- Adjudicators
The Festival is delighted to welcome this excellent team of adjudicators for the 2025 Festival.
Each of them is an expert teacher in their field.
(Scroll down to find the Adjudicator for your section)
Vocal 2025
Belinda Mikhaïl BMus(Hons),PgDipRCM,ARCM,EMT
Solo Vocal Section
Belinda Mikhaïl was awarded the Associated Board and the Queen Mother Scholarships to study piano and singing as a joint first study at the Royal College of Music where she won the Hopkinson Gold Medal for her final recital. She has travelled extensively performing both as a soloist and as a chamber musician and has appeared as a concerto soloist at the major London Concert Halls.
She has made numerous recordings for Sony BMG and Universal and is a vocal soloist on EMI's Vocalise album as used in trailers for ER, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy. She appears as the featured soloist on many film soundtracks and her solo piano playing of the theme from Chariots of Fire was heard at every medal ceremony at the London Olympic Games.
Belinda is also in demand as a vocal coach for classical, musical theatre, pop and rock singers and runs an extensive private teaching practice. She has trained performers as diverse as
Siouxsie Sioux, Jennifer Ellison, Jack Garrett, Cathy Tyson, the Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche, as well as the world-renowned dancer Akram Khan. Her students are enjoying major roles in theatre companies up and down the country as well as West End Shows such as Anything Goes, Chicago, Dreamgirls,
Haddestown, Dirty Dancing, Book of Mormon and High School Musical, and the hit TV series’, Bridgerton, Downton Abbey and Broadchurch.Belinda’s work as an adjudicator has seen her travel extensively; she was invited to Trinidad and Tobago where she adjudicated their month-long biennial Music Festival and future trips will see her travel to both Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. She thoroughly enjoys listening to a wide variety of music and meeting a wealth of musicians as she travels in her role as an adjudicator.
Jane Wilkinson BMus (Hons) (RSAMD), GradDipRCM
Choral Section
Jane trained as a soprano at the Royal Scottish Academy ofMusic and Drama and then at the Royal College of Music where she won many competitions and awards.
She performs solo art song recitals across the country and has toured South Africa, Europe and America. Jane teaches singing at Laine Theatre Arts and is a singing tutor at Imperial College, London. She is a former singing teacher at St Cecilia’s School, Wandsworth, Brunel Universities, Chelsea Academy and Flora Gardens School, Hammersmith.
Jane is a former member of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and now conducts New Malden Voices and New Malden Youth Choir. Jane has premiered many contemporary operas and frequently works alongside composers on new works for the stage and for recordings. She has performed oratorios and concerts at Edinburgh Festival, Royal Albert Hall and many other distinguished venues.
Jane leads vocal masterclasses and workshops internationally and often runs ‘audition technique’ days for aspiring singers. Jane has taught singers of all ages and standards and has a great passion for educating. Her voice has featured on a wide variety of albums and recordings from children’s repertoire to contemporary folk rock. Jane has been adjudicating for the British and International Federation of Festivals since 2012.
Instrumental 2025
Hilary Sturt
Instrumental
Hilary Sturt studied the violin with Sheila Nelson, DavidTakeno, 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.
Piano 2025
Alexis White
Alexis White studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Eastman School of Music, New York. The winner of many prestigious prizes and scholarships, most notably first prize in the Seventh Noyers International Piano Competition in France, Alexis has given recitals and concerto performances throughout the U.K. and abroad.
She has collaborated with many distinguished artists including Rafal Zambrzycki-Payne, Akiko Ono, Guy Johnston, Jiafeng Chen, the Sacconi Quartet, the Navarra Quartet, and the Galliard Ensemble. In 2018 she was invited to give a week of masterclasses in China, followed by a recital which was broadcast on Chinese television. Alexis has also broadcast for Scottish Radio, Classic FM, Radio Suisse Romane and featured for several years as a Countess of Munster artist. Alexis is currently Head of Keyboard at St Paul’s Girls’ School in London and teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School. She is also an examiner for the ABRSM.
Speech and Drama 2025
George R. Logan, MA., MEd., PGCE, LGSM, LTCL, LLAM
George Logan has been involved in thefestival movement for many years, initially as a competitor. An adjudicator
member of the British Federation since 1983, he has adjudicated at festivals across Great Britain and Ireland. He has been an examiner for the Poetry Society, later the Central School, and, from 1989, for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Trinity College, London panel undertaking extensive engagements in the UK, Ireland and overseas.
The main focus of his work for the last 30 years has been in school review and evaluation, initially in the UK, and, more recently, in the Middle East. In recent years, he has adjudicated, time-permitting, at various festivals in the UK and Ireland. He has been a regular supporter, both digitally and in-person, of the Hong Kong Festival over many years. He is delighted to be supporting the Richmond Festival in 2025.Dance 2025
Jordan Langford
Originally from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Jordan graduated as Head Boy from the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in 2013. Following a successful career as a performer, Jordan completed an MA in Contemporary Directing Practice (Distinction) at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance and has recently completed his Certification as an Intimacy Coordinator at the National Film and Television School.
Director credits include: A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM (European Tour); KERRY ELLIS DOES CHRISTMAS (Leatherhead Theatre); SLEEPING BEAUTY (Brighton Met); BUILD A ROCKET (GMFringe Award Nominee - UK Tour including Wonderville - West End, New Wimbledon, Leeds Playhouse and Edinburgh Fringe Festival); GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR (The Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film and TV); THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY (Mas Alba, Barcelona); ROBIN HOOD (Leeds Conservatoire/ City Varieties); SWEET CHARITY (Festival Theatre Studios, Edinburgh); DICK WHITTINGTON (Leeds Conservatoire/ City Varieties); INK (Courtyard, Rose Bruford); AT LAST, IT'S SUMMER (Workshop and Concept Album recorded at Abbey Road Studios / Capitol Records, Los Angeles starring Kerry Ellis, Jason Manford, David Bedella, Anita Dobson & Janie Dee) and HAPPY (R&D and Community Tour, Sheffield Crucible).
Associate/ Assistant Director credits include: AT LAST, IT'S SUMMER (London Palladium) THE TEMPEST (Theatre Space North East) and THE PASSENGER (Manchester Jewish Museum).
Choreography/ Movement Director credits include: AT LAST, IT'S SUMMER (London Palladium); CINDERELLA (Brighton Hilton Metropole); THE TEMPEST (Movement Director - Site-specific production for Theatre Space North East); SWEET CHARITY (Festival Theatre Studios, Edinburgh); THE WIZARD OF OZ (UK Open-Air Tour); ALADDIN (Brighton Centre); PETER PAN: THE MUSICAL (European Tour); SECRET SANTA: THE FROST FILES, SNOW WHITE and PETER PAN, all at the Royal Hippodrome, Eastbourne. Jordan worked as Associate Choreographer for MSC CRUISES and currently holds the position of Creative Producer at BRICK LANE MUSIC HALL in East London, where he has choreographed and staged pantomimes, variety shows and summer seasons. He is a recognised adjudicator of Dance Competitions and Festivals including being a part of the All England Dance panel.
Film/TV credits as Intimacy Coordinator include: THE RAINBOW CROSSING ACADEMY (Slick Films) and ALL THAT GLITTERS (Cloverfox Films).
Website: www.jordan-langford.com
X: JordanLangford
Instagram: JordanLangford1
