Jo Bradley (double bass)

Jo has played Double Bass as a member of both the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of Opera North.

She went on to further her training in specialist Kodaly pedagogy, which she now uses in her teaching both as a music class teacher and as a tutor for young bass players nationally.

It has been one of the highlights of Jo’s career to be part of the teams for the Benedetti Foundation, the National Children’s Orchestra’s of Great Britain, National Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and the RNCM Young Strings.

Jo has been a Guest Tutor for the Oasby Music Group since 2015 and joined us on our OMG tour to Amsterdam in 2020.

Rachel Cooper (violin)

Since earning a Master’s degree with Distinction from the Royal College of Music, Rachel has cultivated a dynamic and multifaceted career as an educator, mentor, and lecturer in the field of music education.

A trained Suzuki violin teacher, she served as a Violin, Viola, and Chamber Music Coach at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department until December 2024. She currently works with the UK-based charity Music Masters as a Violin Teacher and Mentor, and recently launched her own Saturday violin programme in West London.

Rachel has been involved with the Benedetti Foundation since its founding in 2019, initially as a Violin Tutor and more recently as Head of String Teacher Development. She is also the co-founder of VIVAStrings, a holistic summer string course for children aged 8-15, held annually in Wiltshire. Rachel’s impact in the field of music education has earned widespread recognition.

In 2023, she was honoured with the Emerging Artist Award by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra during their Women in Classical Music Symposium, following a nomination by Nicola Benedetti. She is currently authoring a book on violin pedagogy, aimed at supporting educators working with young string players.

Clifton Harrison (viola)

A true 21st-century musician, American viola and viola d’amore player Clifton Harrison has forged a performing and recording career spanning a huge range of genres and embracing the creative potential of in-depth research. He studied at the Juilliard School and Royal Academy of Music and is the former viola player in the acclaimed Kreutzer Quartet. He maintains an active freelance career working with many of the London orchestras, contemporary music groups, and early music ensembles. Clifton has appeared as guest principal viola with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, BBC Concert Orchestra, the Hanover Band, Manchester Camerata, Irish Baroque Orchestra, and London Handel Orchestra.

Alongside his extensive classical recording catalogue, he can be heard on hundreds of television, film and album soundtracks. He has toured worldwide with countless classical ensembles as well as performed with popular artists as wide-ranging as Eric Clapton, Björk, Laura Mvula, the James Taylor Quartet and Ellie Goulding. Clifton has been heard in festivals throughout the world, from the muddy fields of Glastonbury to the EFG London Jazz Festival, Ghent Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, and London’s BBC Proms.

He has a strong passion for educating the next generation. He has recently given lectures and masterclasses at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Vanderbilt University (USA), Royal Academy of Music (UK), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and at the European String Teachers Association (ESTA) International Conference 2023 in Cardiff Wales. He is also a viola tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Nicola Benedetti’s Benedetti Foundation.

Calum Huggan (percussion)

Calum Huggan is a Scottish percussionist known for his musicality and personality. A specialist in marimba, he earned his first solo BBC broadcast at 18 and has since gained international acclaim as a soloist and chamber musician. Following the release of his debut album American Music for Marimba on Delphian Records, he was named a "one-to-watch" by Gramophone Magazine in 2021.

Calum is also a passionate educator, serving as professor of marimba and percussion at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and Head of the Youth Ambassador Programme at The Benedetti Foundation. He regularly leads workshops across the UK and champions inclusive access to music education.

Calum is a Yamaha Artist, an Acoustic Percussion Signature Artist, and Vice-Chair of the Musicians’ Union ED&I Committee.

Alex Laing (violin)

Alex Laing is a conductor, violinist, teacher and writer. He is Director of Music at Wells Cathedral School, one of the very few specialist music schools in the UK.

Alex is known for his work with youth orchestras and ensembles. He is a conductor for the Benedetti Foundation which has delivered workshops and concerts involving hundreds of musicians across the UK including in Glasgow, London, Birmingham Dundee, Cardiff and Belfast.

