Miss Stephanie Bloor (Cello)

Stephanie began her music education at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester and then completed her undergraduate degree at the Royal Academy of Music, fitting in some time on the BBC Philharmonic’s Side-by-Side scheme in between. Recent personal performance highlights include a string quartet tour to Norway, playing as part of the Cannes Film Festival and collaborating with contemporary artist Shola Ama. Stephanie currently dedicates much of her time to teaching. In addition to enjoying her teaching at John Lyon, she teaches at four other schools – two in London and two in Derbyshire. She also enjoys working on Pro Corda chamber music courses in the holidays. In addition to the cello, Stephanie also studied the harp at the Royal Academy and enjoys the variety of freelancing on both instruments.

Mr Rhys Bowden (Singing)

Rhys Bowden is an operatic tenor based in London. After studying for a degree in music at Girton College, Cambridge, Rhys joined the Royal Academy of Music on the postgraduate course in vocal studies, from which he graduated with distinction. He has performed a variety of operatic roles and sung with several distinguished companies including Wexford Festival Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park, Longborough Opera, Nevill Holt Opera, Opera Rara, the Aldeburgh Festival and Opera de Bauge. Notable appearances include the roles of Cassio (Otello) with Kent Opera, the Mayor (Albert Herring) with Opera de Bauge, Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) with Surrey Opera, and the creation of several roles in contemporary operas at the Tête à Tête Festival. He performs regularly as an oratorio soloist and in recitals across London. As well as teaching singing, Rhys also teaches the saxophone, the piano, and academic music privately.

Mr Huw Clement-Evans (Clarinet, Saxophone and Oboe)

Huw is a freelance woodwind musician and educator who performs on the oboe, cor anglais, clarinet and saxophone and a founder member of Ensemble Cymru. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Robin Canter.  After completing his graduate and performance diplomas, Huw won two major scholarship awards from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for two postgraduate years.  At the GSMD he studied with Roy Carter of the LSO, Richard Simpson of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and with the soloist Nicholas Daniel and was awarded Young Instrumentalist of the Year at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

Huw enjoys a busy and varied musical life.  He has performed on the concert platform radio and television with some of the UK’s leading orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ulster Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

He has played in many West End shows including Les Misérables, Cats, Wicked, Mary Poppins, Witches of Eastwick, the Royal National Theatre’s Oklahoma! And this summer 2021 played in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium. In 2011 and 2012 he toured and performed with George Michael’s orchestral concert tour ‘Symphonica’ and in 2019 toured the UK and Europe with Hugh Jackman  on ‘The Man. The Music. The Show’ tour. Huw has performed on period instruments with the Hanover Band and the London Classical Players. He has performed concertos with various orchestras including the Bellini Oboe Concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra live on Radio 2.

Mr Vivian Davies (Brass)

Vivian Davies was born in Neath in South Wales and was taught to play the horn by his father. He became principal horn of the Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the Orchestra of Cardiff University where he studied after winning a county music scholarship. After university he freelanced in London playing with the Festival Ballet Company and Sadler’s Wells Opera before spending 25 years as principal horn with the Band of Her Majesty’s Scots Guards. During this time he took part in all State Occasions and visited many different countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He now has a busy teaching schedule at several schools including the John Lyon School and North London Collegiate.

Mrs Sue Evans (Flute)

Having achieved a distinction for her Grade VIII flute as a 13 year old, Sue Evans continued her studies at school to diploma level. She started her teaching at Wellingborough School and has since taught in many different schools in the area including York House Preparatory School, St Clement Danes School and St Dominic’s Sixth Form College as well as teaching privately, and has successfully guided hundreds of pupils through the full range of grades as well as several through diplomas. She lives at Harrow School, where her husband is a music teacher. She is a keen singer and sings in an a capella choir at Harrow School which has been all over the world on singing tours including the Far East, USA, South Africa, Kenya, Canada, Russia as well as countries nearer home.

Mr Tiernan Godel (Bass guitar)

With over 20 years’ experience covering most genres of contemporary popular music, Tiernan is an outstanding professional bass guitarist and teacher. Since graduating from the Guitar Institute in 1997 Tiernan has taken his ongoing professional development very seriously, and his investigations into effective studying methods inform his 17 years of teaching practice. A positive and enthusiastic teacher, he encourages all his students to reach their highest potential and develop sound practice routines, at the same time as taking pleasure in making music both individually, and as part of a group. Under his tutelage, many of his students take the Rockschool graded exams, several subsequently attending Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Berklee College of Music and Birmingham Conservatoire.

