Miss Stephanie Bloor (Cello, Double Bass & Piano) Senior School VMT

Stephanie began her music education at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester and then completed her undergraduate degree at the Royal Academy of Music, fitting in some time on the BBC Philharmonic’s Side-by-Side scheme in between. Recent personal performance highlights include a string quartet tour to Norway, playing as part of the Cannes Film Festival and collaborating with contemporary artist Shola Ama. Stephanie currently dedicates much of her time to teaching. In addition to enjoying her teaching at John Lyon, she teaches at four other schools – two in London and two in Derbyshire. She also enjoys working on Pro Corda chamber music courses in the holidays. In addition to the cello, Stephanie also studied the harp at the Royal Academy and enjoys the variety of freelancing on both instruments.

Mr Rhys Bowden (Singing) Senior School VMT

Rhys Bowden is an operatic tenor based in London. After studying for a degree in music at Girton College, Cambridge, Rhys joined the Royal Academy of Music on the postgraduate course in vocal studies, from which he graduated with distinction. He has performed a variety of operatic roles and sung with several distinguished companies including Wexford Festival Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park, Longborough Opera, Nevill Holt Opera, Opera Rara, the Aldeburgh Festival and Opera de Bauge. Notable appearances include the roles of Cassio (Otello) with Kent Opera, the Mayor (Albert Herring) with Opera de Bauge, Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) with Surrey Opera, and the creation of several roles in contemporary operas at the Tête à Tête Festival. He performs regularly as an oratorio soloist and in recitals across London. As well as teaching singing, Rhys also teaches the saxophone, the piano, and academic music privately.

Mr Steve Davies (Drums & Percussion) Prep School VMT

I am a passionate teacher with 20 years of experience which includes teaching in schools, scout groups, festivals, church groups and youth groups. I have over 40 years of experience playing and recording, most recently with the BBC daily service, this was with a gospel group. I currently teach in schools across London for Brent Music Services, as well as my private tuition.  I have enjoyed teaching at John Lyon over the past 5 years. It has been a privilege to teach the children, helping them to develop and grow in confidence on their musical journey.

Mr Vivian Davies (Brass) Senior School VMT

Vivian Davies was born in Neath in South Wales and was taught to play the horn by his father. He became principal horn of the Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the Orchestra of Cardiff University where he studied after winning a county music scholarship. After university he freelanced in London playing with the Festival Ballet Company and Sadler’s Wells Opera before spending 25 years as principal horn with the Band of Her Majesty’s Scots Guards. During this time he took part in all State Occasions and visited many different countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He now has a busy teaching schedule at several schools including the John Lyon School and North London Collegiate.

Mr Gary Eacope (Electric & Classical Guitar) Prep School VMT

Gary has 36 years’ playing and recording experience having played in several rock bands in and around London along with occasional session work at V-Studios (Bedfordshire and Italy). Currently working for Herts Music Service and a couple of reputable grammar schools he has 18 continuous years teaching experience in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and north London. Along with guitar, Gary has an additional interest in experimental music, sound-art and generative computer-music soundscapes, which in previous years has resulted in sound installations at The Museum of St. Albans and school soundscape projects. Gary also has a BSc (Hons) Electronic Music (Composition) degree, studied at the University of Hertfordshire.

Rock Guitar Playlist:
Gary Eacope Guitar Tracks by Gary Guitar | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Soundscapes Playlist:
Soundscapes by Gary Guitar | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Mrs Sue Evans (Flute) Prep & Senior School VMT

Having achieved a distinction for her Grade VIII flute as a 13 year old, Sue Evans continued her studies at school to diploma level. She started her teaching at Wellingborough School and has since taught in many different schools in the area including York House Preparatory School, St Clement Danes School and St Dominic’s Sixth Form College as well as teaching privately, and has successfully guided hundreds of pupils through the full range of grades as well as several through diplomas. She lives at Harrow School, where her husband is a music teacher. She is a keen singer and sings in an a capella choir at Harrow School which has been all over the world on singing tours including the Far East, USA, South Africa, Kenya, Canada, Russia as well as countries nearer home.

Mr Tiernan Godel (Bass Guitar) Senior School VMT

With over 20 years’ experience covering most genres of contemporary popular music, Tiernan is an outstanding professional bass guitarist and teacher. Since graduating from the Guitar Institute in 1997 Tiernan has taken his ongoing professional development very seriously, and his investigations into effective studying methods inform his 17 years of teaching practice. A positive and enthusiastic teacher, he encourages all his students to reach their highest potential and develop sound practice routines, at the same time as taking pleasure in making music both individually, and as part of a group. Under his tutelage, many of his students take the Rockschool graded exams, several subsequently attending Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Berklee College of Music and Birmingham Conservatoire.

