Music Staff
Quentin Poole Director of Music
Quentin Poole began his musical career as principal oboe of the City of London Sinfonia and Endymion Ensemble, after graduating from Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music. In partnership with the conductor Ian McMillan, he is a director of the London Pops Orchestra, which is now in its 20th year. His musical arrangements have been performed by a variety of distinguished artists, while his work as a studio producer for film and television spans more than fifteen years. During this time he has been a professor for the National Youth Orchestra and an examiner and adjudicator for all the major music colleges, as well as conducting many first performances in the UK and abroad, including broadcasts for the BBC. Quentin has been at the Purcell School since 1988 as the Head of the Wind Department, and became Director of Music in the autumn of 2001.
Edward Longstaff Assistant Director of Music
Edward Longstaff studied at Royal Holloway College and Goldsmith’s College. He joined the staff of the Purcell School in 1993, became Head of Academic Music in 1999 and was appointed Assistant Director of Music in 2002. He conducts the school choirs, Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia and the Contemporary Ensemble.
Edward is also a composer. His work has been broadcast on BBC television and Radio 3 – most recently, his orchestral piece That Short Thing was broadcast on Performance on 3 - and he has had pieces published by Novello’s and Maecenas. Recent commissions have included pieces for Chaconne Brass, Exaudi, the New London Chamber Ensemble, the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Band and a Clarinet Concerto for Sarah Williamson.
Miranda Francis Academic Music (Head of Department)
Miranda Francis studied Double Bass, Organ and Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music, where she won several major academic prizes. She became University of London Organ Scholar in 1987, and went on to study Ethnomusicology as a postgraduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She joined the staff of the Purcell School in 1999, and was appointed Head of Academic Music in 2002. She also established the Jazz department at the school, and she has composed over 300 arrangements for jazz ensembles. Miranda is currently Prinicipal Examiner of Performance at Advanced Level for Edexcel, and she plays a leading role in GCE syllabus development. She also runs teachers’ courses all over the country and has published several articles for academic journals, including Classroom Music.
Alison Cox Composition (Head of Department)
Alison Cox studied at the RNCM and won a number of prizes and awards, including the 1978 Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for her orchestral piece ‘Trilithon’ and a bursary from the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust to study film music in Australia. She has taught at the Purcell School for 17 years and was appointed Head of Composition in 1997. Alison Cox has developed national and international links with many professional ensembles and organisations including UNESCO, the Nash Ensemble, the London Sinfonietta and the South Bank Centre, and a very large number of professional composers in the UK and abroad. In 2001 Alison Cox was appointed Artistic Director of ENDYMION (formerly The Endymion Ensemble). One of her educational projects ‘The Rising Generation’ invited talented young under-18 composers from all over the country to participate in a special symposium and series of concerts at the South Bank Centre. In 2004 she was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Alison Cox was invited to organise a special concert at Buckingham Palace in March 2005 as part of the Queen’s Music day, involving outstanding young performers from all the specialist music schools, conservatoires and other organisations in the UK. In November 2005 she was the UK Co-Director for an innovative multicultural musical event in Malta called ‘The Commonwealth Resounds!, involving musicians from 52 different countries, hosted by the Commonwealth People’s Forum linked to CHOGM 2005. Alison was awarded the OBE in June 2012 for her services to music in the community.
Simon Colam Jazz (Head of Department)
Simon Colam studied at Salford University before moving to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to complete a degree course. Since then he has performed in various groups including Jazz, Salsa and Commercial Music performing at many leading UK venues including Ronnie Scott's, South Bank Centre, Wembley Arena and Jazz Cafe. He is a member of the Nathan Haines Group, which has recently performed at the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals and the Blue Note, Tokyo. Simon also pursues an active teaching career at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, St. Paul's Girls' School and is Head of Jazz at the Purcell School.
