The EGTA (UK) Committee: 2006-2008
Chairman: Colin Tommis
Colin Tommis is founder of the Anglesey Guitar Ensemble. He is a songwriter and composer and works closely with the National Youth Guitar Ensemble of Great Britain.
His own ensemble has twice won the national guitar orchestra competition and, apart from working on Anglesey he teaches at the Bath International Guitar Festival.
He is an adjudicator of competitions and music festivals, and has sat on guitar panels adjudicating across the world.
www.colintommis.com
Vice-Chairperson : Wendy Jackson
Wendy Jackson began learning the guitar at the age of 9 and studied with David Miller at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department, and later with Gordon Crosskey at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where she became the first guitarist to be awarded a competitive scholarship.
Wendy has given many solo recitals in London and the North West, and has appeared several times on Independent Television and BBC radio. Outside Britain she has performed in Belgium and Hungary, and undertaken a British Council tour of Africa. In addition to her solo career, Wendy also performs regularly with members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the “Ensemble of St Luke’s”, and has appeared with their contemporary music group “Ensemble 10:10”.
As a guitar teacher, Wendy has taught students of all ages and abilities, and teaches the guitar at Chetham’s School of Music, Junior RNCM and the University of Manchester.
Secretary: Anthony Dodds
Anthony has taught guitar for over twenty years and is based in West Dorset and East Devon. He gained his teacher’s diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in 1988. He is also the editor of the Capriol series of books which specialize in English music
Treasurer: Ray Love
Publications Editor: Richard Wright
Richard teaches guitar at the Yehudi Menuhin School. He chaired the EGTA(UK) Grade Exams Working Party and led the classical guitar team for A Common Approach 2002. He was a consultant for the ABRSM’s Music Medals scheme and is currently helping to develop their 2009 grade exam syllabus. From 2002–2004 Richard was the Musical Director of the National Youth Guitar Ensemble.
Regional Representative: Fiona Harrison
Fiona Harrison gained her undergraduate degree at the Royal College of Music and Master of Music degree from Yale University, USA. She has worked for the ABRSM professional development team since 1999, co-directed numerous residential flute and guitar courses and been a guest tutor at international guitar festivals, including the summer festival at West Dean, UK. Additionally, Fiona has broadcast live on BBC radio, appeared on television and performed the Rodrigo “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the UK and Spain. Her flute and guitar ensemble work includes performances in the Barbican Centre and London Purcell Room.
Conference Organiser: Ginette Eady
Editor of Guitar Forum: Jonathan Leathwood
JONATHAN LEATHWOOD was born in 1970 and teaches in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. His first visit to the Lamont School of Music (at DU) was in 1996, when he spent the Spring Quarter as visiting Head of Guitar at the invitation of Ricardo Iznaola, then on sabbatical. Recently Denver University awarded him its Artist’s Diploma, the first time they have made this award in individual performance, and made him the first recipient of the Ricardo Iznaola Guitar Scholarship. Jonathan is also guitar instructor at the University of Northern Colorado.
Website: http://www.du.edu/~jleathwo/