Visiting Music Teachers

Miss Betts completed her B.Mus at Cardiff University, then went on to study as a postgraduate at the Royal College of Music where she won the Wind Quintet Prize. This was followed by a year at City University where she completed her MA. She is actively involved with local orchestras and opera groups such as the Kingston Philharmonia, Kingston Chamber Orchestra, Instant Opera and Wimbledon Community Orchestra. Miss Betts enjoys a varied musical life, both in chamber and orchestral music. She has been teaching in the South West London area for the past 25 years, both privately and in various schools. She has been teaching in Shrewsbury House School since 2001.

Miss Burden gained a first-class Bachelor of Music degree with distinction at the University of York, and continued her studies at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she gained a Master’s with distinction. Since graduating, she has performed extensively around Europe, with orchestras including the London Contemporary Orchestra, London Choral Sinfonia, and Jersey Chamber Orchestra. As a flexible and diverse musician, she also performs as a chamber musician in her experimental trio ‘Terra Invisus’, has composed and recorded solo works, and frequently collaborates with composers, film makers, and playwrights to create new works.

Mr Hurst plays jazz piano and studied Music at Goldsmiths College and Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music. He also holds a PGCE in Secondary Music from the Institute of Education, UCL. Music has always been a big part of Mr Hurst’s life and when he is not teaching, at either Shrewsbury House or Putney High School, he is playing and composing. He has composed music for short films and audio walks; a BBC Radio 4 science documentary; an exhibition at the Eden Project; as well as choral, youth theatre and contemporary dance projects.

Mrs Johnston studied piano and harp at Lancaster University where she was awarded the Cartmel College scholarship and won the director of music prize for accompanying in her second year. She then furthered her studies at Goldsmiths College, gaining a Master’s Degree in performance and related studies. Since graduating she has combined teaching and performing on both instruments. As a pianist she regularly accompanies for Associated Board music exams and plays in a piano and cello duo. As a harpist she has performed with choirs and orchestras, and as a soloist at many venues including the Purcell room and Kew Gardens. Mrs Johnston has had a thriving teaching practice for over 20 years and enjoys teaching students of all ages and abilities both privately and in schools.

Dr Klippel has been teaching the classical guitar at Shrewsbury House since 1992. As well as teaching at Hurtwood House School and Kingston University, he has a large private teaching practice. Dr Klippel studied with Gilbert Biberian and John Mills. He has supervised many students through graduate and postgraduate level and many of his students now enjoy successful careers of their own, both teaching and performing. He has a PhD in Music, which was awarded for his thesis on the assessment of rhythmic accuracy in the new complexity repertoire. He is an Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM performers) and a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (MISM). Dr Klippel also plays the sitar and piano.

As a professional trumpeter, Mr Lowe has performed on West End musicals such as 42nd Street and Aladdin, as well as UK tours such as The Book of Mormon, Singing in The Rain and Kinky Boots. He has also recorded on one of the tracks for the film The Avengers: Endgame.

Mr Lowe runs his own bands; London City Big Band, Diamond Skyline Orchestra and Brass Beats, which play at weddings and corporate events around the UK.

Over the years, Mr Lowe has been lucky enough to perform across Europe in countries such as Iceland, Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Ms Lyakhovskaya is a highly regarded pianist performing as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. She has given concerts at many international venues including the Southbank Centre, Wigmore Hall, Symphony Hall, Cadogan Hall, London Coliseum, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Smetana Hall and Porto Coliseum. She was recently Artist in Residence at Eastbourne Arts Centre where she performed the complete Beethoven piano sonatas in a cycle of 8 concerts. As a soloist, she has performed concertos by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Grieg, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Skryabin and Rachmaninov. Irina is also a faculty member at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

As a chamber musician, Irina performs regularly in recitals with many renowned performers, including cycles of complete violin works by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann and Schubert. She performs regularly with violinist Eleanor Percy and they have recorded the complete Mozart sonatas for the Melodiya label as well as sonatas by Brahms and Prokofiev for the IMLab label. Irina is also a member of the City Soloists Ensemble.

After studying at the ACM in Guildford and achieving ‘Drummer of the Year’ in 2000, Mr Nugent has been teaching at Shrewsbury House for almost ten years, whilst playing prestigious gigs and entertaining audiences around the world. He has played live at the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium and Ronnie Scott’s, as well as performing live sessions for BBC Radio 2 and similar stations across Europe. Mr Nugent also teaches at Courtmoor School in Fleet, GSA and ACM in Guildford as well as being a keen song-writer, squash player, runner, swimmer and close-up magician.

