Dean of Jazz & Rhythmos

Orphy Robinson MBE

Orphy has a long and distinguished career with a MBE for services to music and Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
He is on the Board of Directors for The Ivors Academy / National Youth Jazz Orchestra and Chair of Ivors Jazz committee.
He has been nominated for the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, Winner of the Jazz FM Awards and nominated at the Innovation Award.
He is a composer for BBC Television, Film, Classical and founding member of ground breaking Jazz big band “The Jazz Warriors”.

Bass

Neil Charles

Jazz and Classical Bass Professor

Neil is a Bassist, electronic producer and composer.
He regularly performs, records and tours with numerous jazz, classical and contemporary music bands and ensembles like Alex Hawkins, Mingus Big Band, Terence Blanchard, Black Top.
He is a member of the electro-acoustic jazz trio, Zed-U, Ex-Tomorrow’s Warrior and former member of Empirica.

Tiago Coimbra

Electric Bass Professor

Tiago performs and records with Spontaneous and Hiromi’s Explosion Trio.
He has studied with Oscar Stagnaro, Anthony Vitti, Bruce Gertz, Matthew Garrison, Abraham Laboriel, Walter Beasley, Ed Tomassi and Kenwood Dennard.
He tours with Myles Sanko, jazz funk band Resolution 88, Orphy Robinson, Cleveland Watkiss, Malik and the O.Gs, Q3 jazz trio.

http://tcbass.co.uk/

Yolanda Charles MBE

Bass Visiting Professor

Yolanda is a session musician, clinician and educator.
She has recorded, toured and performed with artists such as Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, BB King, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Mick Jagger, Jermaine Jackson.
Live performances with Hans Zimmer, Squeeze, Anastasia, Lulu, Heather Small, Sinead O’Conner, MD for Dave Stewart and in the TV houseband for Ricky Wilson & Nicole Scherzinger.
She will be touring with Sting and is writing for an eclectic album with her band PROJECT PH.

www.g4dz.com

William Parker

Jazz Bass Visiting Professor

William has been active since the early 1970’s. He is a prominent and influential musician in the New York City experimental jazz scene, and has regularly appeared at music festivals around the world, including the Guelph Jazz Festival in southern Ontario.
He teaches Bass, All Instruments Composition, New School, Improvisational methods.
He studied with Jimmy Garrison, Richard Davis, and Wilbur Ware.
He has two published books on political thoughts and musicological essays.

http://www.williamparker.net/

Renell Shaw

Electric Bass Visiting Professor

Renell has collaborated, recorded and toured alongside artists such as: Orphy Robinson, Rudimental, Jess Glynne, Skepta, Nitin Sawhney, Maverick Sabre, DJ Spinal, Anne-Marie, Aloe Blacc, Speech Debelle, Sharon D. Clarke and Carleen Anderson.
He is a Songwriter, Composer, Arranger and Music Producer where he has worked with: Google, BBC, Southbank Centre, Britten Sinfonia, London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
He guest lectures and is on speaking panels for: Youtube, TED Conferences, Point Blank Music, Hackney Empire Theatre and The Roundhouse.

http://www.renellshaw.com/

Brass

Fayyaz Virji

Head of Jazz Brass

Composer, Arranger, Producer, Fayyaz has performed, recorded and arranged for artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Sir Tom Jones, Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran, Eric Clapton, George Benson, George Micheal, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Lauren Hill. Fayyaz’s studio and production work resulted in a signing for his project ‘FRAYZ’ with Toshiba EMI Japan. TV commissions include BBC documentaries, ‘Cromwell’ for Channel 4 and ‘The Seven Ages of Britain’. Founder and Musical Director of ‘Warriors International’ and long standing member of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

Andy Grappy

Jazz Tuba Professor

Performs regularly with The London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Abdullah Ibrahim, Jazz Jamaica and many others. Albums with the Grand Union Orchestra, The Albion Band With Chris Baines, Jazz Warriors, Mike Westbrook Band, Graham Collier, Barry Adamson, Jazz Jamaica Allstars, The Dedication Orchestra. Head of Southwark Junior Centre for Young Musicians.

Annie Whitehead

Jazz Trombone Professor

Collaborated with many artists including Joan Armatrading, Chris Rea, Bill Wyman, Elvis Costello, Carlene Carter, Paul Weller, Jerry Dammers, Amazulu, The Communards and Bananarama. Tours with Fun Boy Three, Joe Jackson and Jah Wobble. Founder member of Working Week, Penguin Café Orchestra. Recordings for BBC Radio 3, from the Blackheath Concert Halls and the Hull Jazz Festival. Album released by Voiceprint label.and Provocateur Records.

