Ed Babar is a London based jazz and orchestral double bass player. He has performed on Jools Holland and the Graham Norton Show (Liam Gallagher), Radio 1 Live Lounge and the Michael Macintyre Show (Tom Odell), played live on The One Show (The Bevin Boys), recorded for Sky Arts and performed at Jazz Sous Les Pommiers (The Three Belles), and played in Ancenis for the Harpes Aux Marx Festival (Tara Minton).Ed has recorded orchestral soundtracks for ITV, BBC and Apple TV, as well as albums for, amongst others, Mimika, Circuit, The Tara Minton Quartet, Ensemble C, Mimika, Circuit, and the Tim Boniface Ensemble.
As an educator, Ed is the visiting double bass teacher at King's College School, Wimbledon and Wimbledon High School as well as being a section tutor for Marryat Players Chamber Music Courses and a partner with Be Creative Music.
Ed is the founder and Artistic Director of The Blues and Roots Ensemble.
David Lalljee is a freelance trombone performer, known for his gregarious onstage personality, and adaptability to many different musical styles.
He is co-founder and leader of Doolally Tap (www.doolallytap.co.uk), a 1920's hot jazz band whose raucous performances have led to continue to make a huge splash at vintage events all over the UK. He is also a leading light in well-known soulsters Soulfish, with whom he has appeared at Proms in the Park, Buckingham Palace (Golden Jubilee Concert) and on all the terrestrial TV channels. Other pop work has included performances with Suggs, Jimmy Somerville, Kym Mazelle and Caribbean stars Crossfyah and Red Plastic Bag, among many others. He has also played most of the major orchestral and operatic repertoire, working under conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Owain Arwel Hughes, Richard Bonynge and Nick Collon.
David teaches trombone privately in London.
Tara Minton is a jazz harpist, vocalist and composer from Melbourne Australia. She holds a masters degree in jazz performance from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is proudly endorsed by Camac Harps, France. Tara is signed to Lateralize Records and released her latest record, "Please Do Not Ignore The Mermaid" in November 2020. She is the recipient of a Tait Memorial Trust Award and a finalist in the 2021 World Harp Competition.
Aside from jazz, Tara has played with Björk on "Later...with Jools Holland" and at Primavera Sounds Festival, Tom Walker on The BBC One Show and with Eurovision's SuRie. She has recorded with 'Kitty, Daisy and Lewis' and with Miranda Mulholland on her Juno nominated album "By Appointment Or Chance." Tara has also recorded vocals for a number of movie soundtracks, as well as for Disney World's "World of Avatar" ride.
Tara is a passionate music educator. Aside from her private teaching, she has given masterclasses and workshops at The Royal Northern College of Music, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and runs a weekly online jazz class "Transcribe with Tara."
George is a jazz and commercial saxophone and woodwind player in London. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London and at the University of North Texas.
He has performed all over Europe and in the United States with jazz ensembles and pop artists, and also works regularly in musical theatre orchestras, recording studios and as an arranger.
George has worked with a range of performers and ensembles from large ensembles such as the BBC Big Band, the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, the London Jazz Orchestra, the X Factor Big Band and West End pit orchestras to pop artists such as Jess Glynne, John Newman, Peter Andre and La Roux. His TV and radio performances include Top of the Pops and BBC Radio 1, 2 and 3.
George is an experienced educator with over 10 years of experience teaching jazz and classical saxophone, clarinet and flute in schools, music centres and privately.
Recent highlights include playing alto and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet and flute on the Jonny Mansfield 'Elftet' debut album which features Chris Potter, Gareth Lockrane and Kit Downes and has been released on Edition Records. He has also recently toured Europe with the UK and International touring production of The Book of Mormon, playing piccolo, flute, clarinet and alto saxophone.
Lilia Iontecheva is a Bulgarian percussion, educator and published author! Having studied percussion at the Sofia Music School Lilia completed further studies in Music Pedagogy at the prestigious Sofia University Sv Kliment Ohridski.
Upon graduating Lilia became a regular performer on the popular Bulgarian TV hit, “Slavi Show” as part of the Ku-Ku Band.
In 2008 Lilia moved to London and took up the opportunity to form her own groups and perform with a wide variety of musicians, including – Last Minute Orchestra, Trio Lil and Barbani Band. Lilia has performed at prestigious venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Big Chill Festival, Womad and the Jazz Café and has recorded with artists including Frank McComb, The Floacist and Paul Carrack.
In 2016 Lilia wrote and published the percussion method book, “Djembe Drums for Everyone” and in 2018 Lilia took up the role as Head of Percussion for Merton Musc Foundation.
Flavio Li Vigni was born in Palermo, Italy and is a London-based jazz drummer, composer, and educator.
He studied at The Prince Claus Conservatory (Groningen, Holland), where he received his degree in Jazz Performance under the direction of American jazz master Ralph Peterson, and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he obtained a Masters Degree in Jazz, funded by a Leverhulme Scholarship.
Flavio has played and recorded with, among others, Greg Hutchinson Ameen Saleem, and the “Orchestra Macchina di Suoni” featuring Dave Kikoski. He is an active member of the London jazz scene and has performed at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ronnie’s Scotts, Pizza Express, the Vortex, as well as at festivals in the UK, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, China, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Croatia, and Albania.
Flavio is also a very committed music educator. He is currently the Head of Jazz at Morley College London, where he teaches Jazz History and runs the Morley Big Band, and a visiting drum-kit teacher at Dulwich College and Middlesex University.
Flavio has given workshops in several European countries and in China and has worked with the educational team of Jazz at Lincoln Centre.
Since 2013 Flavio has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Pete Letanka is a professional jazz pianist and composer. He studied Jazz and Contemporary Music at Leeds College of Music, where he won a scholarship to spend a year studying under (Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition winner) Mark Polishook at the University of Maine, USA. He graduated in 1997 with a 1st class BA (hons) and the Leeds University Armes award for the highest mark in the year.
In 2005 he formed The Pete Letanka Trio and has performed regularly at leading jazz venues across the UK, including Ronnie Scotts, the Purcell Room and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. In 2005, he was signed to Zephyr Records (the award-winning jazz record label) who released his debut album, “Afrostocracy”.
Victor Hecharria graduated from the Conservatory of Music Esteban Salsas (Santiago de Cuba) and has been working as a professional trumpeter player and teacher since 2009.
Victor has previously toured Europe with the show, Havana Rumba, and is now working with bands that include - Modern Romance, The Congo Faith Healers, Ska Cubano, Omar Puentes and his Cuban Roots and the Hot Orange Big Band.
Frances Leith is a freelance horn player based in London. With diverse musical interests, she has performed with a wide variety of ensembles, including as a regular dep for the Lion King (Lyceum Theatre), the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, and alongside the rock band, Procul Harum. She has performed with distinguished conductors including Seymon Bychkov, Sir Mark Elder, and Robin Ticciati, and recorded with Marin Alsop. She is also a member of the Buck Brass and the Coriolis Wind Quintet.
In 2018, Frances co-founded the music education group, Hold the Drama (https://holdthedrama.co.uk/), where she is the producer and horn player. Currently working on their second show, the group have successfully toured primary schools around the country, with the support of National Lottery funding. Alongside playing, Frances enjoys teaching, academic tutoring, and leading and assisting in educational projects. The latter has included work with the BBC Proms, English Touring Opera, and Wigmore Hall, as well as training as a Fellow of the Open Academy (RAM). She is currently the visiting Horn teacher at Marlborough College and brass teacher for Camden Music Service. Frances studied at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music.
Trustees
Soo Bishop, Robert Mitchell David Greening, Nancy Buchanan