Mr Tom Hooper (Drums) Senior School VMT

Tom Hooper started playing drums on the sofa with chop sticks at about six years old and began playing professionally at age 14, performing in clubs, with local bands and summer season pit work. Tom gained a BMus honours degree in Jazz performance from the Royal Academy of Music. Having left the Academy Tom embarked on a professional career that has taken him all over the world performing and recording with artists as diverse as Grace Jones, Simple Minds, John Dankworth OBE, Jan Smit (Dutch singing star with whom Tom has played on five number one hits), Christian Garrick, Kinobe, Stroke, Omar, The Kairos Ensemble, Ben Earle (The Shires), Ryan Marshall,  Aynsley Lister and many more.

Mr Peter Huntington (Drums) Senior School VMT

Born in Newcastle, Peter began playing drums at the age of 11 and was soon playing in brass bands, orchestras as well as several local bands. Peter studied Commercial Music at the University of Westminster and since graduating, has toured and recorded with many artists including Mark Owen, Darren Hayes, Chesney Hawkes and Pete Townshend. Peter played drums on the album Endless Wire by The Who and also on the expanded reissue of Quadrophenia. He continues to perform around the world with The Lost and Found Orchestra (from the creators of STOMP) and has also been involved with Rockschool as a composer and examiner for many years. Peter also teaches on the music performance course at the University of Westminster and runs the percussion ensemble at John Lyon.

Mr Wyn Hyland (Piano) Prep School VMT

Wyn hails from Cardigan, Wales and was educated at Chetham’s Music School, Wadham College, Oxford and the Royal College of Music. Credits include recitals in Asia, Bolivia, Uganda, Australia and New Zealand, concertos at The Royal Festival Hall, St. David’s Hall and BBC Maida Vale and Musical Director on the European tours of Cabaret and Guys and Dolls. Wyn has been working as keyboard player and associate conductor in the West End with Chicago. He has performed on Woman’s Hour, worked at the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, Garsington, Grange Park and Pavilion Opera companies, appeared on Last Choir Standing with the winning choir Only Men Aloud and been Assistant Musical Director on The Music Man at Chichester. He has just finished as assistant Musical Director at the Almeida production of the Bakkhai.

Recent West End work includes Guys and Dolls and An American in Paris.

Miss Holly Isherwood (Clarinet, Saxophone & Oboe) Prep & Senior School VMT

Holly has been teaching woodwind instruments to students of all ages since 2017, and gained her LRAM teaching qualification with Distinction in 2020. She is currently employed through both Camden and Haringey Music Services, at Quainton Hall Preparatory School and John Lyon School. Holly was previously employed as undergraduate clarinet teacher at Kings College London. Well-acquainted with the ABRSM, Trinity, National Curriculum, GCSE and A Level music syllabuses, she is equipped to deliver both instrumental and academic music tuition and maintains a 100% exam pass rate.​

Either to complement, or as alternative to exam preparation, Holly encourages everyone to develop their wider musical identity, playing for fun and using improvisation, creative thought and a student-centred approach when it comes to repertoire choices. Equally at home with beginners and advanced students, she firmly believes it is never too late to start your musical journey. ​In lessons, Holly aims to strike the ideal balance between hard work and enjoyment of music with her students. She has worked with people from a diverse range of backgrounds, and approaches each session with compassion, emotional intelligence, and a smile.

Mr Martin Jarvis (Trumpet) Prep School VMT

Martin Jarvis attended Trinity College of Music on the Tuba graduated with a Dip TCL.

Since leaving he has played with all the major orchestras, opera/ ballet companies and brass ensembles in the country. He has worked consistently in the West End and toured and recorded all styles of music from TV to Rap.

Martin regularly plays authentic age instruments with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

He has worked in schools and universities since leaving Trinity and has expertise in teaching all the brass instruments.

Martin regularly conducts and coaches ensembles from beginner to professional level.

Mrs Victoria MacLachlan (Piano) Prep & Senior School VMT

Hailing from the North East, Victoria began her piano studies whilst a pupil at Durham High School for Girls. Victoria then studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire for both her undergraduate and masters degrees, learning with well renowned professionals in the genres of both classical and jazz. Leaving in 2013 with a MMus (merit) Victoria went on to perform in musical theatre shows across the UK and since 2014 has taught piano, clarinet, saxophone, flute and music theory in several leading independent schools. Victoria’s students have enjoyed successes in ABRSM examinations and competitions with one pupil also appearing on TV and radio. Several students have also achieved scholarship success most recently at Westminster School and Merchant Taylors School. Most importantly Victoria enjoys seeing each student develop a love of music that will last a life time.