Charlotte Keeffe

Jazz Trumpet Professor

Charlotte has featured on BBC Radio 3, Resonance FM and Jazz FM and recent appearances with her Quartet include Jazz In The Round and a sell-out performance at Lancaster Jazz Festival.
She has regular appearances with the London Improvisers Orchestra, Moss Freed’s Union Division, Calum Gourlay’s Big Band and Ben Higham’s (The) Brass Monkeys.
She has performed at several festivals including Glastonbury and the Wilderness alongside Liane Carroll, Charlotte Church, Laura Mvula, Kate Nash, Camille O’Sullivan and Will Young.

https://www.charlottekeeffe.com/

Kevin Robinson

Jazz Trumpet Professor

Kevin is classically trained, conducted many top concerts including the London Olympics, Royal Albert Hall and Back 2 Black festival at the Barbican
He is a member of Simply Red since 1998.
He is musical director for the award winning Jazz Jamaica All Stars big band.
He has had collaborations with Paul McCartney, Incognito, Tom Jones, Brand New Heavies, Lauryn Hill, Annie Lennox and Steve Winwood, Redskins and Rowland Sutherland’s Mistura

Quentin Collins

Jazz Trumpet Professor

Quentin is Artistic Director of Ubuntu Music and is in residency at London’s prestigious Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.
He has collaborated with Fred Wesley, Gregory Porter, Mark Ronson, Kyle Eastwood, Omar, Basement Jaxx, Roy Ayers, Alicia Keys, and Dennis Rollins.
He has studied at BMus and MMus at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
He was awarded Diapason D’Or in France and Critic’s Choice by US magazine Opera News.
He has albums released by Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, Erato, Dynamic.

https://www.quentincollinsmusic.com/

Shanti Paul Jayasinha

Jazz Trumpet & Composition Professor

Shanti has recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Watson, Tim Garland, The Brand New Heavies, The Stereophonics and Basement Jaxx.
He has performed in concert with members of the Buena Vista Social Club, including Ruben Gonzales and Cachaito, Frank Emilio Flyn’s ‘Los Amigos’, Wayne Shorter, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra.
He tours the UK and Europe with
Alex Wilson, supporting the Afro-Cuban Allstars, the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and recorded on Alex W’s CDs.

http://www.shantijazz.com/index.html

Composition

John Beasley

Jazz Composition Visiting Professor

John is a Grammy nominated composer, pianist, arranger, music director, producer.
He is a composer in film and television, including the Oscar nomination for “1917”.
He is founder of the group MONK’estra with performances at SFJazz, Walt Disney Hall, Ford Amphitheatre, Jazz Standard, LACMA.
He has five Grammy nominations for his recordings and an Emmy nomination for “Jazz at the White House” and four Grammy nominations for his albums MONK’estra Vol 1 + MONK’estra Vol 2.
He has worked with artists such as Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis, Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones) and Ndugu Chancler (Michael Jackson).

https://johnbeasleymusic.com/

Geoff Westley

Composition Professor

Geoff has been Music Director for The Bee Gees,  major West End musicals & Sanremo Festivals.
Collaborations include:  The Carpenters, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Leo Sayer, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Everly Bros, Vangelis, Gerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, Marvin Hamlish, Henry Mancini and James Bond movies.
As arranger/composer/conductor he has worked with the LSO, RPO, Philharmonia, Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma, Brno Philharmonic, Budapest Symphony Orchestra and many others.

https://www.geoffwestley.com/

Steve Beresford

Jazz Composition & Improvisation Professor

Steve has an extensive discography as performer, arranger, free-improviser, composer and producer.
He is a composer for ensembles, film scores for shorts and feature films, TV shows and commercials – Paul Hamlyn Award 2012.
He is a member of the editorial teams of Musics and Collusion magazines.
He has collaborated with Christian Marclay, The Slits, Najma Akhtar, Stewart Lee, Ivor Cutler, Prince Far-I, Alan Hacker, Tania Chen, Ray Davies, Mandhira de Saram, The Flying Lizards, Zeena Parkins, Helen Petts, Satoko Fukuda, Hyelim Kim, Ilan Volkov and many others.
He’s done free improvising with with Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Han Bennink, John Zorn and Alterations.

Barak Schmool

Jazz Composition Professor

Barak is founder of the F-IRE (Fellowship of Integrated Rhythmic Expression) Collective, Timeline (Afro-rhythmic jazz), Meta Meta (Cuban Bata fusion) and Synergy (14-piece Big Band) and member of Django Bates’s group, Delightful Precipic Big Band.
He studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

http://f-ire.com/barak/

Guitar

Brandon Ross

Jazz Guitar Visiting Professor

Brandon has collaborated with several artists such as Henry Threadgill, Wadada Leo Smith, Cassandra Wilson, Jewel, Tony Williams, Arto Lindsay, The Lounge Lizards, Leroy Jenkins, Bill Frisell, Me’Shell N’degeocello, Arrested Development, Archie Shepp, Muhal Richard Abrams, Don Byron, Ron Miles and many others.
He has been a professor of Guitar and Composition at Banff Summer Institute of Jazz and Creative Music, Princeton University’, Artez Conservatorium of Arnhem (Netherlands), and Koninklijk Conservatorium, Antwerp (Belgium).

