www.markashford.com

Mark Ashford is stunning audiences around the world with his unique lyricism and utter conviction to the guitar and it's music. As Classical Guitar magazine commented;

"Ashford's playing possesses such clarity and underlying adherence to the sense of structure of the music, as to render the innate difficulties of the guitar a long forgotten trouble that need no longer concern us."

Born in Northampton, England, Mark began his formal musical training at Chetham's School of Music with Gordon Crosskey. He then went on to study with Michael Lewin as a scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music, from where he graduated in 1993 with first class honours and awards from the Principal. During the following few years Mark completed his studies in Spain with guitarist David Russell, thanks to bursay’s awarded to him from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Allcard grants and the Royal Academy of Music.

Early on in his performing career Mark became a laureate of several major national and international competitions including Radio Two’s Young Musician, the Julian Brean Prize, South East Arts Music Platform Award, the Guitar Foundation of America, the Scandinavian International Guitar Competition, and the Alessandria International Guitar Competition, Italy. After winning the Radio 2 Competition Mark's career really took off performing regular live recitals on the BBC as a soloist and with the BBC Concert Orchestra. He was also given his own hour long showcase programme, broadcast live on the radio.

He has now performed at many of the UK's most prestigious music venues, including the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Fairfield Halls, St George's-Bristol, Bridgewater Hall-Manchester, Sage- Gateshead and the Queen's Hall-Edinburgh. Performances have also taken him to France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Holland, Hungary, Germany, Poland, U.S.A, Cuba and Barbados.

As a concerto soloist Mark has performed with many leading Orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Concertante and the Turin Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of such eminent conductors as Carl Davis, Christopher Warren-Green, Barry Wordsworth and Ignacio Yepes.

Mark has recorded six CD’s including a recording of Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Cleobury. This led to a most successful promotion tour around the UK with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His latest CD is with the newly formed Vida Guitar Quartet (Mark Eden, Helen Sanderson & Chris Stell) entitled 'Love, the Magician' with music by Falla, Bizet and Turina. The CD recently received rave reviews in both the Classic FM and Gramaphone music magazines.

He regularly give masterclasses at Intenational Festivals and the leading Conservatoires of Music and he is currently head of guitar at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music. In 2003 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music having achieved distinction in the profession.

Timothy Barratt studied on a Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, winning many major awards, and completed his studies with Vlado Perlemuter, himself a pupil of Ravel, in Paris and with Geoffrey Parsons.

He has toured and broadcast extensively in the UK and abroad as soloist, accompanist and chamber music player. Whilst still a student he developed a special interest in song accompaniment through playing for Masterclasses at Aldeburgh, subsequently partnering such artists as Dame Felicity Lott, Stephen Varcoe and Robert White. In addition, instrumentalists he has worked with include Jack Brymer, Bradley Creswick and Haaken Hardenberger.

Teaching forms a major part of his musical life and he enjoys working with pupils of all ages and levels. He is Head of Keyboard at Dulwich College and also teaches at the Royal Academy of Music. He frequently directs Masterclasses and teachers’ workshops, most recently in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia and is a busy Competition and Festival adjudicator.

An ABRSM examiner since 1991, he has been a Trainer of new examiners for many years and was recently appointed Consultant Moderator. Other work for the AB includes co-writing the Board’s Teaching Notes on Piano Exam pieces, presenting Seminars and acting as a mentor on the CT ABRSM Course.

Dominic Moore was born in England and began learning the violin with Pamela Spofforth at the age of 8. He later won scholarships to Winchester College and the Royal College of Music studying the violin with Itzhak Rashkovsky, and also the piano as a joint first study with Peter Element.

In 2004, Dominic founded the St George’s Chamber Orchestra, which is based at St George’s Beckenham, with the conductor Madeleine Lovell. As well as leading the orchestra he frequently appears as soloist. Solo performances have included the Beethoven violin concerto, and Mozart's Violin Concerto in A, and the Sinfonia Concertante with the viola player Edward Vanderspar. Dominic also made his conducting debut with the orchestra earlier this year.

As a soloist, Dominic has recorded a CD entitled Cafe Music with the pianist Daniel Becker for Persephone Books. The disc was brilliantly received, being broadcast several times on BBC Radio 3 and ClassicFM and was described by Classic FM magazine as 'playing of grace and zest'.

As an orchestral player, Dominic has been invited as a guest to lead the Ulster Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Nacional do Porto and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Recent engagements included appearing as soloist with the Orquestra Nacional do Porto in performances of Haydn’s and Martinu’s Sinfonia Concertantes.

Dominic is immensely grateful to the Countess of Munster, Abbado, Ian Fleming Trusts and the Musicians Loan Fund for help with acquiring an extremely rare Spanish violin by Marianus Ortega. It is believed to be the only Ortega violin currently in the UK.

Dr. Anita Downey, PhD, PGCE, ADVS,LGSM, FVCM, PGCA trained as a teacher and then went on to work in both Primary and Secondary schools. She combined her academic teaching with her love of the arts and happily taught both. Pioneering the integration scheme for Surrey and also working for four years, with profoundly deaf youngsters, she then set up a special Creative Arts Programme for them. Continuing her training at the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama and the Central School, taking the Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies, she then set up and developed a very successful drama group, which ran for fifteen years.

Winning the International Professor Van Lawrence Award, for her research into voice sounds, led her to research further into the cultural rhythms of the World through literature. Her doctorate explored such rhythms from a selected group of writers.