Miss Sydney Mariano (Violin) Prep School VMT

Filipino-American violinist Sydney Grace Mariano enjoys a varied career in chamber music, orchestral playing, and teaching. She first established herself in Los Angeles, where she performed at venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, recorded sessions in a number of Hollywood spaces like Warner Bros Studios, and made her solo debut with orchestra at the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center. She has performed for a variety of renowned musicians, including Joseph Silverstein, Paul Kantor, Roman Simovic, Emmanuel Borok, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.

In 2019, Sydney came to London, where she graduated with a Masters from the Royal Academy of Music (DipRAM). She is currently enjoying her post-graduate life in London, actively building upon her growing performance career as 2nd violinist of the Kyan Quartet whilst under the mentorship of Ying Xue of the Doric String Quartet. Established in 2020, the award-winning quartet enjoys a busy and vibrant career, having performed across Europe and Asia in countries including the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Lebanon and China. As upcoming Tunnell Trust award winners, the quartet are looking forward to going on tour across Scotland in February 2025. They have held residencies with the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme, the European String Teachers Association, and the Borromeo Music Festival. Recent collaborations include guitar quintets with Ahmed Dickinson at Wigmore Hall, Mendelssohn’s famed Octet
with the Carducci Quartet, and a programme of clarinet quintets with Chamber Orchestra of Europe member Marie Lloyd. In the past year, the quartet have won places on prestigious chamber music courses, including Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland’s 68th International Chamber Music Campus, and Chamber Studio’s inaugural Hans Keller Forum.

Recently, Sydney has taken part in the London Sinfonietta Academy, played alongside the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and continues to be a longstanding member of the Chineke! Orchestra. Sydney has given performances across Europe in world-renowned concert halls such as the Concertgebouw, Elbphilharmonie, and the Royal Albert Hall. Additional successes include performing in the BBC Proms, appearing at the Brit Awards, and recording Max Richter’s most recent album of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Recomposed.

Alongside her flourishing life with the Kyans, Sydney is a proud teacher, maintaining a small private studio in London following her time as one of the Royal Academy’s fellows at First Strings Experience and having earned her teaching Licentiate at the Academy. She is passionate about cultivating a diverse community of young musicians and empowering them to find their own avenues of self-expression. Sydney has been under the support of St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, where she was a music scholar in 2021/22. Sydney is grateful to be playing on a 1787 Gragnani, generously loaned by the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation.

Mrs Ruth Molins (Lower Brass) Senior School VMT

Ruth graduated from the University of York with first class honours in music and went on to postgraduate study in trombone at the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst at the Academy Ruth studied with Dudley Bright and Denis Wick and was a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester. Ruth gained the LRAM teaching diploma, the postgraduate diploma in trombone with distinction, the prestigious DipRAM ‘for outstanding performance’ and was awarded the Vice Principal’s Prize.

Ruth enjoys a varied career as a freelance orchestral trombonist and educational outreach practitioner. She works regularly with most of the leading professional orchestras including the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, English National Opera, London Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ruth is much in demand as a teacher and is passionate about working with young brass players to inspire and motivate them in their musical learning. Ruth thoroughly enjoys her work as trombone teacher and ensemble director at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, The Purcell School and Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls. Ruth is very much looking forward to working with the brass players at John Lyon School.

Miss Anna Morrison (Cello) Prep School VMT

Anna studied the cello at Chethams School of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. She then spent many years as a freelance cellist in both London and Edinburgh, performing with orchestras, ballet companies, West End theatre productions and commercial artists, before deciding to focus on teaching.  Anna has previously taught cello and chamber music at many London Schools and at the junior department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She currently teaches at Harrow School. she has two young sons who attend John Lyon’s Prep School.

Mr Harry Nowakowski-Fox (Piano) Senior School VMT

Harry Nowakowski-Fox is a Steinway Artist and the co-founder of Piano and Strings Tutors London. He has rapidly established an exciting career as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist, having performed internationally at concerts, competitions and chamber music festivals in Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Switzerland the UK and the United States. Performances at prestigious London venues include St Martins in the Fields, St John Smiths Square, Victoria and Albert Museum, Fairfield Halls, and Wigmore Hall. In 2016 he gave his debut recital in Moscow performing works by Bach, Schumann & Chopin.