https://www.brandonross.nyc/bio

Chris Sharkey

Jazz Guitar Professor

Chris is a producer and has recorded, mixed and remixed music for ACV, Mole, Taupe, Seb Rochford, Oliver Coates, Troyka, World Service Project, TrioVD, Shiver, Beyond Albedo, Session Fries, the Geordie Approach, Roller trio, the Orchid and the Wasp.
He has given education workshops and lectures for Great Exhibition Of The North, Sage Gateshead, EFG London Jazz Festival, Tall Ships Regatta 2016, Aldeburgh Young Musicians, Leeds College of Music, ChapelFM, VestNorsk Jazz Forum.

https://www.chrissharkeymusic.com/

Femi Temowo

Jazz Guitar Professor

Femi is a jazz guitarist, musical director, producer, and broadcaster.
He received the nomination for the Best Jazz Act MOBO Award, Rising Star category in the BBC Radio Jazz Awards and International Saxophonist of the Year at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
He was Amy Winehouse’s musical director and guitar accompanist.
He has albums with Xantone Blacq, Soweto Kinch, Troy Miller, Eska Mtungwazi, Michael Olatuja, Jean Toussaint, and Grant Windsor.

https://www.femiguitar.com/

Kathy Dyson

Jazz Guitar Professor

Kathy is a jazz guitarist, composer, researcher and educator.
She is co-founder of the Leeds Jazz, Jazz Educator of the Year at the 2010 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
She is also Chair of the national Executive Committee of the Musicians’ Union.
She has a MA in Jazz Performance, PhD at Sheffield University,

https://www.huddersfieldjazzguitarfestival.co.uk/kathy-dyson/

Rob Luft

Jazz Guitar Professor

Rob was awarded BBC New Generation Jazz Artist 2019-2021.
He was also winner of the 2015 Peter Whittingham Award, 2016 Kenny Wheeler Prize from The Royal Academy of Music and 2nd Prize in The 2016 Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
He has had performances with Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Loose Tubes, and Laura Jurd’s “Dinosaur”, Enzo Zirillo, Misha Mullov-Abbado
He is a member of the Byron Wallen’s “Four Corners”, Eddie Parker’s “Airborn”, and the Chris Batchelor/Steve Buckley quintet.

https://robluft.co.uk/

Tony Rémy

Jazz/Funk Guitar Visiting Professor

Tony is a jazz/funk/blues guitarist and producer. He also plays piano, flute and saxophone.
He has worked with artists such as Courtney Pine, Jason Rebello, Freddy Hubbard, Lonnie Liston Smith, Lenny White, Omar, Gary Barlow, Simply Red, US3, Cleveland Watkiss, Pee Wee Ellis, Ronnie Laws, Nelson Rangell, Maysa Leak, Matt Bianco and Karen Ramirez.
As well as has been featured in the line up of numerous groups, he has released several albums under his own name too, capturing his own hard-edged, rhythmically driven approach, which is rich with jazz, blues and fusion influences. 

https://www.tonyremy.co.uk

Giorgio Serci

Jazz Guitar Visiting Professor

Giorgio is an award winning guitarist, composer and arranger, with a background in Classical music, Jazz and an MMus in Composition.
He has performed & recorded with Ivan Lins, Basia, David Garrett, Kenny Wheeler, Camille Bertault, Julian Lloyd Webber, Martin Taylor, Sylvain Luc, Ronu Majumdar, Abram Wilson, Harvie S, BBC Concert Orchestra, Nu Civilisation Orchestra and Bansangu Orchestra, which he co-founded with Paul Booth.
As an educator, he’s been working at ACM, GSMD, RHUL, RockSchool and is a columnist for ‘Guitar Interactive’.
He endorses Yamaha guitars, DVMark amplifiers and Fibonacci guitars, which released his own signature model.

www.giorgioserci.com

Keyboard

Liam Noble

Jazz Piano Professor

Liam has performed with Stan Sulzmann, Kenny Wheeler, Anita Wardell, Harry Beckett, Tim Whitehead and John Stevens as well as recording and touring with cult minimalist composer Moondog.
He studied music at Oxford University and Postgraduate at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Meg Morley

Jazz Piano Professor

Meg is a pianist, composer and improviser within diverse artistic genres (silent film, contemporary dance and ballet, solo piano, contemporary jazz ensembles and electronic music)
She studied classical music at the University of Southern Queensland, received a Postgraduate Diploma in Jazz Improvisation at Melbourne University.
She was awarded the “Exceptional Talent” by Arts Council England in 2018.

