LEADER Paula Kempton
VIOLIN Julia Watkins
Paula Kempton studied at the Royal Academy of Music (1978-82) with Sidney Griller and joined the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1982, playing Sub-Principal First Violin. Such a wonderful experience to play with CBSO under Sir Simon Rattle, Chief Conductor at that time. In 1989, she joined Orquestra do Porto in Portugal following a desire to live and work abroad. Returning to Britain three years later Paula free-lanced with CBSO, BSO, London Musici, Ballet Rambert, WNO, Welsh Sinfonia, St. Woolos Sinfonia and Orchestra de Cymru.She performs regularly in local chamber music concerts as well as playing for weddings and corporate events. Paula teaches the violin and piano privately at home. She is a keen walker and a lover of the beautiful Welsh countryside. She is also a member of the U3A and continues to pursue her interest in languages, having completed an Open University BA in French and English in 2014.
Julia Watkins was born and brought up in Brynmawr, in a musical family where she was introduced to music, and particularly oratorios, at an early age. She went on to study the violin at the Royal Academy of Music under Sidney Griller and Hugh Maguire. On leaving the Academy Julia joined the BBC Concert Orchestra where she stayed for four years. Julia went on to freelance in London for many years with orchestras such as the Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Julia is married to viola player Stephen Broom, and has 2 grown up children and a granddaughter. In 2014 Julia and her husband moved back to their native Wales where Julia enjoys working with the orchestra of Welsh National Opera, and leading the Gwent Chamber Orchestra. In her spare time Julia enjoys walking in the Brecon Beacons and spending time with her family.
VIOLIN Elenid Owen
VIOLIN Aden Yip
Elenid Owen was, for twenty-four years, a member of the Paris-based Ludwig String Quartet, giving over 1500 concerts and master classes worldwide and recording 20 CDs for "Naxos""Naïve" and "Universal" labels. She was made "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres" by the French Ministry for Culture for her contribution to music in France. Wanting to ensure a Welsh education for her children, she and her family came back to Wales to settle in 2014. Principal violinist with Ensemble Cymru, she now enjoys freelancing with different ensembles and also teaches violin performance and chamber music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Aden Yip is a recent graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.At the beginning of 2024, Aden performed as the soloist and leader of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Baroque Ensemble in the ‘Genius of the Baroque’ concert and also as Concertmaster in the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra in March. Having worked at RWCMD in different roles including teaching many pupils at the Junior Conservatoire, he hopes to inspire and encourage the younger generations to pursue music in particular, early music. Aden has recently purchased a Pardessus and mainly rehearses and performs on the Treble Viol and Baroque Violin in early music and renaissance groups such as the Harmonius Murmur Consort and the Ensemble Ordinario. He has also performed in the festival orchestra at the Brecon Baroque festival led by Rachel Podger over the years.
VIOLIN Jane West
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Jane West graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from University College, Cardiff and continued her Violin studies at Trinity College of Music, London with Vera Kantrovich. While there she was invited to become the Leader of the Royal Amateur Orchestral Society. Jane joined the Orchestra of Opera North in 1982 where she remained for over 6 years.A move back to Cardiff in 1990 created the opportunity to combine a busy free-lance career with raising her 3 sons. Jane has worked regularly with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera for over 30years and has also performed with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Da Cymru and the Welsh Sinfonia.Now living in the Monmouthshire countryside and approaching retirement, Jane is looking forward to having more time to enjoy making music for fun, walking and tending her beloved garden.
CELLO Sonia Hammond
Sonia Hammond studied at the Birmingham School of Music (now the Birmingham Conservatoire) and the Royal College of Music in London. While still in Birmingham, Sonia was invited to play for the Eurythmy School in Botton Village, North Yorkshire. Thus began an enduring association with Camphill Communities. Later as a freelance player in London she recorded and toured with Barb Jungr, Ennui, Philip Kane and Babysnakes. Solo recordings include Bach's Suite No 1 for Solo Cello, and album of improvisations “Science of Snow” with Charlie Beresford. 2019 the new quartet What? was formed and the album of the same name released on Bandcamp. Principal Cellist of both the Brecknock Sinfonia and St Woolos Sinfonia. She is also a key member of Radnor Improvisers. In 2017 Sonia was invited to join the London Cello Orchestra and went to South Korea with 19 other cellists. Since in 2006 Sonia has given recitals with pianists Roger Nichols and the late James Joseph. She is cellist with the Castalia and Peregrine String Quartets & is Principal Cellist of both the Brecknock Sinfonia and St Woolos Sinfonia and is also a key member of Radnor Improvisers.
