Recent alumni successes at Guildhall School

From the Music Department:

• Watch short film Magura, created as part of a new non-profit organisation set up by alumna Anna Starushkevych (Mezzo-Soprano 2016) entitled Music Will Save The World. The film Magura is dedicated to the missing people of war, both in Ukraine and globally, and blends Ukrainian mythology with modern storylines. Anna created Music Will Save The World in response to the funding cuts affecting classical music institutions in the UK.
• Ed Birchinall (Bass-baritone 2023), Mimi Doulton (Soprano 2018) and Oksana Sliubyk (Soprano 2016) were finalists in the Peter Hulsen Orchestral Song Award. 
• Ben Marshall (Oboe 2011) was appointed as Principal Oboe No.2 (Doubling Cor Anglais) at the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin.
• Lucia Veintimilla (Violin 2017) was nominated for Best Instrumental Album by the National Spanish Academy of Awards.
• Congratulations to Alex Tay (Composition 2023), Joanne Evans (Soprano 2014) Cole Morrison (Double Bass 2020) and Rosie Murphy (Harp 2020) who were all named as Britten-Pears Artists 2024-25.
• Mathis Saunier (Composition 2022) debuted his piece Noctopolis with the Philharmonia Orchestra as a part of their Composer’s Academy scheme. 
• Mithras Trio, formed of Ionel Manciu (Violin 2020), Leo Popplewell (Cello 2022) and Dominic Degavino (Piano 2020) were featured in the June issue of Strad Magazine in a spotlight on piano trios. 
• Toby Daintree (Jazz 2022) signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. 
• John Findon (Opera 2017) was understudying and went on as Don José in Glyndebourne festival's production of Carmen.
• Congratulations to Mike Christie (Baritone/Bass 2004) and Jonathan Ansell (Tenor 2004), on the 20th anniversary of their vocal group G4 (the G standing for Guildhall!). To celebrate they are performing 110 tour dates in the UK and have released a new album called G4 20. Get all the details on their website here.
• Meili Li (Opera 2015), Chuma Sijeqa (Opera 2021) and Sean Boylan (Opera 2019) all appeared in the recent Royal Opera and Irish National Opera production of Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade. 
• Leonardo Barbosa (Violin 2023) was featured in the BBC Symphony Orchestra Total Immersion concert back in May at our very own Milton Court Concert Hall.
• We were thrilled to see many alumni performing at Wigmore Hall in April and May including Maria Wloszczowska (Violin 2019), Tim Crawford (Violin 2017), Ting-Ru Lai (Viola 2017) and the Mithras Trio. Maria and Tim will also be appearing at the LockenHaus Festival in Austria. 
• The Barbican Quartet featuring Guildhall alumni Amarins Wierdsma (Violin 2017), Christoph Slenczka (Viola 2016) and Yoanna Prodanova (Cello 2018), first prize winners of the ARD International String Quartet Competition 2022, have released their debut album Manifesto on Love.
• Sarah Leonard (Soprano 1976) was awarded an MBE for Services to Music in the King’s Birthday Honours and is the Chair of the Association of English Singers and Speakers.
• Sam Braysher (Saxophone 2012) released his debut album That’s Him: The Music of Kurt Weill. 
• Paul Sharp (Double Bass 2008) was appointed as Head of Artistic Management for Edinburgh International Festival.
• Rob Shepley (Viola 1983) is retiring from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra after 40 years, an amazing achievement. 
• Listen to Susie Allan (Piano 1982) and Roddy Williams (Opera 1995) on their new album Vaughan Williams – A Birthday Garland, a recording their popular 2022 concert tribute to Ralph Vaughan Williams originally marking the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth. 
• Congratulations to Anthony Piccolo (Piano 1983) on 16 years as Children’s Chorus Director at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Listen to his album here.
• Raymond Yiu (Composition 2014) has announced the first performance in Asia of his new Violin Concerto performed by Esther Yoo on 14 and 15 February 2025 as part of the Hong Kong Philharmonic 24/25 season. 
• Garsington Opera’s production of Le nozze di Figaro includes an impressive number of Guildhall alumni in its cast, including David Ireland (Figaro), Samantha Clarke (Countess), Claire Lees (Susanna), Joe Chalmers (cover Figaro), Patrick Dow (cover Count), Susan Bickley (Marcellina) and Frazer Scott (Antonio). Well done to all! 

