Adjudicators

Instrumental Music

Adjudicator: Robin Page MA Cantab, LRAM

Robin has extensive experience as a Festival Adjudicator with Music for Youth at The Royal Festival Hall and at Birmingham Symphony Hall, and at Festivals throughout the UK including: Glasgow, Ayr, Mid-Argyll, Dundee, Carrickfergus, Blackpool, Derby, Dumfries, Swindon, Ealing, Worthing, Bournemouth, Southampton, Bath, Camborne, Truro, Isle of Wight and Guernsey. Robin has examined for the ABRSM for over 30 years in the UK and the Far East, including Diplomas.

He was Professor of Conducting at Kneller Hall in the 2000s and has taught and conducted at the Royal Academy of Music London, Birmingham Conservatoire, Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Aberdeen University, Kingston University and the Purcell School.

Robin’s conducting career has included engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RPO Pops, BBC Ulster Orchestra, Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordic Chamber Orchestra (Sweden), Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio Orchestra, Bulgarian Film Orchestra and Amor Artis Orchestra (New York). Choirs include Kingston Choral Society, West Sussex Philharmonic Choir and the Halle Chorus.

He was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford (as a choral scholar), at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (as a Choral Exhibitioner) and as a post-graduate at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Keyboard Music

Adjudicator: Robin Page MA Cantab, LRAM

Robin has extensive experience as a Festival Adjudicator with Music for Youth at The Royal Festival Hall and at Birmingham Symphony Hall, and at Festivals throughout the UK including: Glasgow, Ayr, Mid-Argyll, Dundee, Carrickfergus, Blackpool, Derby, Dumfries, Swindon, Ealing, Worthing, Bournemouth, Southampton, Bath, Camborne, Truro, Isle of Wight and Guernsey. Robin has examined for the ABRSM for over 30 years in the UK and the Far East, including Diplomas.

He was Professor of Conducting at Kneller Hall in the 2000s and has taught and conducted at the Royal Academy of Music London, Birmingham Conservatoire, Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Aberdeen University, Kingston University and the Purcell School.

Robin’s conducting career has included engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RPO Pops, BBC Ulster Orchestra, Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordic Chamber Orchestra (Sweden), Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio Orchestra, Bulgarian Film Orchestra and Amor Artis Orchestra (New York). Choirs include Kingston Choral Society, West Sussex Philharmonic Choir and the Halle Chorus.

He was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford (as a choral scholar), at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (as a Choral Exhibitioner) and as a post-graduate at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Singing

Adjudicator: Melanie Armitstead

Melanie Armitstead has enjoyed an international career as a Soprano soloist in both Opera and Concert.  Early in her solo career she sang under the baton of Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Charles Groves and Andrew Parrott with the BSO, in Kent Opera and Scottish Opera-Go-Round. She was a soloist for ENO, Opera North, Scottish Opera and Opera Northern Ireland singing Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, Micaela and Frasquita in Carmen, 1st Lady in The Magic Flute, Venus in The Return of Ulyses, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Maria in West Side Story and YumYum in The Mikado.  Melanie understudied the roles of Hero in Beatrice and Benedict, Cleopatra in Jiulio Cesare and Atalanta in Xerxes for ENO and the Paris Opera, returning to sing Mitridate and Le Chevalier Imaginaire at The Chatelet.  She performed in Oratorios and Concerts with many of the leading UK orchestras.

Melanie sang in a number of established ensembles including The Menagerie with Nicholas Daniel and Julius Drake and in Classic Cocktail enjoying a heady mixture of Classical and Jazz repertoire.  Her degree from Durham in Russian and French led her to specialize in French and Russian Song Recitals.

Teaching and adjudicating at Competitive Festivals and Competitions has become the focus of Melanie's career.  She was the Senior Singing Teacher at Sherborne Girls for 21 years and has a number of private advanced students.  She adjudicates at Competitive Festivals around the UK and in Hong Kong.

Speech & Drama

Adjudicator: Rebecca Vines MA, BA, FRSA, FVCM, LLAM, LALAM, LGSMD, ALAM, ATCL, ANEA, CertGSMD

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