Miss Pedley teaches solo singing at Shrewsbury House and has been happily combining teaching and performance careers for 15 years. She has played the title role in Bizet’s Carmen in London, Dublin and Seville. Miss Pedley recently recorded Elina Firsova’s Night Songs with the Marsyas Trio for Meridian Records and made her US debut singing Mozart’s Requiem with Harry Christophers in Boston. She also performed St Matthew Passion with Harry Christophers and Streetwise Opera which was televised on BBC4. In the UK, Miss Pedley has sung roles with companies including the Royal Opera House, Opera Holland Park, English Touring Opera and Grange Park Opera. Her international performances include Italy, Russia, France, South America, Czech Republic, Poland and Ireland.

Mrs Peebles is a graduate of Charles Darwin University, Australia (Mus B; BA; Dip MT) with piano studies under Gil Sullivan, Ilena Schapira (Cologne) and Gerard Willems (Sydney Conservatorium of Music). She has extensive experience as a freelance performer and teacher, including positions at Charles Darwin University and the International School of Music in Leichardt. In 2011, after marrying international concert pianist Antony Peebles, she relocated to the UK and has since established a thriving teaching career in London. Mrs Pebbles continues to perform by giving piano duo concerts with her husband. She teaches a wide range of pupils from beginners to post-diploma levels. A good number of her pupils have won prizes in piano festivals and gained music scholarships, including a recent music exhibition to KCS Wimbledon.

Miss Percy attended Trinity College of Music where she studied as a scholar with Nona Liddell and later was invited to return as a Junior Fellow. She has given solo performances at leading international venues including the Philharmonic Hall in St Petersburg, Smetana Hall in Prague and the Coliseum in Porto. In the UK, she has appeared at the Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall and Barbican and has performed as the soloist in concertos by Bach, Mozart, Bruch, Saint-Saens and Brahms. Miss Percy performs internationally with pianist Irina Lyakhovskaya; they have given numerous recitals at the Wigmore Hall and their work has been broadcast on BBC television and radio. They have also featured on Classic FM and recorded the complete Mozart sonatas for the Melodiya label. Miss Percy has worked with many orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly at St Martin in the Fields, frequently appearing as leader and soloist.

Mr Rae studied clarinet, bass clarinet, piano and composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1975-79. He has worked in many West End and Royal National Theatre productions and has received many freelance engagements with some of the country’s leading orchestras and ensembles. He is the leader of the Phoenix Saxophone Quartet who over the years have given many recitals and BBC broadcasts. As a composer, Mr Rae is one of Europe’s most published writers of educational wind music. Mr Rae has worked extensively as a syllabus consultant and composer for both the Associated Board and Trinity College London. Here at Shrewsbury House School he coaches three large bands and a chamber group. He has adjudicated at many music festivals and competitions throughout the country and has presented many masterclasses and workshops in music centres in nationally and internationally.

Mr Stevens is a recent Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance graduate. As a Trinity College London and Newling scholar, he was awarded the Wind, Brass and Percussion Silver Medal at the end of his studies. He has started his part-time master’s at the Royal College of Music with a Musicians Company Lambert Scholarship.

Enjoying music from a wide range of genres he has performed in side-by-side with the Renaissance group His Majesties Sackbuts and Cornetts. With his historical music ensemble, he was the winner of the Trinity Historically Informed Performer Competition. This extends all the way to a love of modern commercial music where Mr. Stevens is in his tribute band that regularly tours across the UK. An experienced brass chamber musician and arranger, his trombone quartet were finalists in the Philip Carne Chamber Competition and was a member of the Trinity Laban Trombone Choir when they won the Philip Jones Brass Chamber Competition.

Mr Stevens loves orchestral music and made his professional debut with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in his final year at music college. He spent a year working at Wells Cathedral School where he taught many of the prep-school trombonists.

Mr Stewart graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1996. He has performed with many groups and bands both here in the UK and abroad. In 2003 he co-founded Jazz Zone music course which run each summer and offer young musicians the chance to create and perform music in a fun learning environment. Mr Stewart has over 20 years of teaching experience in schools and has vast experience in all styles including classical, jazz, pop and funk. Mr Stewart is currently teaching at Shrewsbury House School, Kings College School, Wimbledon and Lord Wandsworth College.