Mr Tom Hooper (Drums)

Tom Hooper started playing drums on the sofa with chop sticks at about six years old and began playing professionally at age 14, performing in clubs, with local bands and summer season pit work. Tom gained a BMus honours degree in Jazz performance from the Royal Academy of Music. Having left the Academy Tom embarked on a professional career that has taken him all over the world performing and recording with artists as diverse as Grace Jones, Simple Minds, John Dankworth OBE, Jan Smit (Dutch singing star with whom Tom has played on five number one hits), Christian Garrick, Kinobe, Stroke, Omar, The Kairos Ensemble, Ben Earle (The Shires), Ryan Marshall,  Aynsley Lister and many more.

Mr Peter Huntington (Drums)

Born in Newcastle, Peter began playing drums at the age of 11 and was soon playing in brass bands, orchestras as well as several local bands. Peter studied Commercial Music at the University of Westminster and since graduating, has toured and recorded with many artists including Mark Owen, Darren Hayes, Chesney Hawkes and Pete Townshend. Peter played drums on the album Endless Wire by The Who and also on the expanded reissue of Quadrophenia. He continues to perform around the world with The Lost and Found Orchestra (from the creators of STOMP) and has also been involved with Rockschool as a composer and examiner for many years. Peter also teaches on the music performance course at the University of Westminster and runs the percussion ensemble at John Lyon.

Mr James Kellas (Piano)

James was educated as a music scholar at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood and studied the Piano with Rachel Lambert.  As a sixth former he attended the Junior Royal Academy of Music, furthering his playing under pianist Graham Caskie who instilled in him a love of French and contemporary music.  At the end of his schooling he performed Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto with the MTS orchestra.

He went on to study Music at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he held an instrumental scholarship.  He graduated from Oxford in 2008 and, having been awarded a high first in his Performance Finals, he applied to study Solo Piano at the Guildhall School of Music.  There he completed his Masters under Debussy specialist and scholar Paul Roberts, achieving distinctions in his recital exams and receiving a scholarship from The Leathersellers’ Company.

During his time at the GSMD James developed an interest in the Alexander Technique and its capacity to identify causes of tension thanks to the inspiring piano professor Nelly Ben-Or.  He was struck by the improvements in tone, fluency and ease which he experienced from applying the Alexander principles and so decided to continue his studies with Nelly after leaving the GSMD; he is currently enrolled on her Alexander Teacher Training course.

Mrs Ruth Molins (Lower Brass)

Ruth graduated from the University of York with first class honours in music and went on to postgraduate study in trombone at the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst at the Academy Ruth studied with Dudley Bright and Denis Wick and was a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester. Ruth gained the LRAM teaching diploma, the postgraduate diploma in trombone with distinction, the prestigious DipRAM ‘for outstanding performance’ and was awarded the Vice Principal’s Prize.

Ruth enjoys a varied career as a freelance orchestral trombonist and educational outreach practitioner. She works regularly with most of the leading professional orchestras including the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, English National Opera, London Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ruth is much in demand as a teacher and is passionate about working with young brass players to inspire and motivate them in their musical learning. Ruth thoroughly enjoys her work as trombone teacher and ensemble director at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, The Purcell School and Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls. Ruth is very much looking forward to working with the brass players at John Lyon School.

Mr Luke Rao (Acoustic, Classical and Electric guitar)

Having been a dedicated member of the musical community as a student, Luke began working as a professional musician the moment he left John Lyon. From picking up the guitar when he was 13 years old, he has now performed in prestigious venues all around the world and has worked with several well renowned musicians.  Luke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. He performs regularly with his function band, The Altitudes, and struggles to find a weekend off! Luke is also very involved in music technology and audio engineering. He is currently working with Ryan Marshall as production manager and enjoys his role as Front of House engineer. When he gets the time, Luke enjoys the chance to produce recordings and write his own music. He uses production techniques in lessons to create backing tracks to help students’ progress.

Miss Henrietta Ridgeon (Viola and Violin)

Henrietta Ridgeon (Violin) studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Since graduating in 2001 Henrietta combines a busy teaching and freelance career – playing regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English National Ballet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RTE Symphony Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra. Henrietta is also Principal Viola of the Belmont Ensemble of London which plays regularly at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Some career highlights are touring North America and Europe with Sting and Star Wars in Concert. Henrietta recently performed with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia for HRH Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Tim Turner (Trumpet and Piano)

Tim began his musical education at the piano from the age of five, soon becoming a boy chorister and later organist at his local parish church. Having begun a lifelong passion for the trumpet whilst a pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Tim continued his studies at Trinity College of Music where he gained additional experience as an orchestral musician, piano accompanist and repetiteur to the College Opera. Following graduation Tim was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to study natural trumpet and cornett and began his enduring commitment to teaching, firstly at The American School in London, an experience which became highly influential in the development of his own educational philosophy. In 2001, having held teaching and leadership roles within the state sector over a period of fourteen years Tim was appointed Director of Music at Orley Farm School, Harrow-on-the-Hill where he remained until 2014.