2027 Adjudicators

On graduating from Bristol University with a degree in Drama and English, Rebecca worked for BBC Radio Four’s Drama Department. After further journalism and corporate work, Rebecca studied for her Licentiate Teacher’s Diploma and has been teaching Speech and Drama privately and in schools for over 25 years.

Additionally a voice and presentation skills coach in the region, she teaches in private and state schools, colleges and businesses and is a facilitator for Speaking and Listening Courses in the South Gloucestershire region; in addition she facilitates communication training in schools across the country.

Rebecca has been actively involved in theatre in the South West and is an Adjudicator for the Rose Bowl Awards for Amateur Drama and Music; she also continues to direct plays with young people.

Rebecca is passionate about developing communication skills amongst people of all ages and abilities; she sees the Festival movement as an excellent way of achieving this goal.

Rosalind trained at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and at The Laban Centre of Movement and Dance, London.

Rosalind has taught speech and drama for over thirty years and has led several large Performing Arts departments. She continues to deliver workshops at leading vocational schools and universities, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. In addition to her teaching credits, Rosalind has extensive experience in directing and creating original devised material for vocational and community outreach projects.

Rosalind has spent over twenty years working alongside award-winning choreographers with the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain – on their Creative Team, as drama coach and répétiteur. She continues to support their Beyond Ballet initiative for new and aspiring young choreographers. Rosalind is an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals, and a Senior Examiner and Team Leader for The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Through her work Rosalind has travelled extensively leading directorial, voice and LAMDA workshops in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bahrain, Australia, Sri Lanka, East Africa, California and throughout Europe.

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! 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.

Bryan studied at the Royal College of Music, London, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. He spent much of his performing career living abroad, performing in continental opera houses and concert venues; he and his partner now have homes in Hertfordshire and Malvern.

For 18 years Bryan was a Vocal Lecturer on the Musical Theatre BA programme at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and a Music Examiner for one of the top music examining boards for 14 years; he now runs a private practice, gives workshops (from ‘belting’ to audition techniques), performs, adjudicates, and works as a ski instructor! Performances include TV and radio broadcasts, opera, oratorio and recital.

Having enjoyed a lifelong association with competitive performance festivals, and being a passionate advocate for education and opportunity in the widest sense, Bryan was selected to become an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals in 2005. Since then, adjudication has taken him to many Festivals around the UK and Ireland, as well as to Hong Kong, Gibraltar and Trinidad & Tobago. Examining took him all round the UK and Southern Ireland, and further afield, to hear instrumentalists and vocalists in classical, Musical Theatre and Rock & Pop, from beginners to Fellowship diplomas.

In his spare time, Bryan spends time with his grandchildren (and their parents, of course!), attends a lot of diverse theatre, volunteers with various environmental Trusts, and enjoys gardening, skiing and walking.

Graeme has been a teacher of piano all his professional life, both at the Royal Academy of Music for thirty-six years, from 1974 to 2010, and privately. He has also been very actively involved in festival adjudicating and examining – work which has taken him all over the world.

He was awarded an Associated Board Scholarship on the piano from New Zealand to study at the Royal Academy of Music. He regularly teaches in Hong Kong, and was external examiner at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore from 2009 to 2011.

In 1988 he founded the Blackheath Music Festival in London. From 1993 to 2010 he tutored at the Shrewsbury International Summer School and was Music Director of the Summer School from 2004 to 2010.

In 1997 he was elected Warden of the Private Teachers’ Section of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, and in 2002 was elected President of the Royal Academy of Music Club.

Graeme has recently been involved in the selecting and editing of a major new piano duet project that is republishing long out-of-print beginner and intermediate level duet material, primarily for the pupil/teacher.

Graeme is both a Fellow and an adjudicator member of The British and International Federation of Festivals.

Nadia graduated from the Royal Academy of Music after having studied the violin with Manoug Parikian and the piano with Jean Harvey. She was awarded first prize for Aural studies and her quartet won the string chamber prize in her final year. Nadia was the featured soloist playing the Lark Ascending and Bach double violin concerto for the Benslow Trust at St. James’ Piccadilly, having been awarded an instrument to continue her studies. Other concertos in her repertoire include performances of the Mendelssohn, Mozart no.3 and 4, Haydn in C, De Beriot, Viotti, and works by Beethoven and Finzi.