William Fong Keyboard (Head of Department)
William Fong (Head of Keyboard) first came to international attention when he won the first prize, gold medal and Rosa Sabater prize at the Concurso Internacional de Piano in Jaen, Spain in 1984. This was the first of many prizes at international level, which include the Busoni, Cleveland, Iturbi, and Scottish International Competitions. His London concerto debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra at St. John's Smith Square soon followed, and since then he has performed at major venues in cities worldwide. Highlights include his Moscow and St. Petersburg debuts under the auspices of the Sviatoslav Richter Foundation and critically acclaimed tours of Spain and France. As a chamber musician, William performs with ensembles such as the Brodsky Quartet, and the Guildhall Strings. He has recently collaborated with the singers Steve Davislim and James Rutherford. As well as recording for BBC Radio 3, William's performances have been broadcast on Classic FM, BBC television and on European and US radio and television. CD recordings are available on Olympia and Guild Records.
Aidan Goetzee Music Technology (Head of Department)
Aidan Goetzee began his professional life as an orchestral flute player after studying at the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He won a French Government scholarship and several Arts Council awards for further studies in Paris with Michel Debost. He went on to work with the RPO, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, London Contemporary Dance, the Lindsay Kemp Company and the contemporary music group Aquarius. As well as playing, he also wrote music for theatre and video and became increasingly involved in the creative applications of recording technology. After working in studios he consolidated his practical experience and gained his MSc in Music Information Technology at City University in 1998. Since then he has taught at Eton College and Westminster School and has established Music Technology departments at Winchester College and Latymer Upper School. Aidan joined the Purcell School in 2001.
Charles Sewart Strings (Head of Department)
Charles Sewart was the Adrian Boult Scholar at Westminster School and continued his studies at the Guildhall School with David Takeno and Hans Keller. As a member of the Mistry Quartet 1986-1992 Charles toured extensively, broadcasting for Radio and TV and recording for Decca, Chandos and Unicorn Kanchana. Since 1992 Charles has been a member of the Chilingirian Quartet, resident at the Royal College of Music, performing and recording worldwide as well as being highly in demand as teachers. Charles has also worked as soloist and with numerous other prestigious ensembles with a long list of highly acclaimed recordings to his credit, including the violin sonata and other chamber music of Reynaldo Hahn (BBC Music Magazine – CD of the month) and Schubert B flat Trio (BBC Radio 3 “building a library”- overall first choice). Charles continues to be much in demand as a player and since 2006 has been associate conductor/director of the Johann Strauss Gala, performing in most of the top UK venues including this spring, Fairfield Hall, Waterfront Hall, Belfast and the Cadogan Hall.
Kevin Hathway Wind, Brass, Percussion, Harp and Voice (Head of Department)
Kevin Hathway is one of England’s most respected percussionists. Among his many musical responsibilities he is co-principal percussionist of the Philharmonia Orchestra and an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, for which he devised the percussion examination syllabus. Immediately preceding his appointment at the Purcell School he was head of the percussion department at the Royal College of Music, providing many of today’s leading orchestral players.
Following on from a Salvation Army brass band musical childhood he was a trombone scholar at the RCM and used this talent to great effect as percussionist with the world-renowned Wallace Collection Brass Ensemble.
His own outreach group, The Elastic Band, is in great demand for family concerts and educational projects throughout the UK and abroad. As an animateur he has worked at Festivals in the USA and Kuala Lumpur. He regularly devises and presents family concerts with the Philharmonia Orchestra at London’s Queen Elizabeth hall and their resident halls in Bedford and Leicester.
Jean Mercer Alexander Technique
John Crawford Alexander Technique
Deborah Shah Accompanist
Deborah Shah studied at the Purcell School and then won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music to study with Christopher Elton. Whilst there she won prizes in solo and chamber music playing as well as awards from The Harold Craxton Trust and The Countess of Munster Trust for further study. She has participated in master classes with William Pleeth, Ralph Kirshbaum, Mstislav Rostropovitch and Maxim Vengerov. She performs regularly as an accompanist and chamber musician throughout the UK, Europe and the USA.
Daniel King Smith Accompanist
Daniel King Smith studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Vanessa Latarche, Piers Lane, Ruth Nye and Michael Dussek. During his time there won many prizes for chamber music and was also a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year. He is currently also staff accompanist the Royal College of Music Junior Department and works extensively for the RCM Wind Faculty. He is often to be heard on Radio 3 and has recorded a number of CDs, including with ex-Purcell student Anna Hashimoto.
A full list of instrumental teachers can be found under the relevant department.
