Bernie Docherty – First Violin Tutor

Bernard Docherty is an internationally renowned violinist, conductor, and orchestra strings coach.  With a career spanning five decades, Bernard has travelled extensively at home and abroad with numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles.

A prize-winning violin graduate of the RSAMD, (now RCS), Bernard's career has seen him hold positions with the orchestras of Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, before being appointed Co-Leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, where he remained for 25 years.In tandem, Bernard was also in demand as the invited guest leader of various orchestras, which included, the Scottish Ballet orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Ulster Orchestra.

During his tenure with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Bernard was principal violinist in their string quartet "Quartz", formed to pioneer their innovative school's education program, and was also solo violinist with the light music trio, "Csardas"

Bernard's appointment as Head of Strings at The High School of Glasgow, In 2017, pivoted his focus to being a full-time music educator, teacher, examiner, and strings coach. This appointment built upon his already three-decade strong expertise in the academic realm, where he continues to serve as a part-time lecturer, examiner, orchestra strings and small chamber group coach at the Junior and Senior RCS, and the Specialist Music School of Douglas Academy. Other coaching positions held, both past and present, include the Glasgow Schools Orchestra, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland. Bernard is also in demand, as the principal strings adjudicator, at various music festivals and competitions. His vast experience has led to significant contributions to the technical and musical development of many young musicians.

Bernard is very much looking forward to his first time coaching the 1st violins, and strings, of the Ulster Youth Orchestra in their Summer Course.

Richard Milone – Second Violin Tutor

Richard Milone regularly performs in a variety of venues throughout the world ranging from solo concertos, recitals and chamber music to countless opera, chamber and symphony orchestra concerts.

Richard studied at both Yehudi Menuhin and Chethams schools of music followed by graduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. During this period he started his professional career, freelancing with the Manchester Camerata and the Goldberg Ensemble. At the age of twenty-two, he was appointed as principal second violin in Opera North, Leeds. A year later he was appointed to the same position in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. From his position in that orchestra Richard got to work with such artists as Georg Solti, Bernard Haitink, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Darcey Bussell.

Richard now is the leader of Glyndebourne Touring Opera, plays with the Academy of St Martin in The Fields, the English Chamber Orchestra and freelances in London, dividing his time between as many different orchestras, chamber music ensembles and solo engagements as time allows.

Lourenço Macedo Sampaio – Viola Tutor

After completing his studies at the Royal Academy of Music and ESMAE as well as winning Portuguese Young Musician of the Year in 2015, Lourenço embarked onto a busy career in both chamber music, solo and orchestra having performed in all major UK venues with some of the best ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera and Opera North, where he currently holds the Co-Principal Viola position.

Chamber music highlights include a performance of the Rachmaninoff Sonata with Leeds Piano Competition Winner Sunwook Kim as well as comprehensive string quartet experience having performed extensively throughout Portugal as a member of Antonio Fragoso Quartet. In 2021, he took part in the recording of Dos Ramos à Raíz by Luis Tinoco’s for Clarinet Quintet.

As a solo player, Lourenço has recently performed and recorded live the Vaughan Williams Suite for viola and orchestra with Leeds College of Music. Previous highlights include the Bartok Concerto and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Gulbenkian Orchestra and the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra.

Reinoud Ford - Cello Tutor

Reinoud is a versatile musician who splits his time between the concert stage, the recording studio and composing music.
Reinoud (Ren) went to the Yehudi Menuhin School and continued his studies in Düsseldorf and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As a soloist Ren has appeared in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Palladium Theatre and the Bridgewater Hall. As a chamber musician Ren has been a regular fixture with a miscellany of groups including Cellophony, the Cavalieri Quartet and the Benyounes Quartet. As an orchestral musician Ren regularly plays with Aurora Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the London Contemporary Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, the Manchester Collective and OModernt.

Reinoud regularly appears as guest principal with several of the above orchestras as well as many UK based symphony orchestras. As a recording musician Ren has performed on many film and TV scores. Ren has performed and helped compose the music for popular computer games such as Assassin’s Creed and Horizon Zero Dawn. He collaborated on the album Romantic Works with Keaton Henson which at last count had several million listens on Spotify. Regarding the section that mentions the very impressive instrument that Ren plays on: he plays on a cello that his parents bought him when he was 11 years old which he loves.