Due to her strong belief in a sound education, she continues to teach Maths and English at home alongside Speech and Drama. Her own relaxation is studying Japanese, which she really enjoys. She adjudicates and examines all over the World, is a busy lecturer and enjoys the challenges of a varied life.

Andrew Dibb has enjoyed a successful career in music education, most recently as Director of Music at The Prebendal School (Chichester Cathedral's Choir School). He now pursues a varied freelance career encompassing consultancy, performing, choral direction, examining, teaching and adjudicating.

He won the Organ Scholarship to Hull University, before undertaking performance studies in organ, piano and harpsichord at the Royal Northern College of Music (with an award from the Thalben-Ball trust). From 1990-93 Andrew was Assistant Organist at Beverley Minster in the East Riding of Yorkshire; he has played on BBC broadcasts and directed choirs for BBC R4's Daily Service. Andrew has performed in venues across the UK including: St.Asaph's Cathedral, Blackburn Cathedral, Bradford Cathedral, Bridlington Priory, Carlisle Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Hull City Hall and Lincoln Cathedral.

Andrew is an examiner, presenter and coordinator for the ABRSM and undertakes regular tours both in the UK and overseas (in the last three years he has examined in Bangladesh, Borneo, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey) – not surprisingly travelling is a great passion! His adjudicating work has taken him to festivals and schools far and wide, in all parts of the country.

Andrew is a keen supporter of the Royal School of Church Music and has directed or tutored on over 30 day and residential courses nationwide. He also sustains a regular teaching practice and provides scholarship coaching for pupils entering some of the UK's leading public schools.

Anne Hodgson was brought up in Sussex and played with BYO and ESYO as a teenager. She studied at the RCM as a junior exhibitioner, moving on to train professionally at TCM and GSMD.

After many years as a freelance player and teacher in London, Anne moved to East Sussex with her young family in 1999. She teaches at Brighton College and Burgess Hill School for Girls as well as performing regularly.

She is a founder member of Sussex Flutes, and a trustee of the British Flute Society. She is currently co-writing the flute version of the Music Babies series by Kay Tucker.

Anne is delighted to be adjudicating at Springboard this year.

www.gaynorkeeble.co.uk

Gaynor Keeble gained scholarships to the University of Warwick and the Royal Academy of Music. She combines a busy performing career with teaching both privately & at Warwick University & adjudicating at many festivals.She has also worked extensively with English Touring Opera’s Education Programme.

She was a member of Welsh National Opera for three years and has worked for the Royal Opera, English National Opera Opera North, D’Oyly Carte Mid- Wales and English Touring Opera Carl Rosa. Roles with these companies include Carmen Delilah (Samson & Delilah) Amneris ( Aida) Marchioness (Daughter of the Regiment) Baba the Turk (Rake’s Progress) Mrs Sedley (Peter Grimes) Meg Page (Falstaff) Maddalena (Rigoletto) Marcellina (Marriage of Figaro) Orpheus (Orpheus and Euridice) and Tisbe (Cenerentola) Katisha ( Mikado) Azucena (Il Trovatore) Concert include appearances with the London Mozart Players, London Bach Orchestra, CBSO Royal Philharmonic and The Philharmonia.

She was made an ARAM in 2009

She maintains a busy operatic career with recent engagements including Katisha (ENO) 3rd Lady Magic Flute & Voice of the Mother (Hoffmann) Royal Opera House Hippolyta ( Midsummer Nights Dream) & Gertrude (Romeo & Juliet) both for Opera. Roles in 2011 include 3rd Lady (ROH) La Marquise ( Fille du Regiment) Mistress Quickly ( Falstaff) Longborough & Annina (La Traviata) ROH.

Richard May is one of Britain’s most outstanding cello players. Since winning the BBC TV Young Musician of the Year Competition, String Section, he has pursued an international career as soloist and chamber musician. He has performed most of t he major cello concerti with such orchestras as the Basel Symphony , Ulster and BBC Philharmonic.

He has performed throughout the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy, Ukraine, South Africa, Japan, Chile and the USA, including appearances at the Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Barbican and at festivals in Salzburg, Berlin and Aldeburgh. His London debut recital at the Purcell Room included the world premiere of Five Duos for cello and piano by Colin Matthews, written for him. A recital in Basel of Bach Solo Suites gained critical acclaim for “absolute perfection and virtuosity”.He also gave a recital for the TV series and Chandos CD “ Solo”, featuring British musicians.

Richard studied with Florence Hooton at Royal Academy of Music and afterwards with William Pleeth, Paul Tortelier and Thomas Demenga.Past prizes include the National Federation of Music Societies Award and the EMI Jacqueline Du Pre Competition, where The Times wrote of the Shostakovich Sonata “simply one of the most gripping performances I have heard”. He has given masterclasses at the National Academy of Music, Kiev, Venice Conservatiore, and was also invited to perform Vivaldi Double Concertos with Nigel Kennedy on a UK tour.

He was cellist of the Angell Piano Trio for nearly twenty years, who were Ensemble-in-Residence at the Britten-Pears School and performed throughout the UK and Europe, often for radio. The New York Times said of them “it would be hard to imagine a more powerful performance” (US premiere of James MacMillan’s Fourteen Little Pictures).

In June 2011 Richard recorded a CD for the Naxos label, with works for solo cello and choir by John Tavener and Roxanna Panufnik.

Richard is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, and Professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Wells Cathedral Specialist Music School.

During 2011/12 season Richard will give concerts in Italy, Switzerland and France, as well as in the UK.