BRASS ACADEMY - Key Persons
Alexander is a horn player based in London, studying towards a Masters in Performance at the Royal College of Music, where he is a Musicians' Company Lambert Scholar. As a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was generously supported by the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, he was awarded both a first-class honours degree and The Lord Mayor's Prize. Alexander previously studied at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, where he was awarded the Anthony Gray Horn Prize in 2019.
Alexander has performed with the BBC Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, National Symphony and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. Alexander is Principal Horn of the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the international Encuentro de Música y Academia de Santander (Spain). He has performed at the BBC Proms (London), Aldeburgh Festival (Snape Maltings), Young Euro Classic (Berlin) and at venues across the UK and Europe.
In addition to his career as a horn player, Alexander is also an experienced conductor and pianist. He has led ensembles at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, Guildhall School, Birmingham Bradshaw Hall and Leipzig Mendelssohn-Haus. An active pianist, Alexander premiered Richard Bissill's Sonata for Horn and Piano with Elspeth Dutch at the 2022 British Horn Festival. He is an accompanist for the British Ballet Organisation and has performed with soloists at leading music conservatoires across the UK. Also a composer, Alexander's works have also been recognised at the BrookWright International Brass Ensemble Competition, and have been recorded by members of the London Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
Job Titles:
- President of the International Trombone Festival Board
Carol Jarvis is one of the most in-demand session musicians in the UK. A multi-award-winning trombonist, keyboard player, arranger, orchestrator and voiceover artist, Carol has toured and recorded extensively with starts such as Rita Ora, Sting, Queen, Seal, Rod Stewart, Elbow, Amy Winehouse, Bon Jovi, Ellie Goulding and appeared on many renowned television programs with stars such as MUSE, Harry Connick Jr, Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift and so many more.
Carol can also be found working with internationally renowned ensembles and some of the world's top orchestras such as playing guest principal trombone with the London Symphony Orchestra on many soundtracks. Regular film and TV session work fills a lot of Carol's diary and she can also be frequently found performing in London's West End shows. She is a professor of trombone at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music in London and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where she, herself, gained the highest qualifications possible.
Carol is currently President of the International Trombone Festival Board, a post she has held since 2017, and in 2023 became the first female President of the International Trombone Association. Carol's orchestrations and arrangements have featured on albums at the top of the UK and US billboard charts, been recorded at the famous Capitol Studios in Hollywood and also played during the Academy Awards ceremony.
Christian is principal bass and contrabass trombonist at Opera North and teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, in addition to freelancing in the UK and internationally.
He began playing the trombone at the age of ten, progressing through Staffordshire's excellent music service before entering London's Royal Academy of Music in 1998. Winning the bass trombone chair in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 2001, aged 20, Christian was permitted to complete his studies with Bob Hughes and graduated with first class honours in July 2002, a month before joining the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. After a decade of performing worldwide and a year as deputy chairman, he relocated to Yorkshire with wife Katy Jones and their young family in 2012.
Appointed in 2015 as Bass Trombone tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Christian is enrolled on a Performance Practice PhD and has a YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/ChristianJonesBasstrombone, featuring over 100 videos covering performances of solo works, technical advice and orchestral and opera excerpts.
As a soloist he has performed all over Europe and his debut solo album, Windows, in collaboration with New York Philharmonic principal trombonist Joseph Alessi, was released in 2023. Future solo projects include recording a new commission for bass trombone and strings, plus a tour of schools with a new interactive work by composer Mark Travers to help reverse the decline of trombone playing at grassroots level.
Jake is a freelance horn player and teacher in his first year of postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is studying under Phil Munds, Jonathan Lipton, Angela Barnes, and Richard Bissill on the Orchestral Artistry Masters course, where he is generously supported by the Thompson Educational Trust. Jake completed his undergraduate degree at the Guildhall in 2021, receiving first class honours and a concert recital diploma for exceptional performance in his final recital.
He has been Principal Horn of the Young Musicians' Symphony Orchestra since January 2019. He has played guest principal horn with the Britten Sinfonia and is currently on trial for 2nd Horn of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He has also played with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London Symphony Orchestra, and Southbank Sinfonia.
Jake's association with the Brass Academy goes all the way back to 2013 when he came on a few of our courses as a student! He cites the Brass Academy as a huge motivator for pursuing his career in music.
Lee Tsarmaklis has been Principal Tuba at the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000. He also teaches at the Royal College of Music.
Lee Tsarmaklis was born in Athens and emigrated to England whilst still a young boy. He began learning the tuba at the age of 13, and later went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1990 he was appointed Principal Tuba of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. His career then took him to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and finally to the London Philharmonic Orchestra where he was appointed Principal Tuba in 2000. Lee also teaches tuba at the Royal College of Music.
Apart from being a phenomenal tuba player and a genius at educating young brass players, he is also possibly the nicest man you will ever meet!
