Andrew Bound
Teacher of Cello
Andrew began playing cello at the age of twelve and attended the Birmingham Conservatoire, before completing his training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stefan Popov.
As an accomplished cellist, Andrew has, over the years, performed with many orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the UK and Europe, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Bolshoi Ballet, and Sinfonia Viva.
Andrew is also an experienced teacher and musical director, becoming Head of Strings for Leicestershire Music. He founded the Leicestershire Senior String Ensemble and worked with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra as cellist, strings specialist and conductor for thirty years.
Currently, he divides his time between teaching for the Loughborough Schools Foundation and performing with a wide range of chamber and orchestral ensembles.
John Boyd
Teacher of Guitar
John studied at the Guitar Institute in 1992 (now known as Institute of Contemporary Music Performance) on the first, full-time, electric guitar course to be held in the UK. It was a highly intensive, live performance Diploma course taught by some of the best teachers at the time, such as Shaun Baxter and Dave Kilminster.
After graduation John played for bands around London and Leicestershire and taught both classical and electric guitar part-time.
From 2002 John chose to focus entirely on teaching and became a full time teacher working in various schools and colleges, including the Loughborough Schools Foundation. However, he does still do some occasional live music performance for a select number of bands.
Kerry-Ann Geary
Teacher of Violin and Viola
Kerry-Ann Geary grew up in Leicestershire, starting the violin at the age of 7. This led her ultimately to attend Trinity College of Music in London, graduating with a BMus.
Upon leaving college Kerry-Ann embarked on a freelance playing career alongside teaching for the Berkshire Young Musicians Trust. Her love for the violin has taken her all over the country, but she finally settled at Loughborough Schools Foundation 14 years ago.
Kerry-Ann is a regular player with the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra and is also an experienced adjudicator and examiner for London College of Music Exams.
Ayse Osman
Teacher of Double Bass
Ayse is hugely passionate about education work and has experience teaching a wide range of ages, taking Bass sections for National Children's Orchestra, Dementia friendly concerts for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and community work with the Orchestra of the Swan as well as her work at Loughborough Schools Foundation and other Independent schools. She is particularly keen to help children create their own compositions and develop musical skills as well as using music to help children develop their confidence and mental well-being
Ayse also works as a freelance musician playing double bass/bass guitar with various UK orchestras and theatre companies. Alongside a varied freelance life orchestrally and in Musical Theatre, she regularly plays with The Royal Shakespeare Company and has a huge passion for working with composers to create new theatre.
Fiona Richardson
Teacher of Guitar
With a talent for stringed instruments, Fiona studied both the guitar and double bass at the Royal Academy of Music, specialising in the guitar under the renown guitarist and educator Hector Quine. Following her time at the Academy, Fiona performed regularly with the English Guitar Quartet whilst also teaching in London.
Fiona now focuses exclusively on teaching both the acoustic and electric guitar, splitting her time between Dorset and Loughborough.
Richard Smith
Teacher of Violin
Born into a musical family, Richard grew up enjoying all that Northamptonshire’s exceptional music system had to offer, with inspirational teachers and ensembles galore. He went on to study with Jeremy Ballard and Philippe Graffin, gaining his Honours degree at Birmingham Conservatoire, followed by lessons with Rodney Friend as a Countess of Munster Scholar at the Royal College of Music.
Joining Southbank Sinfonia in 2002, its inaugural year, gave Richard the confidence and certainty to pursue a career in music. Through years of working with inspirational colleagues and pupils, he counts himself incredibly fortunate to live such a rich and varied musical life. Having played with many of the UK’s leading orchestras and performed as a chamber musician and soloist on land and sea, recent projects include recording as Leader of both Southern Sinfonia and London Orchestra da Camera and performing regularly in Fever’s highly successful Candlelight Concert series. With the Dionysus Ensemble, Richard has performed for Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, as well as recording and premiering new works to celebrate the Commonwealth and Jubilee. He was thrilled to be invited by fellow Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT) alumni composer and violinist Fiona Brice to record the strings on Shed Seven’s new Liquid Gold album.