VIOLA James Drummond
James Drummond was born in Scotland and educated in Scotland. He began playing the violin at an early age and studied with his father Hamish, before progressing to the viola, studying with Keith Lovell, Gwyn Williams, Rosemary Sanderson and Rivka Golani. Graduating in 1985, James began his professional career freelancing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra da Camera and the English String Orchestra, before joining the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 1987, with whom he spent 35 very happy years, before taking early retirement in June 2022. As well as his commitments with the BBC, James is very active as a freelance musician, playing with ESO, Bristol Ensemble, Welsh Concert Orchestra, BSO, Orchestra de Cymru, Brecknock Sinfonia and the Chamber Orchestra of Wales. James also has a keen interest in chamber music, playing with groups in South and Mid Wales. James plays on a 1942 ‘Tertis’ model viola, made by the English luthier, Arthur Richardson.
'CELLO Roz Gladstone
BASS Martyn Owen
Roz Gladstone graduated from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge with a Degree in English literature in 2001. She went on to take a postgraduate course in performance on the cello at Trinity College of Music in London where she studied with Naomi Butterworth. Since then, she has had a varied career as a cellist. She has been fortunate enough to play a lot of wonderful chamber music with fantastic colleagues. A few memorable highlights include the Mendelssohn Piano Trio in C minor with Ian Burnside and Lowri Porter at the St Endellion Summer Festival, Dmitri Sitkovetsky’s arrangement of Bach’s Ct Goldberg Variations for string trio with the ‘Zoltan Ensemble’ (Lowri Porter - violin, and Nancy Johnson - viola) performed in several venues over the years, and Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht with the Zoltan Ensemble for the Cwmdu music society in 2022. She has played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the London Concert Orchestra as well as various other regional orchestras including most recently the Orchestra de Cymru. Roz is also a dedicated teacher and currently has pupils at Hereford Cathedral School and The Steiner Academy Hereford.
FLUTE Catherine Handley
Catherine Handley studied the flute at the Royal Academy of Music and the National Centre for Orchestral Studies. She has a freelance career playing chamber music, including flute and harp duos and small ensembles. In recent years her orchestral work has been with the English Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de Cymru, Ensemble Cambrica, Mid Wales Opera & Ensemble Cymru. She score-reads for televised concerts, mostly for BBC Classical Music productions including the Proms and Cardiff Singer of the World. Catherine teaches at Cardiff University & regularly coach youth orchestras. For over 35 years Catherine hash been privileged to experience the effect of music through taking projects to preschool & primary children, teaching, performing and playing music in care homes and hospitals. Solo recordings include 'Ariel'- flute & piano music by members of 'The Composers of Wales'; the Flute Concertino & 'Spirit of the Mountain' by Christopher Gunning with the RPO & 'Isca' & 'Mearc' by Ian Lawson. ‘In the Tradition’ & 'A Journey' is folk music old & new.
OBOE Catherine Tanner Williams
Catherine Tanner-Williams studied music at Cardiff University and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, winning a Countess of Munster Award. As a soloist she has recorded three albums of oboe and piano music on Willowhayne Records, including the core French repertoire, the world première recording of Richard Elfyn Jones' Oboe Sonata, and her own compositions and arrangements. She has freelanced with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and played Principal Oboe with English Symphony Orchestra, Welsh Sinfonia, Chamber Orchestra of Wales, Bath Philharmonia, St Woolos Sinfonia and Hereford Sinfonia. When not busy scraping oboe reeds, she enjoys surfing and art.
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CLARINET Simeon Benavente
Simeon Benavente is a passionate clarinettist and music educator with a rich background in both performance and community arts. He first made waves as a young musician, achieving the highest marks in Great Britain for both Grade 7 and Grade 8 clarinet, which earned him a scholarship to study with the legendary Gervase de Peyer. He trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and went on to become Principal Clarinettist of the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain. Since then, Simeon has freelanced with many of the UK’s top orchestras and is currently Principal Clarinettist with Orchestra de Cymru, Hereford Sinfonia, and Orchestra West. Alongside his playing, Simeon has spent many years working in music education. He now works as a Community Focused Schools Officer for Music and Arts with Caerphilly Borough Council, creating inclusive, inspiring arts programmes for young people and local communities across the borough.
