Staff List

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Music Director

Rachel Erdos BA (Oxford), PG dip (Trinity), MA (Oxford), BKA, MSTAT [Profile]

Deputy Director

Maryan Balkwill ARCM, GRSM [Profile]

Colourstrings Orchestra Conductor

Blai Soler BA (RCM, hons), PG dip (RCM), MA Comp (KCL)

Choir

Holger Aston MA (Oxon), MA (Liszt Academy), ARCM, LRAM [Profile]
Angela Fogg MA Dip ABRSM LRSM CKME PGDip [Profile]
Leslie Anne Lewis MA, MMus, PhD
Myrto Loulaki 
Alan Murdock MA BMus MusEdCert [Profile]

Violin

Fiona Chesterman  [Profile]
Angela Dally 
Rachel Erdos BA (Oxford), PG dip (Trinity), MA (Oxford), BKA, MSTAT [Profile]
Sanae Honda BMus PGC [Profile]
Diana Mathews LRAM [Profile]
Isabelita Mederos  [Profile]
Jane Metcalfe ARCM [Profile]
Blai Soler BA (RCM, hons), PG dip (RCM), MA Comp (KCL)

Viola

Fiona Chesterman  [Profile]
Angela Dally 
Diana Mathews LRAM [Profile]
Jane Metcalfe ARCM [Profile]

Cello

Maryan Balkwill ARCM, GRSM [Profile]
Miguel Calvo Mmus (Guildhall), Pg Dip (Trinity) [Profile]
Mark Dobson AGSM MSTAT
Caterina May  [Profile]
Rowena Taylor BMus LRAM [Profile]

Piano

Leslie Anne Lewis MA, MMus, PhD
Petra Malik Bmus Hons
Cordelia Mathews GTCL, LRAM
John Rolfe Leverhulme Sharp BA[Hons] ARCM [Profile]
Alexandra (Szandra) Vilmányi  [Profile]

Double Bass

Liz Bradley 

Flute

Sofia Castillo   [Profile]
Pedro Lopez BMus, MMus, ArtDip [Profile]

Guitar

Oliver Manning  [Profile]

Born and raised in Wales, Oliver Manning has become one of the leading classical guitarists of the new generation to hail from Wales, known for the unique and colourful sound that he is able to coax out of the instrument, as well as his involvement with the National Youth Guitar Ensemble and his compositions.
Oliver graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under John Mills and Helen Sanderson, winning first prize in the John Mills Guitar Competition and first prize in the Orpheus Voice and Guitar Competition, as well as winning the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales award for Music. He gave his international concert debut in 2022 with a tour of Spain, giving the world premiere of a duo guitar concerto composed by Gerald Garcia.

Currently, Oliver studies for a master’s degree in classical guitar at the Royal College of Music in London under Gary Ryan and Chris Stell. In 2023, Oliver was selected by John Williams to become a Julian Bream Trust Scholar, to support his postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music.

As well as being an accomplished solo concert artist, Oliver performs within the Wales Guitar Duo giving concerts both in the United Kingdom and abroad, most recently in Granada (Spain) – the former home of Andres Segovia.

KG Teacher

Kath Cleeve  Colourstrings Associate Teacher (Music Kindergarten) ;Certificate of Music Education (Trinity College of Music) ;Counselling Children & Adolescents Diploma (Level 4) [Profile]
Ali Rycroft BA Oxon MA UEL [Profile]

Musicianship

Holger Aston MA (Oxon), MA (Liszt Academy), ARCM, LRAM [Profile]
Angela Edwards CKME, CSAK, Cert (Mus) Ed
Angela Fogg MA Dip ABRSM LRSM CKME PGDip [Profile]
Alan Murdock MA BMus MusEdCert [Profile]

KG assistant

Cathy Johnson BA Mus Hons
Beccy Sharp  [Profile]

Visiting Teachers

Mr Pal Banda (Cello) 
Miss Sarah Bennington (Flute) BMUS Hons (1st class)
Mrs Marianne Dodge (Flute/Theory) Ed Hons (Cantab), Ct ABRSM
Ms Gerri Drought (Violin) 
Ms Ruth Herbert (Musicianship) 
Miss Lesley Larkum (Violin) Bmus, Mmus, ASCM, PG RCM (cond.)
Ms Bea Leadbetter (Violin/Viola) 
Ms Muriel Levin (Piano) BMus ARCM, Founder, Holiday Music Piano/Chamber Music Courses.
Dr Shay Loya (Piano) BA Hons (TAU), MA Hons (TAU), PhD (KCL)
Mrs Rebekka Poffley (KG) 
Mr Christopher Poffley (Cello/Piano) Bmus ARCM
Ms Gil Sharp (Violin) GTCL, LTCL (Mus Ed), LTCL, ATCL
Ms Caroline Tait (Violin) 
Prof David Vinden (Musicianship/Choir) LRAM, GRSM, Bmus Hons (London), Adv Cert Kodály Inst, ARAM
Miss Maiko Vinden (Assistant) 
Ms Ali Warner (KG Teacher) BA Hons CombSocSci, BKA (Inter Mus), CKME