Academy Staff
Alan Watt
Alan grew up listening to Academy recordings but never imagined he would one day have the opportunity to lead this incredible organisation. Prior to joining the Academy in September 2016 Alan was the Managing Director of City Music Foundation. He has held senior fundraising roles at the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and the Australian Youth Orchestra. He also sang with the Opera Australia chorus. He has a BA and BMus from the University of Melbourne and an MA in Cultural & Creative Industries from King’s College London.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Alison Tedbury
Alison graduated from college with a BA (Hons) in music and went straight into Arts Administration. Before joining the Academy in October 2017 Alison worked at The Royal Opera House where she had been Orchestra Manager; Contracts Manager for the Royal Ballet; and, for the last two years of her time there, managing their Staff Engagement programme. Alison heads up our Concerts and Tours team and is primarily responsible for creating and programming our busy touring schedule. Outside work, Alison is striving to improve her 10K run time to 1 hour, and can be quite frequently found looking rather bewildered at national dance competitions supporting her 10-year-old daughter!
Favourite Academy Recording?
Andrew McGowan
Andrew joined the Academy in July 2014 after seven years in the Development Department at the Royal Academy of Arts where he headed up their capital campaign as well as overseeing their extensive events schedule. Andrew has many years of experience in the sector having worked for the Barbican, the OAE, the AAM, Glyndebourne, the Serpentine Galleries and English National Opera but began his career in artist management at IMG. For over six years Andrew managed Dame Shirley Bassey for IMG and was responsible for delivering over 200 shows world-wide as well as refocusing her recording strategy by bringing her music to a new generation through collaborating with The Propellerheads and releasing a highly successful remix album.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Amy Scott
Amy studied Music at the University of Chichester where she played saxophone in many jazz ensembles. After graduating, she moved back to the West Country and started working at the Wiltshire Music Centre as the Creative Learning Intern. In 2014 Amy moved to London and began her career working in Development for Spitalfields Music before joining the Academy in 2016. In her spare time Amy likes reading and cooking.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Richard Brewer
Richard studied Music at the University of Sheffield before graduating in 2014 and completing an internship at Southern Sinfonia. He joined the Academy in April 2015 as Concerts and Administration Assistant before becoming Concerts and Tours Manager in April 2016. Richard is now responsible for planning and delivering all of the concerts we do in the UK and abroad and regularly tours with the orchestra. In his spare time you will find him playing cricket somewhere in South West London, or at the home of football, Craven Cottage, watching his beloved Fulham.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Britten’s Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge from Marriner & The Academy: 20th Century Classics
Hattie Rayfield
Hattie joined the Academy in October 2017 after having worked in the Music Department of The Purcell School for Young Musicians for three years. She read Music at the University of Bristol as a first study viola player and still regularly plays with amateur orchestras in and around London, including the Kensington Symphony Orchestra. In her spare time, Hattie manages a chamber music academy for young musicians and volunteers during the summer for Opera Holland Park. Outside of music Hattie enjoys travelling and keeping fit.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Strauss’ Metamorphosen from Neville Marriner – The Argo Years
Lesley Wynne
Lesley studied viola at the Royal Academy of Music, where she won prizes for solo and chamber music playing and was awarded the Recital Diploma.Her career as a musician included a position in the orchestra of the West End Show ‘Les Miserables’. In 2010, Lesley was appointed Orchestra Personnel Manager with London Sinfonietta and joined the Academy in 2018. Lesley also books players for freelance projects including orchestras for performances with Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Nigel Kennedy and Joss Stone.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Charlotte O’Dair
Charlotte’s career has focused on widening access to the arts. With roles at Cardboard Citizens, Magic Me and the Arts Council she has designed and produced numerous artistic projects and performances with a range of groups, including homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers, intergenerational groups and young people at risk. She is also a trustee at The Simon Community, a community of homeless people and volunteers who live and work together.
Favourite Academy Recording?
David Hills
David studied Accounting and Finance at Middlesex University prior to commencing a career in Insurance Accounting in the City of London. He spent twenty years working for Lloyds of London Underwriting Agencies as a Syndicate Accountant followed by ten years as Head of Finance for an Insurance based Investor and service provider, that was owned by a Bermuda based Investment Hedge Fund. Wanting a change in life experience, David joined the Academy in March 2018 and is enjoying bringing his past financial experience to an entirely new sector. David has a wide musical taste and has enjoyed musical performances around the world including many performances at the Royal Opera House.
Favourite Academy Recording?
Fiona Dart
Fiona studied Music at the University of Leeds, with a year abroad studying cello at the Conservatorio di Verona, graduating with a first class BMus degree. Following internships at Classical Opera and the Royal Academy of Music, she continued her marketing career at Oxford Philharmonic and the Royal College of Music, before joining the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in June 2017. In her spare time, Fiona enjoys playing the cello in Trinity Orchestra and other ensembles.
Favourite Academy Recording?