CLARINET Tom Howells
Tom Howells finished his studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in July 2015, graduating with an MA Merit on the Orchestral Performance course. His teachers included Robert Plane, Timothy Lines, Barnaby Robson and John Cooper. While studying at the RWCMD, he played in various different orchestral scenarios, playing principal clarinet and Eb clarinet in all of the major college orchestras. During his studies, he also took part in a placement scheme with both the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera. This led to professional work with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales upon leaving college. During his final year of college, he was selected to perform Guy Woolfenden's Rondo Variations as a concerto with the RWCMD Wind Orchestra. For his undergraduate degree, Tom studied at theBirmingham Conservatoire. His tutors were Joanna Patton, Michael Harris, Mark O' Brien and Sally Harrop. During this time, he performed in lots of the major college orchestras and his final year culminated in a performance of Poulenc's Sextet. Currently, Tom freelances in a number of different ensembles. These include holding the principal clarinet position for City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble de Cymru.
BASSOON Robert Codd
ROBERT CODD was educated at Clifton College, Bristol, where he first took up the bassoon and University College, Cardiff, reading Natural Sciences initially, but later changing to Music. In 1966 he graduated with a B.Mus. Shortly afterwards he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London, where he remained for four years, studying with Geoffrey Gambold. He combined College activities with classroom teaching in the East End of London, peripatetic woodwind teaching for Buckinghamshire and chamber music, including the Galliard Ensemble, Van Walsum Ensemble, which specialised in work for schools and music societies and the London Harpsichord Ensemble, with regular appearances at the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall. On leaving College he spent several years freelancing with wind chamber groups and especially contemporary music ensembles, collaborating with many eminent composers such as Brian Fernyhough and Harrison Birtwhistle, together with four years as Principal Bassoonist with London Festival Ballet, (now English National Ballet). In August 1973 he joined the BBC Welsh Orchestra, (BBC National Orchestra of Wales) as Principal Bassoonist, a position he held until September, 2003. During his time with the Orchestra he was involved with many foreign tours, including those to Eastern Europe, Japan and North America, much “Outreach Work”, also giving regular solo broadcasts for Radio 3. Over the years he has been involved with several wind ensembles, adjudicating, teaching and other educational work and has played with many orchestras, including the CBSO, BSO and LSO, the London Mozart Players, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. He has been a Bassoon Tutor at Cardiff University since 1974 and at the RWCMD from the same date to the closure of the Junior Dept. in 2024.
HORN Martin Davis
HORN Sam Holburt
Sam is a Cardiff based horn player and teacher. Originally from Cumbria, Sam attended Chetham’s School of Music where he studied horn with Lizzie Davis and Julian Plummer. Whilst at Chetham’s Sam took part in an music outreach project in Sri Lanka with ‘The Commonwealth Resounds’. After leaving Chetham’s Sam went on to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) where he completed both his Undergraduate and Masters degrees. During his time at the RWCMD he studied horn with Jim Mildred, Angus West and Tim Thorpe and historical horns with Anneke Scott. Some highlights of Sam’s time at the RWCMD include taking part in the orchestral placement schemes with both Welsh National Opera and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, performing in the UK premiere of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ with RWCMD Musical Theatre department and helping organise the British Horn Society’s annual festival in 2018. As a freelance horn player Sam has performed a wide variety of music ranging from offstage horn with Welsh National Opera to performing ‘the music of James Bond by Candlelight’. Alongside his work as a performer Sam enjoys his work as a Brass teacher, both privately and in schools as well as working as pastoral staff for the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain. Outside of music Sam is an avid cricketer and spends most of the summer months playing as much cricket as possible for Radyr CC and also is a volunteer youth leader at his church.
TRUMPET Stuart Paul
Stuart Paul is a graduate of The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He holds teaching positions at King’s College, Queen’s College, Taunton School, Blundell’s and Richard Huish College. As a performer he works throughout the south west with leading orchestras, choral societies, opera companies and brass bands including Orchestra West, Bath Philharmonia, Southern Sinfonia, Orchestra De Cymru, Dorset Chamber Orchestra, Bridport Chamber Orchestra, Taunton Sinfonietta and Somerset Opera. He is also a member of Bristol Brass Consort. He is a member of the function band Doctor Chocolate and the James Bond tribute band ‘The Name is Band’. He has also worked with other leading bands including The Man From Funkle, Area 52, DT8, Agent Funk and Session One. He works regularly with leading theatre companies throughout the south west. He has given many solo recitals and has performed several concertos in recent years.