https://www.megmorleymusic.com/

Robert Mitchell

Jazz Piano Professor

Robert is a Steinway Artist, trustee of Blues&Roots education group and sits on several committees at the Ivors Academy.
He has won many awards, including Hamlyn Composition Award, Worldwide Best Jazz Album Award and Brodcast Award (MD on BBC4’s Jazz 625 Live).
He curated the Leftitude and Lifting the Lid Festivals, and worked with Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, Courtney Pine, Julian Lourau, Omar Puente, Dayme Arocena, Steve Coleman, Norma Winstone, Joshua Redman, Greg Osby amongst many. Commissions include London Sinfonietta, Jazz South, Nitro/ROH.
He has released 10 albums and leads the groups True Think, Epiphany3, Panacea.

https://robertmitchellmusic.com/

Tania Chen

Contemporary Experimental Piano Professor

Tania is a grammy nominated sound artist, free improvisor, and interdisciplinary contemporary pianist and composer.
She has collaborated with artists including Steve Beresford, Andrew Poppy, John Tilbury, John Edwards, Mark Sanders, Rhodri Davies and film-maker Jayne Parker.
She has had concerts in the US, UK, Asia and Europe, at venues including Tate Modern, GaleGates (Brooklyn, NYC), The Hamburger Bahnhof Museum (Berlin), the Purcell Room, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
She has been broadcast on KPFA radio, Berkeley and BBC Radio 3

https://taniachen.com/

Dele Sosimi

Keyboard, Vocal and Afrobeat Professor

Dele is a musical director, bandleader, rhythm keyboard player and keyboard soloist of Femi Anikulapo-Kuti and the Positive Force and former member of the Fela’s Anikulapo-Kuti’s Egypt 80.
He has toured and performed at major jazz festivals, from Montreux to the North Sea Jazz Festival to the Montreal Jazz festival.
He was Afrobeat music consultant for the London production of Fela! at the National Theatre.
He is an educator and instructor in Afrobeat (via his Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Foundation).
He is founder and leader of the 15-piece Afrobeat Orchestra.

https://www.delesosimi.org/

Hannah Vasanth

Jazz Piano Visiting Professor

Hannah is a Producer, Pianist Keyboard Player and Songwriter with a BMus in Jazz Performance from Royal Academy of Music.
Performances as keyboard player include tours with Rihanna, JessieJ, Eminem, Lalah Hathaway, Jason Derulo, Taio Cruz and Anastasia.
Gold certified album producer and songwriter, Hannah V has worked with Stormzy, TOBi and JPCooper, Lalah Hathaway, Yola, Misha B, Shystie and Andreya Triana.
Her single ‘It Ain’t Right’ became the soundtrack to Rimmel’s global campaign The Only One. She has also been involved in brand and writing campaigns for companies as diverse as the BBC, Max Factor, Adidas and international coffee brand Julius Meinl.

http://hannahv.co.uk

Ric’key Pageot

Jazz Piano Visiting Professor

Ric’key is a music director, recording pianist, producer and composer, currently collaborating with Madonna.
He is also the leader of Parlor Social with Dessy Di Lauro and co-inventor of the Neo-Ragtime genre, blending ragtime jazz music of the 1920-30’s with today’s contemporary urban production.
Ric’key has written and recorded with Earth Wind & Fire, Jill Scott, and Justin Park. He has also toured with Cirque du Soleil, Diana Ross, Cher, and Dr. John.
A Steinway Artist with a Classical BMus at Montreal’s McGill University, he performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and conductor Charles Dutoit at La Place Des Arts.

https://www.steinway.com/artists/ rickeypageot

Percussion

Beibei Wang

Percussion Professor

Beibei is an international soloist and composer for classical, contemporary, experimental, traditional, improvisation, electronic, jazz, pop.
She tours in the Edinburgh International Festival, Lucerne Festival, Bach Academy Musikfest Stuttgart, Colour Scape Music Festival.
She has collaborated with BBC Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Germany), Santa Cecilia Orchestra (Italy), Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
She has a MMus at Central Conservatory of Music (China) and the Royal Academy of Music (UK).

http://www.beibeimusic.com/

Emanuel Harrold

Percussion Visiting Professor

Emanuel is a Drummer, Producer, & Educator
He is a Multiple Grammy nominated & winning Musician and Platinum winning producer
He is a member of Gregory Porter.
He tours and has made recordings with Damon Auburn, Flea, Roy Hargrove, Robert Glasper, Kenneth Whalum, Keyon Harrold , Laura Mvula and Ben Oncle Soul.

https://emanuelharrold.net/

Gary O’Toole

Jazz Drums Professor

Since the early-1980s, Gary has played for numerous artists, in a variety of roles, including: Chrissie Hynde, China Crisis, Kylie Minogue, Jasper Carrott, Eartha Kitt, Bucks Fizz, Echobelly, S Club 7, Mel C, Richard Niles, and from the turn of the millennium until November 2018, he worked extensively for Steve Hackett.
He runs his own London-based music school, with Steve Sidelnyk (Madonna), and Will Champion (Coldplay) being 2 of his former pupils.

