Team | Bath Philharmonia

ORCHESTRAL TEAM

Bath Philharmonia is managed by a dedicated small team of arts professionals led by General Manager, Simone Homes. The orchestra's offices are at the Bath Arts Workshop in Widcombe Institute on the edge of Bath City Centre.

Simone Homes

General Manager

Jason Thornton

Music Director

Aaron Buckley-Mantell

Orchestral Projects Coordinator

Melita Armitage

Development Manager

Adassa Davies-Thompson

Accounts Assistant

CREATIVE LEARNING TEAM

A dedicated team of professional music leaders with many years of experience who are committed to breaking down all barriers to making music, be it social, financial, ability or disability.

Jason Thornton

Projects Leader

After working as a classroom music teacher for 5 years, Jason retrained as a community music leader nearly twenty years ago. Since then he has led numerous projects particularly in the areas of merged SEN and mainstream participation. More recently, Jason has become a specialist in open access delivery in school and community settings. He has worked with many Music Hubs, Schools, Community Groups, Orchestras, Venues and Festivals across the UK and in Europe. For the last ten years he has been leading all the Young Carer projects for Bath Philharmonia and he also founded and led the Community Music course at Bath Spa University for 8 years.

Jo Sercombe

Music Leader

Jo works in Bath and nationally as a vocalist, musical director & workshop leader encouraging anyone and everyone to gain confidence and enjoy their singing. When not with Bath Phil, you’ll find her directing Bath Community Gospel Choir, lecturing in Contemporary Singing & Musical Theatre at Bath Spa University and gigging as a jazz singer.

Alex Lupo

Music Leader

Alex has been working as a musician and community musician for almost 20 years. He has devised, delivered, coordinated and managed music making projects for all ages and in many different contexts, as well as working as a mentor/trainer with other musicians and community musicians.

Alex has experience of developing assessment tools, supporting curriculum development in schools, delivering training and supporting strategic development within organisations.

Alex is also a qualified and state registered music therapist.

Katy Rowe

Music Leader

Katy has been a member of the Bath Philharmonia since 2004 and joined the creative team in 2015. Through the team's projects Katy is able to support and encourage the Young Carers to explore their musical creativity, something she is passionate about.

Dylan Townley

Music Leader

Dylan joined Bath Philharmonia's Creative Learning Team in 2023. Previous work includes music-directing an intergenerational choir project at London's Old Vic theatre with participants from age 5 to over 100, and facilitating community musical theatre projects at the Young Vic, Theatr Clwyd and Babolin. He was awarded the Cameron Mackintosh Composing Residency 2023-24 at the Octagon Theatre Bolton, and is Head Writer of online educational channel History Bombs which has won a BAFTA award. He mainly plays piano / keyboards, and loves to make up songs.

Samantha Lindo

Music Leader

Samantha is a Bristol based singer, songwriter and new wave jazz artist recently featured on the BBC Sounds Hot List curated by BBC Introducing, BBC 6 Music and is described as having a voice that is ‘hauntingly flawless’, ‘having crowds mesmerised within seconds’.

Samantha is also a qualified teach specialising in Performing Arts and is employed by Fresh Start in Education as an educational specialist helping to re-engage some of the most vulnerable students back into education.

Cameron Johnson

Music Leader

Cam is a drummer, percussionist and composer who always had goals focused around education and community support. He specialises in work with voluntary carers, both young and adult, and has led workshops with as many as 200 active participants.

Maddy Aldis-Evans

Music Leader

Maddy is an Oboist and Composer with a special passion for creative learning work.

She is Sub-Principal Oboe and Cor Anglais with Bath Philharmonia and Principal Oboist with Sinfonia Viva . Alongside performing in concerts orchestras, solo concerto performances and chamber music, Maddy is also actively involved with the Co-Creative work in both orchestras including work with Young Carers, children aged 5-18, in Special Schools and with Dementia patients.

Catherine Ring

Music Leader

Catherine joined the Bath Phil creative team in 2022 and loves to share the joy of playing tuned percussion with participants. Alongside her education work, Catherine can be found performing with orchestras including Bath Phil, CBSO and Aurora, touring with the Colin Currie Group and her band Perhaps Contraption, or playing the marimba in The Lion King. Her percussion playing can also be heard in 'The Marvels' movie soundtrack.

Kate Addis

Music Leader

Kate is a freelance double bassist working with orchestras and ensembles across the UK. As an experienced music educator she has worked in numerous settings, teaching instrumental and class music. She is passionate about widening creative learning access for all and has led projects involving all ages from early years to elderly care, even teaching some politicians to perform a song in front of 200 children and their parents.

