leadership and administration skills

• developing, communicating, and deploying artistic and institutional values
• setting and delivering institutional goals
• delivering organisational excellence beyond the concert platform:

  i. acting as ambassador for ensembles;

  ii. press, publicity, and web-based projects;

  iii. player and concert management.

• auditioning and recruiting soloists
• booking and co-ordinating section tutors
• planning and scheduling considerate and effective rehearsals
• awareness of current legislative, health and safety, and child-protection requirements

My work with the Birmingham Chamber Orchestra exemplifies my leadership and administration skills. BCO, of which I am co-founder, presents performances of a high standard in all parts of the region, especially those where access to professional music-making is limited. It strives towards a compelling level of musicianship and carefully-rehearsed performances. BCO regularly programmes neglected repertoire or uses unusual and challenging contexts to enrich more-familiar music. The Orchestra is funded by promoters, grant-making bodies, and by a thriving Supporters’ Scheme; no subscription is levied on players, and I am proud that exceptional young musicians are not in this way excluded.

communication skills

• numerous spoken introductions to works in concert
• live interviews on BBC Radio 3 (SSO and BCO) and local radio (BBC WM, Radio Lancashire, Cambridgeshire)
• more than 200 lectures in music appreciation (Universities of Nottingham and Glasgow)
• programme notes, articles, and essays (Decca, Pearl, International Classical Record Collector)
• adjudication for competitive festivals (Solihull; Banbury)
• leading masterclasses and workshops (OF; Headington School, Oxford; SSO)

programming skills

• working with committees and administrators to develop artistic organisations
• growing the identity of ensembles through judicious programming
• building balanced season-long programmes
• thematic programming
• setting programming goals appropriate to the needs and ability of the ensemble
• working to a budget
• co-operating with public and hire libraries
• programming and delivering outdoor fireworks concerts in conjunction with the West Midlands Safari Park,
• and ‘Last Night of the Proms’ concerts (WFSO, SSO)

My brief from the committee of the Birmingham University Music Society was to offer to students the experience of performing interesting, exciting, and challenging repertoire which might not be readily available to them after their University career. Enabled by a carefully-constructed plan of rehearsals and external coaching, over a two-year period, performances were given of the Bartók and Lutosławski Concertos for Orchestra; the Korngold Violin Concerto; Mahler’s Symphony no.5; and the Rite of Spring.

working with young people

• devising, performing, and presenting concerts for children (Peter and the Wolf (HCO)).
• sourcing repertoire both appropriate for the audience and substantial for the Orchestra.
• workshop projects for young soloists (‘Rising Stars’ SSO).
• child protection trained (2007); CRB checked

funding

I have successfully obtained funding from:

• National Lottery: concert performances of Così fan tutte (HCO); Rigoletto (BCO); refresher lessons (HO); concerts in CBSO Centre (SSO) and Solihull School (SSO)
• Arts Council: semi-staged Eugene Onegin (BCO)
• Local Authority: purchase of piano for Cornbow Hall (HO)
• Concert Promoters: Birmingham International Festival; Dudley MBC; Walsall MBC; Cancer Research UK, Gwalior Children’s Hospital, and Churches (BCO)
• Other Sources of Funding: i. Gift Aid (SSO); ii. Supporters’ Scheme (BCO; SSO)

abbreviations

BCO (Birmingham Chamber Orchestra)

HCO (Halesowen Chamber Orchestra)

HO (Halesowen Orchestra)

OF (Opera Festa)

SSO (Solihull Symphony Orchestra)

WFSO ( Wyre Forest Symphony Orchestra)