Paul Beniston is Principal Trumpet with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Paul started playing the cornet at Gillingham Salvation Army. He was a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra from 1983-86, and studied Music at Bristol University and the Royal College of Music.
Paul was Principal Trumpet at English National Opera from 1989-93 before joining the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Principal Trumpet in 1994. He is a featured instrumentalist on a number of the Orchestra's recordings including Karl Jenkins' ‘The Armed Man' and Mahler's Fifth Symphony. He is a soloist on the LPO Live recording of Shostakovich's First Concerto for Piano and Trumpet.
Paul frequently performs as a soloist for the LPO and throughout the UK. His film and television work includes the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the original Champions League anthem. In May 2011 he was involved, with the LPO, in recording over two hundred national anthems for the 2012 London Olympics medal ceremonies.
Paul was a Professor of Trumpet at the Royal College of Music from 1995-2011. He is currently a Professor of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Pete has been Principal Tuba of the Philharmonia Orchestra since 2008 and has worked with many other UK orchestras, including the London Sinfonietta and London Brass. He has taught and given classes at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music and tutored for the National Youth Orchestra.
He was a pupil at Chetham's School of Music and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Patrick Harrild and Oren Marshall. Pete has taught and given classes at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music and tutored for the National Youth Orchestra.
Philippe is the Principal Trumpet with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, international soloist and Yamaha clinician and artist.
Born in Luxembourg, Philippe developed an early interest in the trumpet from listening to his father play in the village wind band. His passion was cultivated by his teachers who have included Dino Tomba, a great friend and mentor. he continued his studies at the Royal College of Music in London with David Mason, then was invited to join the Special Student programme at the Eastman School on Music in Rochester, New York. A winner of many prizes and awards, he has developed a highly successful career as an orchestral and a chamber musician as well as a soloist.
As a member and Principal Trumpet of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and as founding Principal Trumpet of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, until summer 2002 and, currently, of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, he has performed to much critical acclaim under conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez and Bernard Haitink. He has given recitals and performed as concert soloist all over Europe, USA and Japan, in addition to issuing five solo CDs. He has also been broadcast on the BBC and numerous European radio and television networks.
An enthusiastic member of the teaching staff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Philippe Schartz has given master-classes and educational workshops at the Royal College of Music, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and the School of Music and Sonic Arts at Queen's University Belfast, among others.
Philippe came along to a course run by Tom and Ann in Summer 2011 to give a masterclass and was exceptionally well-received - though he got his biggest cheer when the children learned that they had all heard him playing many times before - on Saturday nights as the theme music from Dr Who filled their sitting rooms! He has been a leading tutor on our courses ever since.
Ryan Linham graduated in 2014 with First Class Honours as a Foundation Scholar at the Royal College of Music, London. He was appointed the trumpet position in the New European Ensemble (Den Haag) that year, and currently enjoys a busy freelance career in the UK. Ryan has performed as as guest Principal trumpet with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also held trials for Trumpet positions in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In-keeping with his position in the NEuE, Ryan regularly appears with new music ensembles such as London Sinfonietta and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
Ryan is an active educator and composer/arranger, and the manager of the Symphonic Brass Ensemble Kensington Brass. Highly passionate about Brass chamber music, Ryan has been a member of many ensembles and is also currently the resident arranger for The Ensemble of the Golden Bough and has previously written and arranged music for The Brass Academy. Additionally, he has been the ‘composer in residence' for the National Children's Orchestra since 2020 alongside writing lockdown pieces for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Brass Department. A selection of his music is available through Warwick Music Publishers, The Music Teachers Board and Superbrass Publishing. He regularly plays with renowned London-based Onyx Brass Quintet, and has also appeared with Superbrass.
Ryan is currently teaching Trumpet at Charterhouse School in Surrey. He also coaches for the National Children's Orchestra and The Brass Academy courses.
Job Titles:
- Visiting Professor at the Trinity Laban Conservotoire
Simon has been the horn player at The Lion King in London since it started in 1999. He also maintains a freelance career working with all the major orchestras, as well as playing for West End shows, film and TV recordings and with contemporary musicians. He is a visiting Professor at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
Simon studied at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama and was also a member of the European Youth Orchestra during this time.
After leaving college he developed a varied career as a professional musician. As well as regularly performing with all the major orchestras in the UK, he has established himself as a very accomplished player of light and popular music. He has played in London's West End for 35 years, taking part in most of the major shows, and has been a member of the orchestra for The Lion King at The Lyceum Theatre since it started in 1999.
Film and TV credits are too numerous to mention and he has enjoyed taking part in large scale pop tours with artists such as George Michael, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and the Beach Boys.
Simon is also a visiting Professor at The Trinity Laban Conservotoire. He has been lead horn tutor at the Brass Academy since we started in 2011, and is an amazing presence on our courses. He is also the man to see if you want to chat Welsh rugby!