Quentin Poole began his musical career as principal oboe of the City of London Sinfonia and Endymion Ensemble, after graduating from Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music. In partnership with the conductor Ian McMillan, he is a director of the London Pops Orchestra, which is now in its 20th year. His musical arrangements have been performed by a variety of distinguished artists, while his work as a studio producer for film and television spans more than fifteen years. During this time he has been a professor for the National Youth Orchestra and an examiner and adjudicator for all the major music colleges, as well as conducting many first performances in the UK and abroad, including broadcasts for the BBC. Quentin has been at the Purcell School since 1988 as the Head of the Wind Department, and became Director of Music in the autumn of 2001.
Edward Longstaff Assistant Director of Music
Edward Longstaff studied at Royal Holloway College and Goldsmith’s College. He joined the staff of the Purcell School in 1993, became Head of Academic Music in 1999 and was appointed Assistant Director of Music in 2002. He conducts the school choirs, Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia and the Contemporary Ensemble.
Edward is also a composer. His work has been broadcast on BBC television and Radio 3 – most recently, his orchestral piece That Short Thing was broadcast on Performance on 3 - and he has had pieces published by Novello’s and Maecenas. Recent commissions have included pieces for Chaconne Brass, Exaudi, the New London Chamber Ensemble, the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Band and a Clarinet Concerto for Sarah Williamson.
Miranda Francis Academic Music (Head of Department)
Miranda Francis studied Double Bass, Organ and Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music, where she won several major academic prizes. She became University of London Organ Scholar in 1987, and went on to study Ethnomusicology as a postgraduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She joined the staff of the Purcell School in 1999, and was appointed Head of Academic Music in 2002. She also established the Jazz department at the school, and she has composed over 300 arrangements for jazz ensembles. Miranda is currently Prinicipal Examiner of Performance at Advanced Level for Edexcel, and she plays a leading role in GCE syllabus development. She also runs teachers’ courses all over the country and has published several articles for academic journals, including Classroom Music.
Alison Cox Composition (Head of Department)
Alison Cox studied at the RNCM and won a number of prizes and awards, including the 1978 Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for her orchestral piece ‘Trilithon’ and a bursary from the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust to study film music in Australia. She has taught at the Purcell School for 17 years and was appointed Head of Composition in 1997. Alison Cox has developed national and international links with many professional ensembles and organisations including UNESCO, the Nash Ensemble, the London Sinfonietta and the South Bank Centre, and a very large number of professional composers in the UK and abroad. In 2001 Alison Cox was appointed Artistic Director of ENDYMION (formerly The Endymion Ensemble). One of her educational projects ‘The Rising Generation’ invited talented young under-18 composers from all over the country to participate in a special symposium and series of concerts at the South Bank Centre. In 2004 she was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Alison Cox was invited to organise a special concert at Buckingham Palace in March 2005 as part of the Queen’s Music day, involving outstanding young performers from all the specialist music schools, conservatoires and other organisations in the UK. In November 2005 she was the UK Co-Director for an innovative multicultural musical event in Malta called ‘The Commonwealth Resounds!, involving musicians from 52 different countries, hosted by the Commonwealth People’s Forum linked to CHOGM 2005. Alison was awarded the OBE in June 2012 for her services to music in the community.
Simon Colam Jazz (Head of Department)
Simon Colam studied at Salford University before moving to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to complete a degree course. Since then he has performed in various groups including Jazz, Salsa and Commercial Music performing at many leading UK venues including Ronnie Scott's, South Bank Centre, Wembley Arena and Jazz Cafe. He is a member of the Nathan Haines Group, which has recently performed at the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals and the Blue Note, Tokyo. Simon also pursues an active teaching career at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, St. Paul's Girls' School and is Head of Jazz at the Purcell School.