Alex has also been a conductor for the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain which included being musical director and conductor for the NCO Easterlies orchestra from 2012-2016, and again in 2019-2020. He has been a course director and conductor for the National Youth String Orchestra of Great Britain, and is also regularly invited to conduct orchestras for county music hubs across England.

Alex has been a Guest Tutor for the Oasby Music Group since 2016.

David Munn (cello)

David completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Glasgow and University of Illinois before going on to gain a Masters in 'Cello Performance with Distinction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

He is currently Director of Music for Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise programmes and combines this with regular tutoring for the RCS Junior Department, National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain and the Benedetti Foundation.

Notable performance experience includes BBC SSO, RSNO, Scottish Opera, Red Note Ensemble, Concerto Caledonia and the Les Miserables UK Tour.

Hilary Sturt (violin and viola)

Hilary studied the violin with Sheila Nelson, David Takeno and Felix Andrievsky, graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal College of Music with solo, chamber and contemporary music prizes. As a violinist and violist she performed and recorded worldwide with Ensemble Modern for 20 years, including notable projects with Frank Zappa, Peter Eotvos and Pierre Boulez. Chamber music has played an important role in her life, previously as a member of the Rasumovsky Quartet and Apartment House, winners of the Philharmonic Society Award for the Most Outstanding Chamber Music in 2011. Most recently she is delighted to have joined the Bingham Quartet.

Hilary is much in demand as a teacher, adjudicator, and conductor, sitting on audition and interview panels throughout the UK and was Head of Strings at St Paul’s Girls’ School for twenty-four years. Hilary was awarded an MA in Education from the University College London in 2018. Currently, she is the Head of Chamber Music at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music and Instrumental Teaching Tutor and mentor to the MA Ed course at the Senior RCM. She has worked with the ABRSM as a Diploma examiner, recording the violin syllabus Grades 1-4 in 2015, and a member of the advisory panel for the 2020 ABRSM violin syllabus.

Ian Pressland (cello)

Ian Pressland studied cello with Elizabeth Braddock, Joseph Koos, Florence Hooton, Colin Walker and Donald Mcall.

At Trinity College of Music London he won the Sonata, Louise Bande and Sir John Barbirolli prizes for cello. Following membership of the BBC Concert Orchestra he joined the Rasumovsky String Quartet, coached at and became Assistant Director of Pro Corda (The National Association for Young Chamber Music Players).

Ian continues to perform, teach, conduct and coach in many musical arenas including the East London Late Starters Orchestra (Saturday morning school), The Chamber Orchestra (Clerkenwell), Stoneleigh Youth Orchestras (Wimbledon) and The Royal College of Music Junior Department.

Clare Thompson (violin)

For over a decade, Clare was Sub Leader at the Philharmonia Orchestra and is now regularly invited as a guest leader and co-leader across several British orchestras, including most recently as co-leader of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

A longstanding Professor at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, she has also recently been appointed to the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. Passionate about training young people, Clare has been a regular tutor for the National Children's Orchestras of GB since 2004. She has given masterclasses in Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus under the auspices of the prestigious ICulture Orchestra, the premier orchestra for eastern European young musicians, with whom she has been a tutor since 2012.

Keen to pass on her wealth of knowledge and orchestral experience, Clare is regularly invited to tutor in all of the London Music Colleges and is sought after as teacher and audition mentor by many young musicians embarking on their careers. She also has a burgeoning private studio in North London.

Clare was a prize winning student at the Royal Academy of Music where she studied with Carmel Kaine. Scholarships then enabled her to complete her Post Graduate studies in Germany with Wolfgang Marschner. On her return, she was soon appointed to the Principal 2nd chair of the English Chamber Orchestra. She also appeared as guest leader with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Thames Chamber Orchestra and principal positions with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra amongst others.

Clare has also enjoyed an active chamber music career, performing, recording and broadcasting with such ensembles as Prometheus, Cirrus and Serenata. She also continues to work in the studio recording film scores, including The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and The Hobbit.

Clare was recently made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of her services to music.

Clare has been a Guest Tutor at Oasby Music Group workshops since the very first Summer course in 2013.

Meet the Guest Tutors