Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Tutors and Staff (A to Z)
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Neil Shewan BMus Hons AGSM
French Horn Tutor (CBSO)
Neil is presently Principal 2 nd Horn of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He previously spent over fifteen years as Principal 3 rd Horn of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He studied for his BMus at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and during his final year there, won the prestigious International Paxman...
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Stephen Simms
Vice Principal - Acting, Professor of Actor Education
Stephen is the Vice Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - Acting, one of the UK's leading conservatoires of acting, where he is also the Head of Acting. He is also Professor of Actor Education, the only person to hold this position in the country. He directs and teaches on the acting courses at Royal Birmingham...
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Howard Skempton
Lecturer in Composition
Howard Skempton was born in Chester in 1947, and has worked as a composer, accordionist, and music publisher. He studied in London with Cornelius Cardew from 1967, who helped him to discover a musical language of great simplicity. Since then he has continued to write undeflected by compositional trends, producing a corpus of...
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Jeffrey Skidmore OBE
Artistic Director of Early Music
Jeffrey Skidmore OBE is one of the country’s foremost choral conductors and is highly regarded by instrumentalists, singers and audiences for the high quality of his performances. He is well-known for exciting programming which is often challenging but always accessible. Jeffrey read music at Magdalen College, Oxford, before...
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Marika Slater
Visiting Lecturer Piano
Marika began playing the piano at the age of four and graduated from the E. Darzinsh Specialist Music School at Latvia State Conservatoire in Riga. Continuing her studies at the conservatoire, she gained a triple Diploma of Distinction in piano, accompaniment and teaching as the top student in her cohort and the winner of...
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Tim Smedley
Head of Chamber Music
Tim Smedley studied cello at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hannah Roberts having previously been a pupil at Chetham's School of Music. Since leaving the RNCM, Tim has formed a varied career, performing extensively on both modern and period instruments with many of the country’s leading orchestras and ensembles. He...
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Jeff Snowdon
Coordinator of Brass; French Horn Tutor; Wind Orchestra Director
Jeff Snowdon has over 40 years experience as a professional horn player, conductor, brass teacher and event director. As a performer he has worked with many of the leading orchestras in the North of England and Wales including the BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern...
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Arnie Somogyi
Visiting Tutor
Arnie Somogyi – bass, composer, producer, educator. One of the UK’s leading jazz bass players and innovative new bandleaders. Arnie Somogyi is one of the UK's most in-demand bass players and has played on over 50 albums, including four as a leader. His latest CD, "Accident and Insurgency", featuring trumpet legend Eddie...
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Adrian Spillett
Percussion Tutor (Orchestral)
In 1998 Adrian became the first percussionist to win the title of BBC Young Musician of the Year. Adrian then took third prize in the Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians in Vienna. In 1999, he formed the Percussion Quartet, 4-MALITY.
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Ivo Stankov
Violin Tutor
Ivo Stankov has become one of Bulgaria’s leading and most versatile artists of his generation. He is equally at home as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and educator. Ivo’s CD recording of Mendelssohn’s double violin and piano concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra received critical acclaim as one of “dazzling...