William Fong Keyboard (Head of Department)
William Fong (Head of Keyboard) first came to international attention when he won the first prize, gold medal and Rosa Sabater prize at the Concurso Internacional de Piano in Jaen, Spain in 1984. This was the first of many prizes at international level, which include the Busoni, Cleveland, Iturbi, and Scottish International Competitions. His London concerto debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra at St. John's Smith Square soon followed, and since then he has performed at major venues in cities worldwide. Highlights include his Moscow and St. Petersburg debuts under the auspices of the Sviatoslav Richter Foundation and critically acclaimed tours of Spain and France. As a chamber musician, William performs with ensembles such as the Brodsky Quartet, and the Guildhall Strings. He has recently collaborated with the singers Steve Davislim and James Rutherford. As well as recording for BBC Radio 3, William's performances have been broadcast on Classic FM, BBC television and on European and US radio and television. CD recordings are available on Olympia and Guild Records.
Aidan Goetzee Music Technology (Head of Department)
Aidan Goetzee began his professional life as an orchestral flute player after studying at the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He won a French Government scholarship and several Arts Council awards for further studies in Paris with Michel Debost. He went on to work with the RPO, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, London Contemporary Dance, the Lindsay Kemp Company and the contemporary music group Aquarius. As well as playing, he also wrote music for theatre and video and became increasingly involved in the creative applications of recording technology. After working in studios he consolidated his practical experience and gained his MSc in Music Information Technology at City University in 1998. Since then he has taught at Eton College and Westminster School and has established Music Technology departments at Winchester College and Latymer Upper School. Aidan joined the Purcell School in 2001.
Charles Sewart Strings (Head of Department)
Charles Sewart was the Adrian Boult Scholar at Westminster School and continued his studies at the Guildhall School with David Takeno and Hans Keller. As a member of the Mistry Quartet 1986-1992 Charles toured extensively, broadcasting for Radio and TV and recording for Decca, Chandos and Unicorn Kanchana. Since 1992 Charles has been a member of the Chilingirian Quartet, resident at the Royal College of Music, performing and recording worldwide as well as being highly in demand as teachers. Charles has also worked as soloist and with numerous other prestigious ensembles with a long list of highly acclaimed recordings to his credit, including the violin sonata and other chamber music of Reynaldo Hahn (BBC Music Magazine – CD of the month) and Schubert B flat Trio (BBC Radio 3 “building a library”- overall first choice). Charles continues to be much in demand as a player and since 2006 has been associate conductor/director of the Johann Strauss Gala, performing in most of the top UK venues including this spring, Fairfield Hall, Waterfront Hall, Belfast and the Cadogan Hall.
Kevin Hathway Wind, Brass, Percussion, Harp and Voice (Head of Department)
Kevin Hathway is one of England’s most respected percussionists. Among his many musical responsibilities he is co-principal percussionist of the Philharmonia Orchestra and an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, for which he devised the percussion examination syllabus. Immediately preceding his appointment at the Purcell School he was head of the percussion department at the Royal College of Music, providing many of today’s leading orchestral players.
Following on from a Salvation Army brass band musical childhood he was a trombone scholar at the RCM and used this talent to great effect as percussionist with the world-renowned Wallace Collection Brass Ensemble.
His own outreach group, The Elastic Band, is in great demand for family concerts and educational projects throughout the UK and abroad. As an animateur he has worked at Festivals in the USA and Kuala Lumpur. He regularly devises and presents family concerts with the Philharmonia Orchestra at London’s Queen Elizabeth hall and their resident halls in Bedford and Leicester.
Jean Mercer Alexander Technique
John Crawford Alexander Technique
Deborah Shah Accompanist
Deborah Shah studied at the Purcell School and then won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music to study with Christopher Elton. Whilst there she won prizes in solo and chamber music playing as well as awards from The Harold Craxton Trust and The Countess of Munster Trust for further study. She has participated in master classes with William Pleeth, Ralph Kirshbaum, Mstislav Rostropovitch and Maxim Vengerov. She performs regularly as an accompanist and chamber musician throughout the UK, Europe and the USA.
Daniel King Smith Accompanist
Daniel King Smith studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Vanessa Latarche, Piers Lane, Ruth Nye and Michael Dussek. During his time there won many prizes for chamber music and was also a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year. He is currently also staff accompanist the Royal College of Music Junior Department and works extensively for the RCM Wind Faculty. He is often to be heard on Radio 3 and has recorded a number of CDs, including with ex-Purcell student Anna Hashimoto.
A full list of instrumental teachers can be found under the relevant department.
