Vocal Studies professor - Royal College of Music

Alison Wells has been immersed in singing as a performer and teacher for more than 40 years. Originally trained as a pianist, she began singing after working as an accompanist for singing lessons. She made her South Bank debut in the Park Lane Group’s Young artist series, and has subsequently been known for her interpretations of new music, having given many premieres as well as performing the great classic pieces of the 20th Century. She has recorded and broadcast widely, working with international and national instrumental ensembles and conductors, and at major venues and festivals in the UK and abroad.

She is a highly regarded singing teacher, with a busy private studio in addition to her work as a vocal professor at the Royal College of Music. Her students have won many competitions including the Kathleen Ferrier Award, The London Handel Competition, the Royal Overseas League, the Emmy Destinn Competition , and the Association of English Speakers and Singers Competition.

Director of the London Song Festival

Nigel Foster was born in London and studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Graham Johnson, and also privately with Roger Vignoles. At both the Academy and the Guildhall he won every prize and award available for piano accompaniment, and has been appointed an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Nigel enjoys a busy schedule performing on the concert platform. He has played for artists including the late Philip Langridge, Sarah Walker, Ian Partridge, Roderick Williams, Neil Jenkins, Yvonne Kenny, Jeremy Huw Williams, Maire Flavin, Anna Devin, Ruby Hughes, Gillian Keith, Nicky Spence, Jane Manning, Marcus Farnsworth, Benedict Nelson and violinist Madeleine Mitchell, as well as many of Britain's leading young singers. He performs at major venues including the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, St John Smith Square and Royal Opera House (Crush Room) in London, and St David's Hall in Cardiff.

In his formative years Nigel played for Graham Johnson's Songmakers Almanac, the Park Lane Group and several opera companies including Glyndebourne. Nigel has worked with John Eliot Gardiner CBE, and he has happy memories of his time as a rehearsal pianist for the late Georg Solti, playing for singers including Renee Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna. Nigel worked closely with Sarah Walker in the Vocal Department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Nigel's CD recordings include several discs of contemporary music and anthologies of songs of Alun Hoddinott and Mansel Thomas with baritone Jeremy Huw Williams for the Sain label. He features on the soundtrack of the French film L'Homme est une Femme Comme les Autres.

Nigel performs extensively abroad. He has played all over Europe, Asia (Japan, Malaysia), New Zealand and the Americas (USA, Canada, Colombia) and has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and on French, Welsh and Greek television.

Artistic Director of the Arjac Arts and Cultural Centre

Peter Bramley is the founder and Artistic Director of multi-award winning, international theatre company Pants on Fire.

He trained at L'Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris and was in the final group of students to have trained with Lecoq himself.

He has a BA from Royal Holloway University of London, an MA in Theatre Practices (University of Manchester), and further training includes the Gardzienice Centre of Theatre Practices in Poland, and with Teatr Piesn Kozla (Song of The Goat).

Peter held the Senior Lecturer post of Head of Movement at Rose Bruford College for 12 years. Freelance visiting lecturer and directing work includes: LAMDA, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Central School of Speech and Drama, Royal Holloway University of London, Brunel University, Goldsmith's College and Greenwich University. He has led workshops and masterclasses for The Jerwood Young Artists Programme at Glyndebourne, The Actors Centre in London, Yale (USA), The Moscow Arts Theatre School (Russia), with Soulpepper Theatre Company and Equity showcase in Toronto (Canada), DAMU in Prague, (Czech Republic) and Institut Teatre Barcelona (Spain).

Peter has directed over 30 theatre productions, and has written several plays and adaptations. In 2010 Bramley's highly acclaimed production of Ovid's Metamorphoses won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award and the Whatsonstage.com Editors Prize. In January 2011 the production transferred to the Off Broadway Flea Theater in New York, and has since toured extensively.

www.peterbramley.com