Of Polish and Finish descent Harry was born in the UK and started playing the piano at the age of 5. His progress was quickly noticed which led to being accepted to Chetham’s school of Music in Manchester at the age of 8 to study with the head of keyboard at the time, Nigel Pitceathly. Shortly afterwards he appeared on a television documentary about laying the technical foundations of piano playing for young students. When he was 13, he gave his concerto debut performing Grieg’s Piano concerto in A minor.

In 2003 Harry continued his studies with Ilana Davids at the Purcell School of Music and went on to gain a full scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London, under Yonty Solomon and Niel Immelman. Masterclasses with international professors include Pascal Devoyon, Richard Goode, Dimitri Bashkirov and Galina Eguiazarova.

Major successes during this time include a live broadcast from New York´s Manhattan School of music for the 2008 Singapore Digital Media Festival, special prize at the Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition & 1st Prize in the concerto class at the Marlow Music Festival. Whilst at Trinity College of Music Harry won the opportunity to perform Chopin’s 1st piano concerto in the United States and was also the 2010 winner of the Derek Butler London prize, held in London´s Wigmore Hall.

Harry graduated as a Kendall-Taylor Scholar of the Masters in Performance course at the Royal College of Music in 2013, where he was studying under Professor Dina Parakhina. Shortly afterwards he was named as a Young Steinway Artist and won the special prize at the Valletta International Piano competition. He was also the 2015 Grand Prize winner at the Windsor International Piano Competition.

A keen chamber musician and concerto performer Harry collaborates regularly with talented instrumentalists in a wide-ranging variety of ensembles. In 2017 he founded the Harry & Alisa Recital duo with his wife, the Cellist Alisa Liubarskaya. They have since performed a series of concerts in the UK, Greece, Valetta, Paris & Rome.

As a recording artist his discography includes both Solo and chamber works. In 2016 Harry signed a recording contract with the label KNS Classical and released his first solo recording, an all Schumann disc. Since then he has produced a Piano/Cello duo CD with his wife in 2019 which is a recording of Sonatas by Schubert, Brahms and Schnittke.

Harry’s latest album release is a recording of Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations on the label Grand Empirical in Autumn 2020. A full film of the performance was released in January 2021 and is available to watch online.

Mr Stuart Poole (Acoustic, Classical & Electric Guitar) Senior School VMT

Growing up in a musical household, Stuart began playing guitar at the age of 8 and has enjoyed a career as a professional musician since leaving school. He is a multi-instrumentalist who offers a broad approach to teaching music of all styles.

As well as teaching in schools in Harrow, Brent and Barnet, Stuart continues to work as a professional performer internationally. His experience includes playing shows for the military in The Falklands and Afghanistan, and for the Royal Family.

Mr Luke Rao (OL) (Acoustic, Classical & Electric Guitar) Senior School VMT

Having been a dedicated member of the musical community as a student, Luke began working as a professional musician the moment he left John Lyon. From picking up the guitar when he was 13 years old, he has now performed in prestigious venues all around the world and has worked with several well renowned musicians.  Luke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. He performs regularly with his function band, The Altitudes, and struggles to find a weekend off! Luke is also very involved in music technology and audio engineering. He is currently working with Ryan Marshall as production manager and enjoys his role as Front of House engineer. When he gets the time, Luke enjoys the chance to produce recordings and write his own music. He uses production techniques in lessons to create backing tracks to help students’ progress.

Miss Henrietta Ridgeon (Viola & Violin) Senior School VMT

Henrietta Ridgeon (Violin) studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Since graduating in 2001 Henrietta combines a busy teaching and freelance career – playing regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English National Ballet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RTE Symphony Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra. Henrietta is also Principal Viola of the Belmont Ensemble of London which plays regularly at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Some career highlights are touring North America and Europe with Sting and Star Wars in Concert. Henrietta recently performed with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia for HRH Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Tim Turner (Trumpet & Piano) Senior School VMT

Tim began his musical education at the piano from the age of five, soon becoming a boy chorister and later organist at his local parish church. Having begun a lifelong passion for the trumpet whilst a pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Tim continued his studies at Trinity College of Music where he gained additional experience as an orchestral musician, piano accompanist and repetiteur to the College Opera. Following graduation Tim was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to study natural trumpet and cornett and began his enduring commitment to teaching, firstly at The American School in London, an experience which became highly influential in the development of his own educational philosophy. In 2001, having held teaching and leadership roles within the state sector over a period of fourteen years Tim was appointed Director of Music at Orley Farm School, Harrow-on-the-Hill where he remained until 2014.