She began her career as a freelance violinist playing in many London-based orchestras. As an accompanist to singers and instrumentalists, she met her musician husband Nigel and together they founded the Veloce Ensemble (string quartet and clarinet quintet), touring throughout Britain performing specially commissioned works for that genre. Appearances at festivals and stately homes inspired a regular concert series at Belvoir Castle and Holmepierrepont Hall. As a recitalist throughout the East Midlands, Nadia has been highlighted in festivals and BBC features locally.

She is also currently the owner and director of the Hinson School of Music in Nottingham, and is an International examiner for the ABRSM, an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals, and a member of the Royal Society of Musicians.

Nadia has recently stepped down as a senior consultant for the LEAD Academy trust, involved in developing music departments in schools in Nottinghamshire, and leading workshops to encourage and involve as many youngsters as possible in experiencing music and the arts in large scale productions and showcase concerts. She has set up composition workshops to inspire children to explore feelings and ideas through music and is a mentor for the Trust to develop self-confidence and communication through learning and performance.

Nadia was awarded an honorary degree, ARAM, from her alma mater, The Royal Academy of Music, in 2025 for services to musical education.

Nadia has also recently been appointed to the ABRSM jazz examining panel.

Paul Harris is one of the UK’s most influential music educationalists. He studied the clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the August Manns Prize for outstanding performance in clarinet playing and where he now teaches.

He is in great demand as a teacher, composer, and writer (he has written over 600 books); and his inspirational masterclasses and workshops continue to influence thousands of young musicians and teachers all over the world in both the principles and practice of musical performance and education.

Gaynor Keeble gained scholarships to the University of Warwick and the Royal Academy of Music. She combines a busy performing career with teaching, both privately and at Warwick University, and adjudicating at many festivals as a Federation adjudicator. She has also worked extensively with English Touring Opera’s Education Programme and is vocal consultant to several local choirs. She has been on the panel of the prestigious David Clover Singers Platform competition and has judged many prizes at Birmingham Conservatoire.

She is passionate about music education and works closely with D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust, delivering workshops on Gilbert and Sullivan to universities and conservatoires.

She was a member of Welsh National Opera for three years and has worked for the Royal Opera, English National Opera, Opera North, D’Oyly Carte, Mid Wales Opera and English Touring Opera. Roles with these companies include Carmen, Delilah (Samson & Delilah), Amneris (Aida), Marchioness (Daughter of the Regiment), Baba the Turk (Rake’s Progress), Mrs Sedley (Peter Grimes), Meg Page (Falstaff), Maddalena (Rigoletto), Marcellina (Marriage of Figaro), Orpheus (Orpheus and Euridice), Tisbe (Cenerentola), Katisha (Mikado) and Azucena (Il Trovatore). Concerts include appearances with the London Mozart Players, London Bach Orchestra, CBSO, Royal Philharmonic and The Philharmonia. She was made an ARAM in 2009.

She maintains a busy operatic career, with over 85 solo performances at the Royal Opera House. Recent engagements include Ruth, Katisha and Dame Carruthers (ENO); 3rd Lady (Magic Flute), Voice of the Mother (Hoffmann) and Annina (Traviata) at the Royal Opera House; Madame de Croissy (cover) in Poulenc at Glyndebourne; and Hippolyta (Midsummer Night’s Dream), Gertrude (Romeo & Juliet) and Dame Hannah (Ruddigore) for Opera North.

Other recent roles include Zita (Gianni Schicchi); Auntie in the highly acclaimed Peter Grimes on the Beach for the Aldeburgh Festival; Florence Pike (Albert Herring) at the Barbican with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; Desirée Armfeldt (A Little Night Music) for Opera Project; Marcellina for Opera North; Mistress Quickly (Falstaff) and Annina at the ROH; and her role debut as Kostelnicka (Jenufa) for Longborough Festival Opera.