Katrina Karwacinski– Speech & Drama week 1
Katrina studied, for three years, at The Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama as part of the unique three year Actor/Teacher Course. Having Graduated with Honours, she won a full time Scholarship to The Guildhall Conservatoire of Music and Drama and went on to study Opera, Musical Theatre, Acting and Piano for a further two years. Whilst then pursuing early professional Theatre work she studied for and was awarded her Licentiate Diploma in Acting, Speech and Drama (LRAM). Katrina, as professional Soloist and Principle, has appeared at many prestigious venues over the years performing in Plays, Operas, Recitals and Concerts at The Drury Lane Theatre, The Shaw Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, The Purcell Room and the QEH.
Katrina is an experienced Director, as well as performer, and has enjoyed producing plays, concerts and shows with adults through to young children in a variety of styles ranging from Pantomime and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Light Operettas through to Shakespeare and Grand Opera.
A longstanding member of LAMDA’s Examining Board, for over 35 years, she has also regularly lectured and given Masterclasses for LAMDA and other multiple agencies in Mime, Improvisation, Acting, Voice Production and Musical Theatre, to name but a few.
Katrina has served for many years as a Headteacher across the State, Private and Independent sectors. She recently took early retirement to focus on and further develop her private Communications, Speech and Drama School, Studio ‘K’, which she co-runs with her (fellow thespian) husband, Stefan. She has also increased her work and commitment as both a LAMDA Examiner and BIFF Adjudicator.
Vivienne Redford – Speech & Drama Week 2
Vivienne has studied Speech and Drama since the age of four and has been teaching the subject since 1980.
She worked as Head of Speech and Drama at a large independent girls’ school in Bedford for 34 years, and is the Principal of the Redford School of Speech and Drama – established in 1982 – which trains children and adults in all aspects of performing arts and communication.
Many of Vivienne’s former students are now working in TV, film and theatre around the world including in major West End productions, at the Globe, the RSC and the National Theatre. Others have gone on to establish successful careers as Directors, Technical specialists and as speech and drama teachers.
Away from her own school, Vivienne is an Examiner and Team Leader for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and an Adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals (BIFF), travelling extensively throughout the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands. She is currently a representative for Speech and Drama on the Adjudicators Council.
She has been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of her extensive work in Speech and Drama, particularly with young people.
Richard Deering – Junior Piano
Richard has been an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals for well over 30 years, adjudicating at an average of 12 festivals a year, including many overseas festivals, as a piano or brass specialist and generalist.
He has given piano performances – as soloist and accompanist – in over 90 countries and has held teaching positions in establishments such as London College of Music, Trinity College of Music, Middlesex University, Cambridge University, Auckland University and New York State University. Composers of the calibre of Malcolm Arnold, Malcolm Williamson, Edward Gregson, Edward McGuire, Thomas Wilson, Bernard Stevens, Brian Chapple and Charles Camilleri have written piano works especially for him, and for several years Richard had a close performing relationship with Elisabeth Lutyens.
In 2023 he recorded the entire piano works of Hubert Parry and William Wordsworth, as two separate projects, and these are now available on the Heritage label, while his recording of Lutyens piano music, recorded on her 70th birthday, is due for re-issue.
Richard was also an Adviser to the London Arts Board on contemporary music and jazz. He has also made several other commercial recordings in both UK and Japan.
His Federation work included serving on the Central Board of Trustees, Vice-Chair of the Adjudicator’s Council and with the administration of the PGCA qualification. He was also one of the presenters at both the Warwick and Leeds BIFF celebratory events in 1996 and 2000 respectively.
Currently he is the Chair of Trustees of Croydon Performing Arts Festival and, was honoured, by being elected as a BIFF Fellow in 2012.
Richard is also a high-ranking international cricket umpire, a Life Member of Essex County Cricket Club and a season ticket holder at Sutton United Football Club.
Ann Martin-Davis – Senior Piano
Ann Martin-Davis’s love of 20th century and contemporary art crosses all genres and much of her career has been spent exploring new and appealing ways of presenting solo piano and chamber music.
Ann studied at the Royal College of Music with Phyllis Sellick and in her second year won the College’s premier piano prize, the Chappell Medal. A series of awards led to a South Bank debut and she subsequently won a scholarships to study with Arie Vardi in Hanover and Gyorgy Sebok at the Banff School in Canada.
At this time Ann worked with Polish composer Witold Lutosławski and her subsequent disc of his solo piano and chamber works was described as ‘beautiful and exquisite’ by BBC Music Magazine. Her recent disc of Ravel for Guild has also been critically acclaimed; described by Gramophone as having a ‘delicacy and simplicity; it’s tender melancholy are thoroughly convincing.’
Ann is co-director of ‘Piano at Le Maillard’ which offers advanced coaching and piano retreats at her home in the Charente. She has been described as ‘a compelling ambassador for classical music’ by The Times newspaper and over the last five years she has trained over four thousand piano teachers for professional associations throughout South East Asia, China, America and the UK.
As well as her music, Ann is a keen gardener, having high hopes this year for her tomato varietal ‘big boy.’ She is also chef and playmate to Gus and Sofie, her two mischievous wire-haired Dachshunds.
‘A distinguished scholar and pianist’ Gramophone Magazine
Adrian Goss – Classical Singing
Tenor, vocal coach, pianist, organist and choral director, Adrian studied piano and clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music and singing at the Guildhall School of Music. A tenor lay-clerk at Ely Cathedral, and deputy at St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and HM Chapel Royal, following his London début in 1985, he has enjoyed a 35 year freelance solo career in concert and recital, including recordings and broadcasts.
Formerly Director of Music at two independent senior schools, an Examiner, Director of Kent Music Academy for the talented and gifted young musician, he is currently Director of the chamber choir Quorum and is a highly experienced and successful singing teacher, also leading vocal and choir-training workshops.
Adrian’s work was subsequently recognised and honoured in 1999 by the award of the ARAM. He has been an Adjudicator Member of the British & International Federation of Festivals since 1983, a member of the Adjudicators Council for 15 years and its Chair for ten during which he spearheaded the new marking scheme. He was accorded the rare honour of being elected a BIFF Fellow in 2024. He is a member of the Association of Teachers of Singing, the Royal Society of Musicians, and a Fellow of both the ISM and the Royal Society of Arts.
Rosie Whitfield – Woodwind & Brass
Rosie’s experience as a performer, teacher, examiner and presenter, teamed with an innate love of music, underpins her drive for music in education. Her ability to captivate audiences and inspire young musicians to achieve their dreams stems from a belief that music can change lives.
As an experienced adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals, Rosie is called upon to adjudicate in the UK and abroad and has forged long-standing links with specialist music schools and festivals across the world.
As Director of Music at Whitgift School, Rosie devised numerous projects and regularly presented interactive concerts and masterclasses to thousands of primary school pupils. Developing the prestigious Whitgift International Music Competition in 2013, she continues to support and mentor young musicians hoping for a career in the profession.
As Head of Junior Guildhall since 2020, her knowledge and experience in the specialist music sector is invaluable. Her revolutionary PLAY2ME service encourages young performers to perform to her or one of her team for constructive feedback.
As Director for Scolimus, Rosie and her team of consultants provide a bespoke service for Young Musicians, Festivals and Music Schools across the world.