Katie Patterson

Jazz Drums Professor

Katie is a Canadian born drummer and educator.  She has performed at Wembley SSE Arena, Ronnie Scott’s, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Roundhouse (London), Love Supreme Festival, The Arches (Glasgow), and further afield at National Arts Centre (Canada), DeLaMar Theater (Amsterdam), Molde (Norway) Jazz Festival and Tuscia in Jazz Festival (Italy) where she received ‘Best New Talent’ award. Katie currently works with Rafe’s Dilemma, Interchange Dectet, Charlie Pyne Quartet, Soul Street Productions ‘The History of Rock’ show and others.

http://www.katiedpatterson.com/

Kaz Rodriguez

Jazz Drums Professor

Kaz is a drummer, composer, producer, currently playing for Josh Groban and Chaka Khan.
He has collaborated with Jessie Ware, Sinead Harnett, Rita Ora, Plan B, Jay Sean, Annika Nilles and Cirque De Soleil.
He has written music for Aaron Spears, Chris Coleman, Anika Nilles, Robert “Sput” Searight, and many more.

Marque Gilmore

Future-Jazz Drums Visiting Professor

Marque is an “Acousti-Lectric” Drummer/Producer and Live DnB Pioneer, Future-Arts Conceptualist, Cultural Arts Practitioner and a proud Founder-Member of NYC’s infamous Black Rock Coalition. He performed, recorded and collaborated with Joe Zawinul, STING, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Manu Dibango, Tony Allen, Katia Labeque, Viktoria Mullova, Orphy Robinson, Robert Miles, Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney, Susheela Ramen ,and many more. Achieved x2 Grammy nominations for his production work with Cuban pianist Omar Sosa; co-created the 1995 “Digital Slam” (world’s 1st “trans-Atlantic jam session”). His music has releases on SONY & Universal, with independent releases on Tribal Broadcast Recordings and many others.

https://marquegilmore.bandcamp.com/

Oscar Martinez

Latin Jazz & African Percussion Professor

Oscar is a member of the Omar Puente – Cuban Jazz Sextet.
He has performed at Edinburgh Festival, Glastonbury, Moon Walk Festival, Havana Jazz Festival, Brasil Jazz Blues Festival, Braecon Festival, and tours in Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, Europe, Africa.
He has ollaborated with Courtney Pine, Buena Vista Social Club, Rey Crespo, George Peguero, Mercadonegro, Ismael Miranda, Willy González, Rene Álvarez, Dorance Lorza
He studied at Music Conservatory Guillermo Tomas and Conservatoire Felix Varela in Havana

Satin Singh

Latin Jazz & African Percussion Professor

Satin has recorded with Ill Considered, Ray Sandoval, Melt Yourself Down, Simon Lasky Group, Terry Seabrook’s Cubana Bop.
He has collaborated with the Reel People, Pucho, Wynton Marsalis and Supergrass among others.
He studied at Music Conservatory Guillermo Tomas and Conservatoire Felix Varela in Havana.

Sebastian Rochford

Jazz Drums Professor

Sebastian leads the band Fulborn Teversham and improvising duo with Leafcutter John. He also has a solo project called Room of Katinas. Past member of the Babyshambles.
He is winner of the BBC Jazz Award and nominated for the Mercury Prize.
He has had performances with Corrine Bailey Rae, Herbie Hancock, Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland, Basquiat Strings, Oriole, Menlo Park, Ingrid Laubrock Quintet, Bojan Zulfikarpasic’s Tetraband, and Sons of Kemet.
He has worked extensively with Joanna MacGregor and Andy Sheppard.

Kuljit Bhamra MBE

Tabla & Indian Composition Professor

Kuljit is a platinum composer, record producer and tabla player.
He is the inventor of the Indian Drum Notation system, allowing musicians and teachers from other cultures to play and compose for Tabla, Dhol and other Indian drums.
He has composed and directed the music for productions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the Royal National Theatre and Shaftesbury Theatre in London, Royal Festival Hall, Theatre Royal Stratford, Riverside Studios and Theatre Royal Windsor.
He was awarded MBE For services to Bhangra and British Asian Music, and an honorary Doctorate by the University of Exeter.

Talvin Singh OBE

Tabla & Composition Professor

Talvin is a producer, composer and tabla player, composer of fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass; Indian and Asian electronica.
He has collaborated with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Björk, Madonna, Massive Attack, Blondie, DJ Spooky, The Master Musicians of Jajouka, Jay Z and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
He is winner of ‘The South Bank Prize’ and ‘The Mercury Prize.
He was awarded the OBE by the Queen for his service to the music industry.

