- Adjudicators
The Festival is delighted to welcome this excellent team of adjudicators in 2020, each one of them an expert teacher in their field.
(Scroll down to find the Adjudicator for your section)
Fiona McLean-Buechel (March 21st & 22nd)
Instrumental - Strings and ensembles
Fiona is a founder member of NYOS and an alumnus of St Mary's Music School, studying at the Royal Scottish Academy in Glasgow and the Royal Academy of Music in London.
She is Lead Tutor for Strings at Trinity Laban Junior Conservatoire and has a passion for music in all forms; combining a busy career as a performer with writing creative and collaborative national and international performance projects.
She has held teaching posts at the Junior Guildhall School of Music, Colchester Institute, Goldsmith’s College, National Children’s Orchestra, Head of Strings for London Borough of Bexley and as specialist strings examiner and syllabus developer for the Guildhall Examinations board.
Fiona has delivered sessions on Mindfulness for Musicians on behalf of the Federation of Festivals, at the 2016 Music Education Expo in Olympia, the Federation of Festivals conference in Edinburgh, The South West Regional Federation of Festivals Forum, Musicians Union, IAPS, Chipping Norton Music Festival and delivered staff development sessions for colleagues at Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
Paul Harris.FRAM (March 15th)
Instrumental - Wind, brass, percussion
Paul studied at the Royal Academy of Music and University of London. He is a performer, composer, writer, examiner, lecturer and workshop leader and is Head of Wind & Brass at Stowe School and Artistic Director of the Malcolm Arnold Festival as well as an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.
Paul’s performance experience encompasses recitals; concertos; symphony, chamber and opera orchestras and chamber music.
Belinda Mikhail, BMus(Hons), PGDipRCM, ARCM
Vocal
Belinda was awarded the Associated Board and 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.
Since graduating she has travelled extensively, performing both as a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared as a concerto soloist at the major London concert halls.
Belinda is in demand as a vocal coach and has students enjoying major roles in West End Shows. She runs an extensive teaching practice and directs a number of choirs, as well as being an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.
Belinda has made numerous recordings for Sony BMG and Universal, and is the vocal soloist on many major film soundtracks.
Li Lin Teo, ARAM, LRAM,ARCM (Hons), LRSM
Piano
Li Lin, a Singaporean, studied with Dennis Murdoch at the Royal Academy of Music on an Associated Board Scholarship and won most of the piano prizes, including the Macfarren Gold Medal. She also participated in master-classes with Vlado Perlemuter, Guido Agosti and Carlo Zecchi in Europe.
After the Academy, she studied with Louis Kentner, going onto combine teaching with concerto engagements, solo and duo recitals in UK, Europe, Singapore, Columbo, Hong Kong and Australia and with radio and TV recitals in France and the Far East.
Li Lin is an examiner, an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals and has a large teaching practice at home and at North London Collegiate School.
Tish Nicoll LGSM,DipCE,FESB,MSTSD
Speech & Drama
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Tish is a Licentiate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has a wide range of experience in teaching all age groups in schools, colleges and the business world. Tish now lives in Suffolk and works freelance. She is visiting lecturer in Vocal Communications in colleges in the UK and in Italy. She also examines for The English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. and was their Chief Examiner for seven years. She has travelled widely both in the UK and overseas lecturing, running workshops, examining and adjudicating.
As well as “Voice Over” work for advertising, Tish has television experience as a performer and stage experience as a performer and director. She is also a trained singer, specialising in recitals of poetry and song.
From an early age Tish took part in Festivals and well remembers how it feels to be a participant! Now, herself a Festival organiser and adjudicator, she knows the importance of these events and welcomes the opportunities offered to performers of all ages, giving them a platform for their work and a chance to celebrate music, poetry and drama.
Ann Bauer, MEd,BA(Hons), LRAM,LGSM,PGCE,DipSpLD
Speech & Drama
Ann Bauer, MEd, BA (Hons),LRAM,LGSM,PGCE,DipSpLD
Ann has spent her working life in education teaching in secondary and primary schools, theatres, university and therapy teams, as well as examining drama and theatre studies. Ann ran her own drama school for many years. Ann is also an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.
Ann trained to teach under John Hodgson at Bretton Hall, his major influence was the importance of improvisation. Ann continues to be an enthusiastic teacher of improvisation for developing all performance skills.
She believes strongly in the inclusive power of drama, that it offers confidence building, team work, and the discipline of controlling body, voice – and nerves. Combining that with her love of the written word, her first degree was English; she counts herself lucky to spend her life talking about what she loves.
Currently Ann combines her teaching with specialist teaching, research and writing in SEN.
In her spare time Ann still attends ballet and tap classes, a lifelong passion, enjoys theatre going, advocacy in SEN, precious time with her family and long distance back-packing treks.
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