ADJUDICATORS 2010
CAROLINE DIFFLEY ARCM Piano, strings, recorders, woodwind, brass GEN
Born
in the Brighouse and Rastrick area of Yorkshire, Caroline Diffley
attended Badminton School, Bristol, after which she went on to study the piano
at the Royal College of Music in London.
While at the College she gained diplomas in both piano teaching and piano
performing; her teachers were Lamar Crowson, David Parkhouse and Malcolm Binns.
She also spent a term at the Academia Chigiana in Siena, working with
both Guido Agosti and with the pianist Arturo Michelangeli.
During
a teaching career spanning four decades, she has taught in Kent (at the Kent
Music School), in Oxford (at the Dragon School), and widely in the South West.
She taught piano at Wells Cathedral School and at Dartington College of
Arts for twelve years. She now runs a private teaching practice in Exeter, as
well as working for the South West Music School both as a tutor and as a mentor.
Caroline is an extremely experienced Associated Board examiner, and has
examined all over the UK and the Far East, as well as in the USA and Australia.
She is also on the diploma examining panel, the Presenter Panel and is a Music
Medals moderator. She
has been a mentor on the CT ABRSM course and is currently a busy adjudicator for
the British and International Federation of Festivals. She has also published
articles on various aspects of piano teaching and learning.
She
has two grown-up children and lives in Exeter with her husband, who is a
Professor of Italian.
ROBERT LATHAM BA, CERT Ed Choral, vocal, piano, strings, orchestral, GEN
Robert
Latham is
an honours graduate of the University of Wales.
He quickly gained a fine reputation for his music teaching.
Used to large-scale and high-profile performances, his school choirs were
regularly invited by the BBC to feature in both TV and radio programmes, while
he was also much sought after as a conductor of adult choral, operatic, and
instrumental groups in the city of Bristol.
After spending a year in USA where he gained experience of working with
jazz bands, he further developed his skills as a composer and arranger for
choral groups.
Members of his personally coached choirs and string quartets, as well as
his private singing pupils, have won scholarships to various colleges of music.
He is
an examiner in all instruments and voice for Trinity College, London and has
examined in New Zealand, Malaysia and France as well as all over the UK. Robert
is always in demand as an adjudicator for the British and International
Federation of Music Festivals. Robert
was founder director of the Bristol Cathedral Girls’ Choir and subsequently
taught in The Bristol Academy of Performing Arts which specialises in the
training of students for the Musical Theatre.
Based at his home in Clevedon,
Somerset, he is now best known perhaps for his work in the training of young
singers. He has a busy private teaching practice and in recent years has become
nationally recognised as an authority in ‘upper-voice’ choral technique.
Recent publications include three sets of arrangements for upper voices
in the ‘Faber Music Choral Programme Series’, and
three folk song arrangements, also for upper voices, published by
‘Lindsay Music’. He is a keen
sportsman, cricket and golf being his special interests.
ROY ROBINSON MA, Dip RCM Perf LRAM Strings, piano, voice, choral, brass, organ
Roy
studied both viola and piano at the Royal College of Music as joint first
studies. As a student he was awarded many prizes, including the Leslie Alexander
award (the highest available on the viola).
He gained a number of performing and teaching diplomas on his two main
instruments and the violin. He subsequently completed an MA in Music Education
at Trinity College of Music.
Roy’s
musical experience as a performer is wide ranging.
He enjoys orchestral work, chamber music and solo recitals on the viola.
As a pianist he plays chamber music
and is a member of a successful piano duet partnership. As an accompanist he is
in great demand including playing for Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir and the
Cheltenham Bach Choir with Brian Kay, including a number of TV and radio
appearances. He has also trained and conducted many choirs and orchestras, and
particularly enjoys working with local choral societies. He is currently
Director of Music at an independent school in Wimborne, Dorset.
He
is a busy examiner for ABRSM working in the UK and abroad, and he also enjoys
adjudicating, recently working at the Southampton, Portsmouth, Kent, Fareham,
Gosport and Yeovil Music Festivals. He is an adjudicator member of the British
Federation of Music Festivals. He also composes and
has published sets of educational music for violin and piano and small
jazz groups.
MARK TANNER Ph D, FTCL, FRSA Piano, brass, vocal, instrumental
Mark Tanner is
in international demand as a pianist, lecturer, teacher, examiner and
adjudicator. His BBC television début was made at the age of 13
performing piano works by Liszt. He
has appeared in many of the most prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall,
Purcell Room, & St. John’s Smith Square in London as well as at many
educational establishments. For many
years Mark has been a popular recitalist on cruise liners around the world.
He has broadcast several premières on BBC Radio 3 and made many
recordings.
His
special interest in British music has led to a number of commissioned works by
various composers. Mark is music
critic for a number of prominent journals and has published scholarly articles
in the UK and USA. He has also
worked as a music editor for Peters and Griffin Music.
His eight volume series for piano entitled Eye-Tunes (100 pieces in total) has recently been
published by Spartan Press.
He is an
international examiner for ABRSM and undertaken several tours to the Far East,
New Zealand, USA, Canada and Cyprus. Mark
is a much sought after adjudicator for the British and International Federation
of Music Festivals and has given lectures and masterclasses throughout Europe.
For sixteen years he was Assistant Director of Music at Taunton School in
Somerset.
Mark
balances a busy schedule between performing - both as a soloist and accompanist
- examining, adjudicating, cruising and giving masterclasses.
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