Photo Credit: Claire Norman @greeneyedlens

Dylan Lindo Jones

Music Leader

Dylan has been working with Bath Phil's Creative Learning Team since 2015. During this time he has worked on many projects with Young Carers across the country as well as leading workshops with Primary and Secondary school children. He plays piano, guitar, trumpet and occasionally the kazoo.

CORE PLAYERS

VIOLIN I

Sophie Langdon (Leader)

Gill Austin

Matt Everett

Peter Fisher
Claire Parkin

Rosie Wainwright

VIOLIN II

Lisa Betteridge

Declan Daly

Katy Rowe
David Williams

VIOLA

Mike Briggs

Rachel Calaminus
Virginia Slater

CELLO

Trevor Burley

Jonathan Few

Miriam Lowbury
Toby Turton

BASS

Antonia Bakewell

Dave Brown

FLUTE

Ian Mullin
Nicola Summerscales

OBOE

Victoria Brawn
Maddy Aldis-Evans

CLARINET

Anna Hashimoto
Sacha Rattle

BASSOON

Rosie Cow

Liz Trigg

HORN

Matthew Cooke

Richard Wainwright

TRUMPET

Gavin Wells

TROMBONE

Matt Harrison

HARP

Ruth Faber

PERCUSSION

Jeremy Little

TRUSTEES

Bath Philharmonia is run by a Board of Trustees who represent a cross-section of local and regional people with backgrounds in business, music, law, finance and education.

ADAM POWELL (CO-CHAIR)

Adam is currently Director of Client Success & Strategy at Symplicity Corp, working with higher education clients to enhance student experience. As an education and skills consultant, Adam helped secure £1m investment in regional apprenticeships and talent retention programmes. His background in the creative sector includes management roles at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Association of British Orchestras and follows a decade of touring nationally and internationally as a percussionist.

Dr VICKI DAVIES (CO-CHAIR)

Vicki has a wide experience of working in finance and training in the oil industry, most recently as Trustee of the British Petroleum Pension Fund. Now retired, Vicki is a member of Bath Minerva Choir, Chair of the Arts Society, Bath and engaged with many local music and art activities.

CHRISTINA AVISON

Christina is currently on maternity leave from her role as an Insight Manager with a leading food and drink consultancy. She graduated in music from the University of Edinburgh and initially pursued a career in arts administration, transferring her skill as a market analyst and communication professional into the corporate world.

KEVIN BROWN

Kevin is a deep technology expert with key skills in finance, strategy and legal. He recently moved to Bath with his wife and four-year-old son. Kevin worked in strategy consulting for several years before leaving to start a software company and in 2000, he started working in venture capital, investing in early-stage technology companies, globally. In 2001, he became one of the founder partners of REV Venture Partners, a venture capital partnership funded by RELX an information and analytics provider and one of FTSE’s largest companies. Kevin has sat on more than twenty boards as a director.

DECLAN DALY

A sought-after freelance musician, teacher and Principal Second Violin for Bath Philharmonia. Declan has performed globally with many renowned orchestras including the RPO, Philharmonia and Orchestra of St Martin-in-the-Fields. He has also founded two ensembles performing music from tango to jazz to folk.

CAROLINE HALLS

Caroline is a Bristol-based fundraiser, classical singer and passionate advocate for the arts. Caroline graduated with a MA in Arts & Cultural Management from King’s College London in 2018. As a soprano she has sung with The Marian Consort and Ex Cathedra Consort. As a fundraiser she has worked for Play for Progress (a charity that supports unaccompanied young people seeking asylum) and Wiltshire Music Centre.

ANNE HIPPERSON

Anne is an arts producer and business manager with over 30 years’ experience in the cultural sector and commercial business. She is currently Executive Producer for Mark Bruce Company, an award-winning touring contemporary dance company based in Somerset. Anne also currently runs educational programmes for the Royal Ballet School and LAMDA in the Bath area.

BERNARD HORN

Bernard is a retired banker who lives in Bath. His first career was with NatWest culminating in six years as a Main Board Director. He has had various roles including Founding Chairman of Social Finance UK and is currently chair of a software company. He has been a Samaritan for five years in Bath. Bernard is a Patron of Bath Philharmonia.

DAVID RIDGEON

David has held many Director level roles in the fields of accounting, audit, risk, investment and compliance in the City of London. He has a keen interest in orchestral and choral music and education and was recently Chair of Governors for Newland House School in Teddington. He moved to Bath from Surrey, 18 months ago.