From the Acting Department:

• It was great to see so many Acting alumni in the latest series of Bridgerton. Catch up now to see Jessica Madsen (2013), Emma Naomi (2015), Bessie Carter (2015) and Sam Phillips (2007) in the ton!
• See Lydia Fleming (Acting 2019), Jonnie Broadbent (Acting 1998) and Peter McGovern (Acting 2008) in Much Ado About Nothing at The Globe until 24 August.
• See Dominic West FGS (Acting 1995) in A View from the Bridge at the Theatre Royal Market until 3 August.
• Catch Cable Street at the Southwark Playhouse this September and October with costumes designed by Lu Herbert (Collaborative Theatre Production and Design 2022).
• Catch award-winning film Four O’Clock Flowers written by Louise Breckon-Richards (Acting 1993) and starring Caroline Trowbridge (Acting 1993) here.
• Mirren Mack (Acting 2019) and Brandon Bassir (Acting 2020) will both appear in The Grapes of Wrath at the National Theatre from July through September.
• Sarah Slimani (Acting 2022) is in Mnemonic playing at the National Theatre until 10 August.
• Levi Brown (Acting 2021) and Michelle Dockery FGS (Acting 2004) appeared in the hit BBC Show This Town earlier this year. 
• Shubham Saraf (Acting 2017) was a nominee at the Eastern Eye Arts Culture and Theatre Awards. 
• Toheeb Jimoh (Acting 2018) received second prize at the Ian Charleson Awards 2024.
• Ebenezer Gyau (Acting 2021) has been cast in G at the Royal Court, playing from 22 August until 21 September.
• Dan Wolff (Acting 2021) will be appearing in Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre this summer.
• Poetess Jess (Performance & Creative Enterprise 2020) is a finalist in the Spoken Word category for How Sweet the Sound, the hit gospel music competition taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in October.
• 2023/2024 graduate Jordan Rhys and Jordan Metcalfe (Acting 2013) are part of the cast of Coriolanus at The National Theatre, with lighting design by alum Tim Lutkin (Technical Theatre 2008).
• Sean Donegan (Acting 2008) is currently at the Old Vic with The Constituent as Alec understudy.

From the Production Arts department:

• Simon Baker FGS (Technical Theatre 1992) received a fellowship, the School’s highest accolade, in recognition of his outstanding achievements as a Sound Designer in theatre. You can still catch one of his latest projects, The Constituent, at the Old Vic, which also includes in the creative team alum Ben Delfont as Company Stage Manager (Technical Theatre 1998).
• Dan Street (Technical Theatre 2012) received The Association for Lighting Production Design Award for Excellence in Programming for his work across multiple genres of the entertainment industry as a Lighting Programme and Designer. 
• Great to see so many Guildhall alumni backstage in the new production of Starlight Express at the Troubador in Wembley, including Sam Rixon (Technical Theatre 2018) as Stage Manager, Alex Gasson-Gray (Stage Management 2023) as Rollerskate technician and Jack Garner-Greene (Stage Management 2022) as Assistant Stage Manager & Book Cover, all helped along the way by alumna Karen Kerr FGS (Technical Theatre 1976) who worked on the original production in 1984! 
•  Tim Lutkin (Technical Theatre 2008) is the lighting designer of Coriolanus at The National Theatre.

We are always keen to hear and share news of our alumni so please get in touch at alumni@gsmd.ac.uk or call 0203 834 1592. 

Image of Barbican Quartet © Andrej Grilc