Meet the team

Matthew Hopkins

Director of Music

Matthew studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire under the famous tenor Professor Julian Pike, where he gained an Honours degree as a Bachelor of Music.

He has established a national and international reputation as a choral and orchestral conductor, with many acclaimed performances across the UK and Europe. Matthew has directed choral and orchestral performances in some of the finest venues in Europe, including St.Thomas, Leipzig, Barcelona Cathedral, Montserrat Abbey, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, Nieuwe Kirk in Delft and Amsterdam Cathedral.

Matthew has conducted many notable orchestral performances and has the pleasure to work with many renowned international soloists, including Norwegian trumpeter, Tine Thing Helseth and Russian violinist, Anna-Liisa Bezrodny

Matthew is Director and founder of Youth Music UK, which incorporates the UK's newest national youth choir – Youth Choir UK. He has also recently been appointed co-director of the new Asociation de International Singers based in Spain, promoting international soloists and choral singing across Europe.

He is in demand as a vocal coach and mentor of both amateur and professional ensembles across the UK and Europe, delivering a variety of master-classes and workshops.

Matthew is very much in demand as a professional tenor soloist, and is equally at home singing opera, oratorio or musical theatre, and is a well known exponent of the English Song repertoire. He has a national reputation for his performances of Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart's Requiem, and has performed the majority of the standard oratorio repertoire. On the operatic stage he has played many roles, including works by Britten, Mozart and Cavalli. Most recently he created the role of Cecil in the World Premiere of Robin Grant's opera Dee.

Philip Robinson

Piano Teacher and NTU Accompanist

Philip Robinson was born into a family in which music was a part of everyday life. At the age of nine he went to Durham Cathedral where he became head chorister. Later at the Royal College of Music he studied organ and piano and was awarded a first class degree. Since 1980 he has been based in the East Midlands where he has retained the balance between teaching and performing. He is an examiner for the Associated Board for whom he has examined throughout the UK as well as in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

He has been accompanist to the Nottingham Bach Society and the Nottingham Harmonic Society. He is the accompanist for an annual singers' course in Northern France and plays regularly for instrumental and vocal recitals. In 2006 he took up the post of accompanist to the internationally renowned girls' choir Cantamus, with whom he has travelled to Belgium, Spain, China and Malaysia.

Philip's piano teaching works with the interests and styles which the student leans towards. This may be straight classical, jazz, or more popular music. In every case he believes that technique is important to fluent playing.

Gillian Wormley

Vocal Tutor

Gillian studied voice, pianoforte and dance in an educational context at Dartington College of Arts. Post graduation, she began her teaching career in Nottingham, where she joined the then English Sinfonia Chorale, singing solos in concert performances of works by Mozart, Tippett, Stravinsky, Allegri and Stanford.

In 1982 she moved to Hampshire where she established herself as a soloist, vocal teacher, adult education lecturer and choral director.

She continues to work with her vocal coach David Harper, in his London studio. They perform recital programmes together when opportunity allows and include French, German, English and Italian repertoire, usually with an eclectic mix of styles, from Bach to Bernstein.

Gillian is equally at home singing opera and oratorio, and has a diverse experience to include works by Mozart, Charpentier, R.Strauss, Bach, Verdi, Offenbach, Faure, Beethoven, Britten, Purcell, Schubert, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Rutter and Menotti. She has also performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in specially commissioned music theatre pieces, including the premiere of ‘Lunch at the Cooked Goose’ by Betty Roe and Marian Lines.

Tim Harris

Guitar Teacher

Tim Harris has a wealth of experience in teaching the guitar and teaches electric, acoustic, bass and classical styles. He has a BA in music and also a HND in sound engineering from Confetti Studios in Nottingham. Tim is no stranger to the Nottingham live music circuit, where he can often be found gigging with different groups and professionals. Alongside his busy teaching and playing career, Tim works at home as a guitar technician.

Tim also teaches at Nottingham Girls' High School and is happy to teach for your own enjoyment, or you can take the grades from preliminary, right through to your diploma.

Robin Payne

Drum Kit and Percussion Teacher

Robin has studied with some of the finest players of his time including Colin Woolway, Malcolm Garrat, Paul Elliot and the American Jazz Legend Jim Chapin, Robin now regularly organizes workshops for his own pupils with these masters to pass on their skills to the next generation.

Robin's larger-than-life reputation precedes him and he is endorsed by Gretsch drums, Bosphorus cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Aquarian drumheads and Protection Racket drum cases.

He not only teaches privately, but also at several independent schools as well. He founded and now coordinates Rock School at Stratford Music Centre which is now in its eleventh year. Having been one of the founder members of Drumsense, he now mentors prospective tutors in their training.

Throughout his varied experiences Robin has always been committed to developing young people's interest and appreciation in music. From that point to this, he has played most types and styles of music from heavy rock to brass bands and jazz to light opera with everything else in between; always with an excitement and enthusiasm that never dims.