Our team

Christopher Lawrence was taught by Patrick Harrild from the age of 9 at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, where he attained the ARCM diploma in tuba performance, and was coached by John Fletcher in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He studied at Cambridge (Queens’), playing regularly with the University orchestras, performing tuba concertos, and founding the Cambridge University Brass Ensemble. Christopher then played in the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra, Kensington Symphony Orchestra and Britten-Pears Orchestra in London, before running the Academy of Ancient Music, and playing regularly in Prime Brass and the Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra. He founded and conducted Junior Prime Brass and currently conducts CSD Brass. Within the University, he manages the brass strand of the IAS and coaches the CU Brass Ensemble and auditions low brass for the University orchestras.

Melanie Ragge is a founding member of the New London Chamber Ensemble and performs worldwide both as a soloist and in chamber groupings, including collaborations with Angela Hewitt, Navarra Quartet and James Gilchrist. She has been a guest coach and tutor at numerous festivals and conservatoires, as well as undertaking research into reducing performance strain injuries. She is a Professor of Oboe at the Royal Academy of Music and studied at Cambridge (King’s) and the Academy.

Andrew West works extensively as a chamber musician, with duo partners including Emma Bell and Roderick Williams. He has longstanding partnerships with Emily Beynon and Mark Padmore. He is also a prize-winning soloist and a fellow at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is a Professor of Piano Accompaniment. He studied at Cambridge (Clare) and the Academy.

John Myerscough is cellist of the Doric String Quartet and an accomplished soloist. He performs worldwide in both roles, and collaborates regularly with outstanding chamber musicians, such as Elizabeth Leonskaja and Alasdair Beatson. He is professor of cello and chamber music at the Royal Academy of Music and gives string quartet masterclasses as part of the Chamber Studio at King’s Place, London.

Martin Outram is violist of the Maggini Quartet, as well as a soloist with a special interest in British contemporary music. He has given first performances of concertos written for him and has appeared as principal viola and guest principal with all of London’s premier chamber orchestras. He has recorded over fifty records with chamber music ensembles. He is professor of viola at the Royal Academy of Music, where he has taught since 1984. He studied at Cambridge (Fitzwilliam) and the Academy.

Alex Redington is first violinist of the Doric String Quartet, a position he has held since he was just 15. He has collaborated with multiple contemporary composers and performed extensively in the world’s leading venues. He is a professor of violin and chamber music at the Royal Academy of Music.

Margaret Faultless is a very versatile performer, playing music from the Renaissance to the present day, but she is best known as an interpreter of eighteenth-century repertoire and a specialist in historical performance practice. Maggie began her career at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra before studying at Cambridge (Clare). She led the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, was Director of Studies for the European Union Baroque Orchestra, a member of the London Haydn Quartet, and is now co-leader of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Artistic Director of Music for Awhile. She educates the next generation of players as Director of Performance at the Faculty of Music and Centre for Music Performance at the University of Cambridge, Honorary Fellow of Birmingham Conservatoire and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal Academy of Music.

Sian Edwards

Simon is inaugural Director of the Centre for Music Performance and a Fellow at Girton College, where he also serves as a trustee.

He was previously Director of Development at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Head of External Relations at the Academy of Ancient Music, General Manager of Chamber Orchestra Anglia, and an opera agent.

Before his appointment to lead the Centre Simon supported extracurricular music provision at Cambridge for 15 years in a voluntary capacity, including serving as chair of the Cambridge University Musical Society from 2005–2013.

Email: snf25@cam.ac.uk

Email: cnd26@cam.ac.uk

Email : jtr39@cam.ac.uk

Email: aoh27@cam.ac.uk

Alex is the Popular and World Music Performance Assistant at the CMP, joining the department after graduating in Music from the University of Birmingham. Previously to this role, Alex participated in internships with the BBC Proms and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Whilst at university, he assisted in the organisation of student music activities in roles as Music Society President and ValeFestival Head of Entertainment, and produced student radio shows at BurnFM. Outside of his role, Alex is a keen performer: performing Tuba in both Classical and Popular ensembles, and has an interest in blending genres and influences within his music.

Email: gcw37@cam.ac.uk

Email: jr615@cam.ac.uk

Jamie served as the Interim Manager of the Centre for Music Performance during the 22–23 academic year, and was previously the Manager of the ADC Theatre. Alongside managing the CMP’s finances, he is a freelance theatre producer and technician.