most of which you’ll see on our YouTube channel.

Millie Ward - Video Editor

Millie Ward has created over fifty videos for the Ted’s List brand. Head to our YouTube channel to see some of them in action.

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SamantHa Kotlinska - Publication Designer

Samantha (Sam) Kotlinska is a team leader in our publication department. She has designed all our complimentary PDF’s that we send to our email subscribers.

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Samuel Cooper - Publication Designer

Sam Cooper works for Ted’s List as a Publication Designer. He is in the same team as the other Sam – causing havoc (in a good way!)

Lorena Santos de Carvalho - Graphic Designer

Lorena Santos de Carvalho is a talented graphic designer, focusing on Infographics for Ted’s List.

Edward Hill-White - Graphic Designer

Edward Hill-White – or as he prefers to be called, Ted, is a graphic designer. He works with Lorena creating infographics.

Jacob Gammon-Hardaway - Content creator

Jacob Gammon-Hardaway is a brilliant content creator for Ted’s List. He has written over 1,000 artist biographies for our site.

Joseph Haddock - Copywriter

Joseph Haddock, or Joe as he is called here, is a super copywriter. He has written over 1,000 pieces of content for Ted’s List, and is a valuable member of our team.

Dylan Sheridan - Copywriter

Dylan Sheridan is a copywriter, focusing on composer biographies.

Thomas Jarmey - Music Marketing Executive

Thomas Jarmey is a music marketing executive – he is passionate about creating new ways to get people interested in classical music.

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Meet Our Champions

Lang Lang

Ted's Piano Champion

Meet This Champion

Stephen Hough

Ted's Piano Champion

Meet This Champion

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JOSHUA SOLIDUM - SEO EXECUTIVE

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JAI BARNACHIA - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

GIGI ADAMANTOPOULOS - WORDPRESS MANAGER

Aimal Hederzada - Website Developer

Kane Elworthy - Website Developer

Mouhamed El Masri - SEO Executive

Hamdi Mohamud - Digital Marketing Executive

Izabel Rose - Marketing Executive

Charlie Wilson - Video Editor

Victoria Loveridge - Video Animator

Dylan Wilson - Video Animator

Millie Ward - Video Editor

SamantHa Kotlinska - Publication Designer

Samuel Cooper - Publication Designer

Lorena Santos de Carvalho - Graphic Designer

Edward Hill-White - Graphic Designer

Jacob Gammon-Hardaway - Content creator

Joseph Haddock - Copywriter

Dylan Sheridan - Copywriter

Thomas Jarmey - Music Marketing Executive

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Ted's Piano Champion

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Ted's Piano Champion

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Have You Joined The
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