Leon Foster Thomas

Percussion Visiting Professor

Leon is a drummer, composer, producer, steel pan virtuoso, Winner of the World Steelband Music Festival’s Soloist and Duet competitions, Leon has been featured at world stages such as New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, Adrienne Arsht Center of the Performing Arts (Miami), Moscow International House of Music, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Perm International Jazz Festival (Russia), Miami Downtown Jazz Festival, International Festival of Contemporary Culture (Kazakhstan), and Pittsburgh Jazz Live International Festival.

https://www.leonfosterthomas.com

Strings

Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Jazz Cello Professor

Ayanna is a composer, songwriter and cellist.
She studied Classical Composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and MA at Manhattan School of Music in USA.
She is winner of the Apollo Theatre’s famous Amateur Night, whose previous winners included Ella Fitzgerald and Jimi Hendrix.
Notable performances include opening for the MOBO Awards “Pre-Show” in 2016, and playing the Royal Albert Hall. Toured with Anoushka Shankar and Courtney Pine, recorded with Akala and composed for the London Symphony Orchestra.

http://www.ayannamusic.com/

Benet McLean

Jazz Violin Professor

Benet is pianist, guitarist, vocalist, violinist, writer, arranger and producer.
He studied classical violin at Royal College of Music.
He has recordings with Partikel, Laura Mvula and Mahalia, Andy Davies, Benjamin Croft, Nathan Britton.
He toured with Omar, Julian Joseph, Sir Simon Rattle, Dave O’Higgins, TY, Steve Williamson, Carleen Anderson, Jean Toussaint, Tommy Smith, Cleveland Watkiss, Yellow Station Blue, Phillip Bent, Orphy Robinson, Kevin Haynes, Roachford, Maxi Jazz and Loose Tubes.

https://benetmclean.com/

Kate Shortt

Jazz Cello Professor

Kate is a cellist, pianist, vocalist and workshop leader through varying genres.
She is the winner of Performer of the Year award at the London Palladium.
Artists she has worked with include Gary Kemp of Spandeau Ballet, Take That and Simon Le Bon, Jocelyn Pook, Christine Tobin, Jocelyn Pook, Christine Tobin, Phil Robson, Liam Noble, Roland Sutherland, Orphy Robinson and Beibei Wang.
Education work includes workshops with the London Symphony Orchestra and she performs her own show in renown cabaret venues including Edinburgh Fringe, Vortex Club, the King’s Head in Islington, Jermyn Street Theatre and the Covent Garden Festival Club.

https://kateshorttmusic.com/

Omar Puente

Latin Jazz Violin Professor

Omar studied classical music at the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana. He was former First violin of the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba.
He has toured with Buena Vista’s Ruben Gonzales, supported Tito Puente, Ibraham Ferrer and Omara Portundo.
He has collaborated with John Williams, Kirsty MacColl, Jools Holland and Eddie Palmieri, Winston Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra at the Barbican Centre, Simon Bolivar Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, Nigel Kennedy, Eddie Palmieri at Queen Elizabeth Hall, and with several members of the Buena Vista Social Club.

https://www.omarpuente.com/

Shirley Smart

Jazz Cello and Improvisation Professor

Shirley Smart is recognised as one of the UKs most creative and versatile cellists.
She spent 10 years living in Jerusalem performing a wide variety of music traditions from North Africa, Turkey and the Middle East and jazz and working with artists including Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital and Yasmin Levy.
On returning to London, she quickly established herself as a unique performer and bandleader, and is in demand with many leading artists such as Mulato Astatke, Robert Mitchell and Maya Youssef.
She is also Head of Performance at City University.

https://www.shirleysmart.com/

Tunde Jegede

African Classical Music Professor

Tunde is a world-renowned composer, producer, cellist and kora virtuoso who brings a unique synthesis of classical, jazz and traditional music.
He is founder of several ensembles including the Art Ensemble of Lagos and the African Classical Music Ensemble.
He is curator of Living Legacies (Gambia’s first traditional music archive), director of New Horizons in Nigeria and Artistic Director of the MUSON Centre.
He studied both Western classical music and the Griot Tradition of West Africa, attending the Purcell School of Music in London and learning from a Master of the Kora in the Gambia, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh.

http://www.tundejegede.org

Tara Minton

Jazz Harp Professor

Tara Minton is an Australian born harpist, vocalist and composer. She is proudly endorsed by Camac Harps and holds a masters degree in jazz performance from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Tara is well established as both an improvising harpist and vocalist and has worked with Björk, Tom Walker, Miranda Mulholland, “Kitty, Daisy and Lewis”, SuRie, Stan Sulzman, Tommaso Starace, Toni Kofi, Chris Strandring and Geoff Gascoyne. She leads her own original project as a harpist/vocalist and sings with “The Blues and Roots Ensemble” – a London based nine-piece band celebrating the music of Charles Mingus. Tara is a passionate music educator and advocate for the harp in jazz and improvised music.