Dominic Dudley - Double Bass Tutor

Dominic Dudley was born in Dundee, Scotland, and began playing the Double Bass at the age of thirteen with Ronald Large. Dominic continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Thomas Martin and Kevin Rundell. After 25 years, Dominic stepped down as Section Leader (Principal/solo) Double Bass with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. In recent seasons he has also been Guest Principal with the RPO, CBSO, RSNO, Oxford Philharmonic, Hallé , Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Swan and the Ulster Orchestra. As a concerto soloist, he has worked with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (NSOI), as well as the Hibernian Orchestra, Dublin City Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Irish Academy Symphony Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Dominic has played with many leading international musicians, including Nicola Benedetti, Philip Cassard, John O'Conor, the Vanburgh Quartet, the Con Tempo Quartet, the Danish Quartet, Jorg Widmann, as well as numerous chamber concerts with members of the NSOI. He also performs regularly at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival. Dominic also enjoys playing in a crossover group called Meascán (meaning mixture in Irish), featuring the bluegrass music of Mark O’Connor.

Dominic is also leader of Contraband, an Irish based double bass quartet, and is exploring the contemporary bass repertoire, both solo and group works. In 2018, Dominic gave a recital at the Bass Europe Conference in Lucca, Italy, where he explored the links between Beethoven, Dragonetti and Ireland. In 1996, Dominic was appointed Double Bass professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Since then, Dominic has become increasingly interested in Music Education. He was a Music Facilitator for the NSOI, involving school visits and workshops.

Dominic plays on an English Double Bass by Lott 1820, as well as an instrument by his teacher Thomas Martin.

Keith Slade – Woodwind Tutor

Born in the West Midlands, Keith Slade began his musical journey learning the clarinet from the age of ten. After reaching the final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Woodwind Category, Keith was a graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music and a post-graduate of the Royal Academy of Music winning multiple awards including the award for most outstanding Postgraduate.

Keith has extensive experience as an orchestral musician and has worked with many of the great British orchestras and international conductors. As a soloist, Keith has performed concerti by Mozart, Finzi, Weber and Copland. Teaching appointments include Head of Wind and Brass at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Junior School, Head of Woodwind at Oakham School and at present he is Head of Woodwind at Solihull School.

As a conductor he has directed Sinfonia of Birmingham, The National Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, The British Police Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, St Endellion Easter Festival Orchestra and the WorldCon Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s ExCeL Arena. Keith has worked with artists including James MacMillan, Mark Padmore, Roderick Williams, Sarah Fox and Rob Buckland.

In January 2010, Keith was appointed Music Director of the Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra where he has seen the ensemble grow from strength-to-strength; WSO performs several concerts each season and Keith is a regular guest on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester promoting the orchestra and classical music amongst the local community and couples this with a position on the Board of Severn Arts. As Principal conductor of Kimichi Symphony Orchestra, Keith received 5 star reviews for productions of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in Birmingham and Prague. In recognition of his services to WSO, Keith was honoured to be invited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to a private gathering to celebrate HRH’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and in December 2022 Keith was invited to the Princess of Wales ‘Christmas carol concert’ for his “Services to Music”.

Jonathan Luxton - Horn Tutor

Originally from Dorset, England, Jonathan studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Professor James Brown. During this time, he played Principal French Horn with the European Youth Orchestra under the direction of Claudio Abbado and Daniel Barenboim. Before leaving the UK, professional experience included playing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Opera North, Orchestra of the Royal Ballet, Cambridge Opera Group, and recording with the BBC.

At the age of 24 Jonathan accepted the position of Principal French Horn in the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Lisbon, Portugal. For 31 years, he played a vast repertoire of music and genres, travelled the world with the orchestra, and had the opportunity to work with leading soloists and conductors.

Jonathan started to teach brass in the UK, and went on to teach French horn in Portugal. He was the first French horn professor at university-level in Portugal, where he introduced the British method of French horn playing, and developed the Bachelor and Masters degree programmes.

Jonathan is now a freelance player in Ireland and the UK, and continues to teach and direct musical projects.

Colm Byrne – Brass Tutor

Colm began playing the cornet at the age of six. His father, a trombone and piano player taught him first and then enrolled him to his local brass band in Navan. Three years later he attended the Royal Irish Academy Of Music to study the trumpet with James Cavanagh. Under Jimmy's guidance, Colm won junior and senior Feis Ceoil and also the Walton cup for Brass. He took part in ten years of junior ensemble playing including the RIAM ensembles, National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Irish Youth Symphonic Wind Ensemble and European Wind Ensemble. Aged fifteen Colm performed the Hummel Trumpet Concerto with the RTE Concert Orchestra for TV, broadcast by the European Broadcast Union.

