Following our recent call out, Spitalfields Music is delighted to announce our cohort of five talented Trainee Music Leaders for 2022.
Since its inception in 2003, Spitalfields Music has supported over 80 emerging music leaders as part of its highly-acclaimed Trainee Music Leader Scheme. The programme supports musicians as they gain experience and skills which will enable them to deliver exceptional creative work in education and community settings. It has launched some of the UK’s most skilled music leaders, including Sam Glazer, Jessie Maryon Davies, Abimaro Gunnell, Sam Chaplin and Neil Valentine. Since 2017, the scheme has expanded and now has national reach by working in partnership with some of the UK’s leading music organisations, currently Britten Pears Arts, Orchestras Live, Southbank Sinfonia, and Welsh National Opera.
Meet the 2022 cohort
Photo credit: Barry Macdonald
Luisa Gerstein – Supported by Spitalfields Music
Luisa Gerstein is a vocalist, producer and composer living and working in London. Her work centres on the human voice, with a deep passion for harmony, polyphonic singing and rhythm. Collaboration is at the heart of her practice as one fourth of the band Landshapes, founder and musical director of Deep Throat Choir, and member of Blood Moon Project. The choir’s third album, In Order to Know You, was released December 2021, on Bella Union Records. She has also recently co-founded the label Amorphous Sounds, and is working on a program of gigs and releases for 2022.
Luisa commented: “Through my work with Deep Throat Choir, I have become increasingly interested in the power of sharing and creating music to inspire, to bring joy, and foster connectivity between us. I’m eager to work more in this field, and to develop my practice as a facilitator. I’m thrilled to be part of the Spitalfields Leadership Scheme in 2022, and to have the opportunity to learn from other practitioners – excited to get stuck in next year!”
Raye Harvey – Supported by Orchestras Live and Spitalfields Music
Manchester based RNCM graduate, violinist and singer-songwriter, Raye comes from a large Indian-Caribbean family, loves travel, collaboration, working in different genres, and is passionate about making music accessible for all and increasing diversity in classical music. She has been a mentor for young creative musicians from London, Manchester and Sheffield, and workshop facilitator in Sheffield schools and the Manchester Band of Boroughs project. Raye also performs extensively as an orchestral and session musician, as well as releasing solo material.
Raye commented: “I am so excited and grateful to be joining the Spitalfields and Orchestras Live Trainee Music Leader Scheme in 2022. I’m especially looking forward to the new experiences and challenges of delivering my own music workshops, and learning from all the amazing facilitators, other trainees, and participants I’ll be interacting with. As well as developing my confidence and skills as a music leader, I hope to gain more insight into my own goals and aspirations as a creative facilitator.”
Cathy Hare – Supported by Southbank Sinfonia and Spitalfields Music
Flautist Catherine Hare was a member of Southbank Sinfonia 2020-21 and regularly leads concerts and workshops as a part of Live Music Now, having graduated from the Master of Performance course at the Royal College of Music with Distinction in 2018.
In addition to her orchestral work with Southbank Sinfonia, Catherine is committed to widening access for live classical music through a series of concerts and workshops. Her chamber ensemble Campana Duo, with violinist Emma Purslow, specialises in accessible performance and was a Wigmore Hall Chamber Tots ensemble for the 18/19 season. The Campana Duo are delighted to be musicians on the prestigious Live Music Now scheme, regularly performing to a diverse range of people that rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to experience live music.
Cathy commented: “I am delighted to be working with Spitalfields Music and Southbank Sinfonia as a Trainee Music Leader in 2022. Some of the biggest highlights of my Southbank Sinfonia Fellowship were the Family Concerts and education projects, so I am looking forward to developing my skills further with Spitalfields Music.”
Ben Knight – Supported by Welsh National Opera and Spitalfields Music
British bass-baritone Ben Knight completed his Masters in Voice with Distinction at the Royal Academy of Music and was a 2020/21 Fellow with the Open Academy at the Royal Academy where he had the opportunity to work with Glyndebourne Opera, English National Opera and Wigmore Hall.
Ben has performed as a soloist and chorus member on numerous occasions with The Royal Academy as well as with British Youth Opera and Wexford Opera Festival; in which he will be returning again for the 2022 season.
In 2022, he’ll be performing in the spring season operas at English Touring Opera and leading workshops with Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as continuing work as an undergraduate vocal teacher at Kings College London.
Ben commented: “I am overjoyed to be joining the Music Trainee Leadership programme with Spitalfields and Welsh National Opera. The opportunity will allow me to gain vital, in person experience making music in communities from all walks of life. I look forward to developing a strong understanding of best practice in the participatory music sector, working with great mentors and collaborating with skilled, likeminded musicians.”
Charly Jolly – Supported by Britten Pears Arts and Spitalfields Music
Charly is a clarinet and saxophone player and singer who works creatively and collaboratively with different groups in a wide mix of styles and genres including classical, classical contemporary, jazz, folk and rock including improvisation and devising work.
She has been a member of the avant-rock brass troupe Perhaps Contraption for 10 years and is also a founding member of the Anglo-Italian swing group Hetty and the Jazzato Band, performing in the UK and Italy.
She has also performed as a freelance musician and is passionate about performing as an onstage musician in theatrical work including working as a songwriter and workshop leader for educational theatre projects in Suffolk. She has a deep interest in working in community settings and particularly with people with dementia, leading some intergenerational music sessions in care homes before the pandemic.
New projects include working as a lead vocalist with Mikibos with Mickey Bones from Perhaps Contraption, being part of Christo Squier’s Subatomic residency with Kings College London about cosmic ray data. And her solo project Beekabop, an Early Years interactive show for 0-5 year olds first performed at the Aldeburgh Festival in 2019 which will return to the festival again in 2022.
Charly commented: “I’m really excited about starting the traineeship because my biggest musical love is being in a room and making music with people. I feel ready and eager to learn from such experienced musicians and to improve my practice as a facilitator and leader. I feel that Britten Pears Arts’ work in the community is of the highest musical value and I can’t wait to experience all of the musical projects that they provide from the inside. I have spent many years reflecting on what really matters in the world of music, and to me it is the notion that every single person has a creative musical voice and how wonderful it would be to hear as many as possible.”
Interested in learning more about music leading, or considering applying to be a Trainee Music Leader in future? Why not join our Skills Lab Academy professional training course!
Spitalfields Music’s Trainee Music Leadership scheme is generously supported by HM Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, The Scops Arts Trust, The Radcliffe Trust, The Thistle Trust and The Late Christopher Vaughan.