taraminton.com

Voice

Carleen Anderson

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Carleen is a composer, writer, music dramatist, producer and performer.
From 2006 to 2015 she had a bi-annual residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho. At the Royal Albert Hall 2019 BBC Proms she was the Choir Director for the BBC Singers and the UK Vocal Assembly.
She was nominated for JazzFM Innovation of the Year.
She studied classical and jazz music performance at Los Angeles City College (LACC) and the University of Southern California (USC). Anderson also studied Creative Literature at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).
She is past Head of the Vocal Department at Brighton Institute of Modern Music.

http://www.cagestreetmemorial.com/

Cleveland Watkiss MBE

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Cleveland is co-founder of the Jazz Warriors.
He is winner of the Wire/Guardian Jazz Awards, Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
He has had performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Bob Dylan, Jackie Mittoo, Keith Richards, Art Blakey, Sly & Robbie, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stevie Wonder, Nigel Kennedy, Carlinhos Brown, Robbie Williams, Joe Cocker, The Who, Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine, Janet Kay, Bjork and many more.

https://www.clevelandwatkiss.co.uk/

Filomena Campus

Jazz Voice Professor

Filomena is a jazz vocalist, Theatre Director and Academic.
She has collaborated with top jazz artists, including Orphy Robinson, Rowland Sutherland, Cleveland Watkiss, Huw Warren, Byron Wallen, Jean Toussaint, Kenny Wheeler, Evan Parker, Guy Barker, and the London Improvisers Orchestra,
She has a MA in Theatre Directing. She has been a visiting lecturer at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, East15 Acting School, University of Essex, Kingston University, Bucks New University, and UCL.

http://www.filomenacampus.me/

Heidi Vogel

Jazz Voice Professor

Heidi has performed with The Cinematic Orchestra for almost 15 years.
She has appeared live on Jimmy Kimmel show, Royal Albert Hall, Montreaux Jazz festival and The Sydney opera house, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Coachella, Sonar Tokyo, Fuji Rock Japan, Bluenote Jazz Festival, New York Central Park Summer Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and New York Film Festival.
She has performed and recorded with artists such as ESKA, Soweto Kinch, Cleveland Watkiss, Bobby McFerrin to name a few.

Jazzmeia Horn

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Jazzmeia is a Grammy nomintaed artists, she performed at the 60th Grammy Award Ceremony.
She is winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the DownBeat-Rising Star Female Vocalist Winner.
She toured internationally in England, France, Russia, South Africa, and Austria.
She studied at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

https://www.artistryofjazzhorn.com/

Randolph Matthews

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Randolph is a board member of the Ivor Novello Academy.
He has collaborated with artists from both the jazz, blues and contemporary music scenes such as Mulatu Atstake, Casey Benjamin (Robert Glasper Experience), Cheikh Lo and Amp Fiddler.
He has opened for Richard Bona (Pat Metheny) and Herbie Hancock.
He has been nominated Jazz FM’s “Best Live Jazz Performance 2018”.

https://www.randolphmatthews.co.uk/

Alicia Olatuja

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Alicia is a mezzo-soprano, gospel, soul, jazz and classical singer
She has a BMus at University of Missouri and MMus at Manhattan School of Music.
She had her debut as Sacagawea at the Opera Memphis and Carnegie Hall, UVA, and The Kennedy Center.
She has performed with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans and Christian McBride.
She has had concerts at Charlie Parker Festival, the BRIC JazzFest, Montreal Jazz, Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Harlem Stage Gatehouse.

https://www.aliciaolatuja.com/

Rene Marie

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Rene is a Grammy-nominated American singer and songwriter.She has albums released by Maxjazz and Motema, with “Vertigo” awarded a coronet ranking by The Penguin Guide to Jazz.
She has a number one on the Gavin jazz charts and Top Ten on the college charts in both the U.S. and Canada.
She is a writer, producer and performer of a one-woman show of words and music, launched a series of vocal therapy group sessions called SLAM.

https://renemarie.com/

Joel Cross

Jazz Voice Visiting Professor

Joel is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer.
He studied Jazz performance and arranging at the University of North Texas.
He has worked with Ashleigh Smith, Randy Brecker, Patti Labelle, Chrisette Michelle, and India Arie.
Album released by Capital Records, broadcast in all major radio and televisions programmes, including Ellen DeGeneres, America’s Got Talent, Time, and MTV

https://joelcross.com

Gary Dennis Hines

Voice Visiting Professor

Founder, Music Director and Producer of the 3-times Grammy Award-Winning group Sounds of Blackness.
Recordings, concerts, tours, wrote for and appeared with Quincy Jones, Jimmy “Jam” Harris & Terry Lewis, Prince, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Johnny Gill, Patti LaBelle, Sting, Dolly Parton, Danny Glover.
He is recipient of Grammy Awards, International Time For Peace Award, Golden Scroll For The Promise of Greatness Award and, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Macalester College, St. Paul.