Colm travelled to Glasgow in 1989 to study trumpet with John Gracie; principal trumpet with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and teacher at the Royal Scottish academy of music and drama. He finished his Degree and postgraduate studies and took with him the Governors Recital Prize for Brass, numerous chamber music prizes and a scholarship to Aspen School of Music.

Returning to Ireland Colm began his professional career as a teacher and freelance trumpeter. He has performed with both RTE Orchestras, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Orchestra of Saint Cecilia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Irish Camerata and Manchester Camerata.

He has played solo works with the Ruckert Chamber Orchestra, Irish Youth Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Riam Symphony orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Colm has played many Trumpet and Organ recitals through Ireland and Scotland. Colm has also recorded extensively on numerous movie scores, adverts, jingles, and an array of albums of different genre with many groups. For over 15 years Colm recorded regularly with the Irish Film Orchestra.

Following a return to part-time study Colm obtained his masters degree in music from Dublin City University and the RIAM where he has taught trumpet since 1998. In April of 1999 he joined the brass section of the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland as co-principal trumpet. Finishing with RTE in 2021 Colm took up a full-time teaching position at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.

Jonathan Herbert – Percussion Tutor

Jonathan won a junior exhibition to study timpani and percussion at the Royal College of Music in London and then at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He has performed with virtually every symphony orchestras in the UK and in 1992 joined the percussion section of the Halle Orchestra. In 2001 he was appointed Principal Percussion and Principal Timpani with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2005 Jonathan has been invited to play with the World Orchestra for Peace under the direction of Valery Gergiev performing at the BBC proms and in some of the world’s greatest concert halls including the Philharmonie Berlin, Carnegie Hall New York, Symphony Hall Chicago, Tchaikovsky Hall Moscow and the Salzburg Festspielhaus .
Jonathan is a member of the teaching staff at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Irish Academy of Music. He has previously held teaching posts at the Liverpool, Manchester and Salford Universities. Jonathan has been the featured guest artist at the RNCM day of percussion.

Elizabeth McNulty – Harp Tutor

Elizabeth McNulty was appointed Principal Harpist of The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 2016. She has also freelanced as guest principal with ensembles such as Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, English National Ballet, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Northern Ballet, RTE Concert Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Concerto performances include Ginastera Harp Concerto, Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto, Mozetich El Dorado, Handel Harp Concerto, Debussy Danses sacree et Profane and Ravel Introduction and Allegro with groups such as RLPO, Kantanti Ensemble, Symphonia Academica and Berkeley Ensemble. Elizabeth has performed recitals in London as a Concordia Artist and was also selected for the 2011 New London Orchestra Young concert artists’ platform, performing recitals in St James's Piccadilly, St Martin in the Field, The Foundling Museum, Benjamin Franklin Museum and Charlton House. She has performed chamber music around UK in venues such as Liverpool Philharmonic, 100 Club, Royal Festival Hall, London Arts Club and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Aside from numerous RLPO recordings, she features on albums for popular artists such as Othon, Joji Hirota and Rick Wakeman. Elizabeth enjoys teaching and is currently harp tutor at University of Liverpool. On occasion she also enjoys tutoring National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Elizabeth studied for her Masters in Performance with Gabriella Dall’Olio at Trinity College of Music, London, where she was awarded a Leverhulme Scholarship, having previously graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Royal Holloway, University of London. Former teachers were Janice Beven and Karen Vaughan and she also received tuition from Fabrice Pierre, Letizia Belmondo, Sylvain Blassel and Rachel Masters.

Ruth McGinley - Piano Tutor

Derry-born Ruth McGinley had already gained widespread recognition as one of Ireland’s leading pianists by the age of 16, winning countless accolades including the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year award. Since then, her career has been wide-ranging and daring, collaborating with some of the most acclaimed musicians working today, and straying from the typical classical-pianist journey.

Studying at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Royal Academy in London before being awarded a Postgraduate in Solo Performance from the Royal College in London, Ruth has performed as soloist with many orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, National Symphony Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra, and as a recitalist throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Ruth broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, BBC Radio Ulster and Lyric FM. She was invited to perform as soloist at the BBC Proms in the Park and to perform a solo concert at the Southbank Centre, London in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hall … both career highlights.

But it is perhaps the spaces between where Ruth’s interests really lie. A determination to walk her own path, Ruth’s love of music goes far beyond the classical world. A highly sought-after collaborator, Ruth works with musicians from many backgrounds including jazz, folk, electronic and film music. Ruth released her debut solo album ‘Reconnection’ to high acclaim in 2016. Her most recent album, ‘Aura’, a collaboration with Belfast composer Neil Martin, is a Classical Reimagining of Irish Airs.