As a committed educator, Richard gives masterclasses and coaches extensively, in particular for NSGSO (National Scouts and Guide Symphony Orchestra), MusicWorks and for NMPAT. Here he is a conductor of the County Youth Orchestra and Director of String Sinfonia. He is also enjoying his role as leader of Northampton Symphony Orchestra. What hobbies you might ask? 3 children, 1 wife and 4 chickens.
Alan Thomas
Teacher of Guitar
Whether performing the complete lute works of J.S. Bach, sharing the stage with artists as diverse as Alfie Boe and Aphex Twin, or composing genre-bending music with live computer interaction, Alan Thomas has been devoted to exploring the guitar’s many personalities and sonic possibilities.
Following his studies in America with Ernesto Bitetti and Scott Tennant, Alan won top prizes at the Guitar Foundation of America, USA MTNA and American Artistic Ambassador competitions. Moving to England in 1996, he quickly established himself as one of Europe's foremost new music soloists and ensemble players after winning first-prize at the Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition in Holland (becoming the only guitarist ever to do so). Since then he has appeared in concert series and festivals throughout the U.K., Europe and the USA, releasing several acclaimed CDs and playing with groups such as the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Graham Fitkin Band and Apartment House as well as with artists including Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins.
Soraya Vermeulen
Teacher of Harp
Soraya graduated in 2014 from Trinity Laban Conservatoire, with a Masters in Music, following a BMus Honors Degree in Harp performance. She was also awarded an LTCL for music teaching.
Soraya has a distinguished career both as a soloist and as an orchestral player. Regularly invited to play for dignitaries, she has also played alongside, amongst others, Andrea Bocelli, Rod Stewart, Alfie Boe and the West End cast of War Horse in venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, London Barbican, Cardiff Millennium Centre and Festival Hall.
Soraya's passion for orchestral playing began during her position as principal harpist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's Youth Orchestra and has continue throughout her life. She has regularly performed with orchestras such as the Leicester Symphony Orchestra and the Bardi Orchestra as well as being the principal harpist for the BBC Festival of Remembrance for ten years.
Soraya combines her professional performing career with a great passion for teaching across a number of schools in the Midlands.
Peter Wilson
Teacher of Cello
Peter studied cello on the BMus(hons) course at the Royal College of Music (RCM), followed by a PGDip at the RCM, supported by a Leverhulme postgraduate studentship. During his time at the RCM, Peter won the Anna Shuttleworth Competition for Unaccompanied Cello and was presented with the Leo Stern award.
As a much sought-after recording artist with his own recording studio, Peter is regularly asked to record solo cello for radio, film, and television. He has recorded for BBC Radio 3, and for several BBC1 documentaries as well as working with leading film composers such as Steven Price on his BAFTA award winning musical score for The Hunt.
From 2016-2018 Peter was a full-time musician with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and he has played with many top classical orchestras in Britain. In addition, he works as a musician in theatre and is a frequent performer with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Peter is a passionate and committed teacher and is currently teaching cello at several Independent schools. Many of his talented students have gone on to achieve success in exams and Young Musician Competitions. Some have gained places in the National Children's Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra as well as scholarships at prestigious music conservatoires. Peter has taught on many music courses including Yorchestra and Musicale and coached cello sections of many youth orchestras in the UK, and abroad.
Melissa Woodhead
Teacher of Violin and Viola
Melissa grew up in Leicestershire and her years of performing with Leicestershire Arts led her on to lead the National Youth Sinfonia. It was whilst performing Mendelssohn's Octet with members of this ensemble that she decided there was no option but to pursue a career as a violinist. As such, Melissa gained her BMus (hons) and MMus from the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with Benedict Holland and Pavel Fischer.
Melissa has since had a successful career as a violinist, working with many professional orchestras, such as the Southbank Sinfonia, BBC Philharmonic, Sinfonia Viva, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and the Orchestra of Opera North.
As well as being an active orchestral musician, Melissa has always loved chamber music and plays as much as possible with a variety of ensembles.
Melissa is passionate about the importance of musical education and worked as Head of Instrumental Studies at Nottingham High School before taking up her current position at Loughborough Schools Foundation in 2020.