http://www.soundsofblackness.org/ gary-hines

Merit Ariane Stephanos

Middle East Voice Professor

Merit is a singer, actress and composer of German/Egyptian heritage. Drawing on Arab and Western contemporary classical influences, she creates a unique composing and singing style. Her work is informed by research of Arab Christian chants in Lebanon and her passion is to explore the fluid boundaries between music and theatre, cultures and languages.
Merit has performed at the Shakespeare’s Globe and collaborated with the Royal Opera House and Opera North. She has recorded for the BBC and Channel 4 and lectured at the British Museum and  Royal College of Music.

http://www.meritariane.com

Colman Domingo

Voice/Acting Visiting Professor

He is a Tony, Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League and NAACP Theatre Award nominated, OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award winning actor, playwright, director and producer.
Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters from Ursinus College, Colman is a 2020 Julliard School Creative Associate and he is on the faculty at the Yale School of Drama.
Main roles in Broadway and West End production, Oscar winning feature movies and award winning TV Series.

https://www.colmandomingo.com

Diana Torti

Jazz Voice Technique Professor

Diana is a jazz singer, improviser, singing teacher and psychologist. BMus in Jazz, Ancient Music and Belcanto, and Master Degrees in Jazz Performance and in Psychology.
Diana performed in festivals and concerts throughout Europe, with her recordings featured on several international radios.She collaborated with composers such as Ennio Morricone and Luca Francesconi.
Her last album “On A Cloud” was nominated Best Jazz Vocal Releases 2019 by The New York City Jazz Record and JazzViewsand it is part of her Psychology research on vocal identity “The expressive urgency of the first sound”. Articles about voice and psychology have been recently published in specialised magazines.

www.dianatorti.eu

Nani Noam Vazana

Ladino Singing &
Song-writing Professor

Nani is the world’s first original Ladino singer-songwriter. Classically trained, Nani composed music for BBC4 and NPO documentaries, she chairs of the Amsterdam Artist Collective and founded Why DIY Music and Nova Productions.
Nani has performed on major stages worldwide, including Richmond Folk Festival USA, Montana Folk Festival USA, HUE Festival Vietnam, Manchester Jazz Festival UK, the Kennedy Center USA, Jodhpur RIFF festival IN, Jazzahead DE, North Sea Jazz NL, Roccella Jazz IT among others. The Dutch NPO network released a documentary about her musical work in 2018.

https://nanimusic.com

Woodwind

Rowland Sutherland

Head of Jazz Woodwind & Classical Flute

Rowland has an international career as a soloist, composer and arranger in jazz, classical, contemporary, pop and world. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Centre, North Sea Jazz Festival, Chatelet Les Halles, the Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Artists that he has collaborated with include David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Flora Purim, Carla Bley, Manu Dibango and Airto. Classical collaboration include Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony, London Philharmonic, European Community Chamber, Chamber Domaine and City of London Sinfonia.

http://www.rowlandsutherland.com/ rowland.htm

James Brandon Lewis

Jazz Saxophone Professor

James is a critically acclaimed saxophonist and composer.
He has received accolades from New York Times, NPR, ASCAP Foundation, Robert Rauchenberger Foundation. Most recently voted Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist by Downbeat Magazines 2020 Critic’s Poll. James has released several critically acclaimed albums, leads numerous ensembles and is the Co-Founder of American Book Award winning poetry and music ensemble Heroes Are Gang Leaders.
James attended Howard University, and received his M.F.A from California Institute of the Arts.

https://www.jblewis.com/

Jean Toussaint

Jazz Saxophone Professor

Jean is a past member of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. With Blakey he recorded three studio albums, including New York Scene, which won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. Jean also worked with Gil Evans, McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Max Roach, Cedar Walton and David Murray. The Jean Toussaint Trio, Quartet and Quintet play swinging, surging straight-ahead contemporary jazz, while Nazaire, his electrocute band, plays a blend of jazz funk and club music.
Jean studied at Berklee College of Music.

http://jeantoussaint.com/#/

Rachel Musson

Jazz Saxophone Professor

Rachel has lead improvisation projects, including with Hannah Marshall and Julie Kjaer, duo Corey Mwamba, trio with Mark Sanders and John Edwards.
She has had collaborations with the London Improvisers Orchestra and Alex Ward’s Quintet and Sextet, Alcyona Mick, Han Bennink, Liam Noble, Gail Brand, Eddie Prevost, Olie Brice, Federico Ughi.
She has albums featuring Liam Noble and Mark Sanders (Tatterdemalion, Babel Records), her ensemble Skein (Flight Line, F-ire Recorded Music).

https://rachelmusson.com/

Greg Osby

Jazz Saxophone, Music Theory & Composition Visiting Professor

Greg is the American Artist in Residence at various European festivals.
He is sideman for artists such as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jim Hall and Jaki Byard as well as with many ethnic and new music ensembles in the New York area. He was Jazz Artist of Year 2009.
He has a BMus at Howard University (Washington D.C.) and an MA at Berklee College of Music (Boston).

http://www.gregosby.com/