CONDUCTOR: Adam Assen
Adam Assen is an accomplished musician with a wide experience of conducting, composing and performing. His background is in both classical and non-Western music, in particular the folk music of Mauritius which he performs regularly in various bands and ensembles.
Adam holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Surrey and he as taken part in a Music Industry Training Programme with Sony BMG and an Orchestral Conducting Course with the City Lit University. Adam has also taken a postgraduate course in Choral Education at University of Roehampton.
Adam is passionate about choral conducting and has received tuition from inspiring, eminent classical conductors such as Bob Chilcott and John Rutter. He has also observed training for gospel conducting from Karen Gibson, Director of the Kingdom Choir. He has worked extensively with the Prague Conservatoire string section and Barisons Brass Band.
In addition to his work as a conductor Adam, together with lyricist Anne Thackray has written a wealth of music for schools which has sold extremely successfully over the last ten years. This has included the 'Jubilee Anthem', 'Sharing Music' (written for children with autism and commended by the University of Hertforshire and OFSTED), 'What an Amazing Thing' (a Christmas musical), 'Noah – The Musical' and 'Tout Le Monde' a festival of music from around the world. They are regularly commissioned to write choral pieces and musicals for schools, the latest being 'Perseus and Medusa- the musical' composed last year for Kings House School in Richmond.
Adam is a trained pianist and percussionist and has performed in some outstanding venues and events. These include Westminster Abbey, Trentino Choral Festival, The Commonwealth Institute, The Carling Academy, Festival Hall – Tokyo, The Royal Festival Hall and many others. Adam has conducted choirs all over Europe performing at some of the most magnificent choral venues including St. Marks Venice, St. Nicholas Prague, Barcelona Cathedral, Montserrat Monastery Cataluña and St. Peter & Paul's Krakow.
Adam holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Surrey and he as taken part in a Music Industry Training Programme with Sony BMG and an Orchestral Conducting Course with the City Lit University. Adam has also taken a postgraduate course in Choral Education at University of Roehampton.
Adam is passionate about choral conducting and has received tuition from inspiring, eminent classical conductors such as Bob Chilcott and John Rutter. He has also observed training for gospel conducting from Karen Gibson, Director of the Kingdom Choir. He has worked extensively with the Prague Conservatoire string section and Barisons Brass Band.
In addition to his work as a conductor Adam, together with lyricist Anne Thackray has written a wealth of music for schools which has sold extremely successfully over the last ten years. This has included the 'Jubilee Anthem', 'Sharing Music' (written for children with autism and commended by the University of Hertforshire and OFSTED), 'What an Amazing Thing' (a Christmas musical), 'Noah – The Musical' and 'Tout Le Monde' a festival of music from around the world. They are regularly commissioned to write choral pieces and musicals for schools, the latest being 'Perseus and Medusa- the musical' composed last year for Kings House School in Richmond.
Adam is a trained pianist and percussionist and has performed in some outstanding venues and events. These include Westminster Abbey, Trentino Choral Festival, The Commonwealth Institute, The Carling Academy, Festival Hall – Tokyo, The Royal Festival Hall and many others. Adam has conducted choirs all over Europe performing at some of the most magnificent choral venues including St. Marks Venice, St. Nicholas Prague, Barcelona Cathedral, Montserrat Monastery Cataluña and St. Peter & Paul's Krakow.
PIANO: Stuart Thompson
Stuart’s musical career began as a chorister at Winchester Cathedral. At the Royal Academy of Music, Stuart studied organ, piano and composition and uring those years, his compositions and arrangements appeared on television and radio including “Songs of Praise” and on BBC Radio 4 for “In praise of God”. His carol “The Holly and the Ivy” is being broadcast from Leeds Cathedral on Christmas Eve this year on Radio 4. He was Alec Robertson's scholar at Westminster Cathedral and then appointed as Director of Music for Leeds Cathedral, a post he held for eight years including the formation of the first girls’ choir in a Catholic Cathedral. He has been working as Director of Music at Caterham School for the last 8 years as Director of Music and Head of Music al Theatre.