TRUMPET Ed Burfield
TROMBONE Will Hall
Ed Burfield is a Cardiff-based trumpet player and graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he studied with Philippe Schartz and graduated with first class honours. He has since performed with the Welsh National Opera and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, including appearances at the BBC Proms and concerts for the likes of King Charles and Dame Shirley Bassey. A versatile and creative musician, Ed works regularly as both a performer and arranger. His arrangements have been published by Superbrass Music, and he shares weekly brass quintet videos on his growing YouTube channel. He is the founder of Cariad Brass, a quintet specialising in wedding and event performances, and leads the lively Bavarian-style band, Oompah Cymru, during the Oktoberfest season. Ed teaches brass for South Powys Youth Music in Crickhowell and Brecon, and offers private tuition in the North Cardiff area - where he shares his enthusiasm for brass with students of all ages and abilities
Will began playing the trombone at 13 and progressed through Northamptonshire Music School’s county ensembles. He studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, gaining a BMus and Postgraduate Diploma with distinction, and was awarded multiple prizes including the Richard Clarkson Memorial Prize and the Linda Mowat Brass Prize. Further study followed at the Royal Academy of Music, supported by the South Square Trust. He has performed with Orchestra De Cymru, Bristol Ensemble, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, the UK Brass Collective, and others, appearing on recordings for BBC Radio, ITV, S4C, and Aardman Animations. His work spans chamber music, musical theatre, and session recordings, and he has performed at Royal Variety Shows with Neil Diamond and McFly. He also took part in the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme.
PERCUSSION Graham Bradley
PERCUSSION Gareth Hamlin
HARP Ben Creighton Griffiths
Since graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Gareth has worked with many orchestras, conductors and artists including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, English Symphony Orchestra, Welsh Sinfonietta, British Sinfonietta, Cardiff Sinfonietta, Ensemble Cambrica, Orchestra De Cymru, Karl Jenkins, Hywel Choir, Angelicus Celtis, Martyn Geraint, and The Music Agency “The Goonies” live with orchestra tour. Gareth is also heavily involved in musical theatre. He works with the Friendship Theatre Company and has played on the touring productions of South Pacific and Beauty and the Beast.As well as performing, Gareth is a percussion tutor, teaching at Christ College Brecon. He also runs his own company called “Stick 2” that performs educational percussion workshops in primary schools (www.stick2.co.uk). Gareth has also composed many works for percussion ensemble and a number of these have been published by the leading music publisher and distributor, Southern Percussion.
Benjamin Creighton Griffiths is an Internationally touring jazz and classical harpist based in Wales. He made his International debut at the 2004 1er Concours International de Harpe in Nantes, France where, aged 7, he came second in the Under 18 division. In 2006 he won the Under 13 Division of the Wales International Harp Festival before going on to win the 2008 Junior Lily Laskine competition in Paris, winning a concert harp in the process. Originally classically trained with Catrin Finch, Elinor Bennett, and Ann Griffiths, he now specialises in jazz both as a soloist and with his bands – the Transatlantic Hot Club and Chube. His career has taken him across the world including to America, Canada, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, India, Brazil, and across Europe and has seen him collaborate with excellent musicians in both the classical and jazz world including Dennis Rollins MBE (jazz trombone), Tatiana Eva-Marie (vocals), Adrien Chevalier (jazz violin), and Catrin Finch (harp). As well as a performer he is a composer, most recently developing a concert schedule for his own Concerto for Jazz Harp & Symphony Orchestra. This has included performances with the The Chandos Symphony Orchestra (who commissioned the work), Swindon Symphony Orchestra, and Trowbridge Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming performances of the Concerto include the Welsh premiere with the Cardiff Philharmonic at the BBC Hoddinott Hall, The Grieg Hall, Alcester with the Stratford Upon Avon Symphony Orchestra, and in Tasmania with the Hobart City Band. He has taught workshops and masterclasses in jazz across the world and has been a guest tutor in the harp and trad music departments at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Upcoming appearances at the time of writing include his first concert tour to Australia and Singapore, a return to Corsica with the Transatlantic Hot Club, and another UK tour with the Transatlantic Hot Club.