Rebecca VInes
Rebecca read journalism at Cardiff University, during which time she wrote a weekly column for The Guardian newspaper. She continues to work for a range of publications as a features writer, ghost writer, and theatre critic.
Rebecca then studied as an actor at the London Centre for Theatre Studies; and her theatre credits include off-West End, Fringe, tour, educational theatre and voiceover. Favourite roles include Maggie (Dancing at Lughnasa); Elizabeth (The Crucible); Beverley (Abigail’s Party); Madame Arcati (Blithe Spirit); Martha (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
Rebecca trained as a specialist drama teacher at The Guildhall. She has taught in a range of primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions for the last twenty years; and is the Principal of her own drama school, which operates internationally. Rebecca’s pupils have been awarded places at major conservatoires and bodies such as RADA, LAMDA, Central, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall, Bristol Old Vic, Mountview, East 15, Guildford, AADA, Royal Birmingham, the Oxford School of Drama, National Youth Theatre, and the National Youth Music Theatre. Their work can be seen on the BBC, ITV, Sky, C4, E4, Netflix, Working Title, National Theatre, RSC, and with countless touring theatre companies in the UK and abroad.
Rebecca sits on the Adjudicator’s Council for the British and International Federation of Festivals; on the Awards Panel for the UKPA; and is a LAMDA, GCSE and A level examiner.
In 2014, Rebecca was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of her work in the youth theatre sector. Rebecca is passionate about helping performers take their first professional steps, and helps emerging talents to form and manage their own theatre companies. As such, Close Up Theatre, No Prophet Theatre, and Eleventh Hour Theatre have all played to critical and commercial acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: kickstarting careers and forging critical industry networking opportunities.
Rebecca’s productions have played to critical acclaim and commercial success at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2023. In addition to directing and producing over thirty thirty sell-out shows at the Fringe; Rebecca has adapted classics such as 1984, Jane Eyre, Emma, and Pride and Prejudice for the stage; and has written the original works More Myself Than I Am, Torn, Coward Conscience, and OTMA.
Rebecca is currently working on a PhD based around Shakespeare’s history plays; and she is passionate about inclusivity and diversity in the Arts, spending her free time ‘making things happen’ for people who would otherwise have no agency within the creative sector.
Ben Costello
Ben is a freelance musical director, adjudicator, singing coach and accompanist, working internationally, and is also Artistic Director of Thames Concerts. He is a generalist music adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals, having joined in 2009. He is also a music examiner for LCME and a consultant on their musical theatre syllabi.
A specialist in musical theatre and vocal performance, Ben has been musical director for numerous productions across the UK, and a reflective product of this has been his continuing work as a musical director and singing teacher at the cutting edge of performing arts training in London, with his portfolio over the years including Arts Ed, Mountview Academy, Trinity Laban, Laine Theatre Arts, Italia Conti, Guildford School of Acting, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, the Royal Academy of Music, Drama Studio London, and the London School of Musical Theatre. At these colleges his work has included teaching singing technique, portfolio, acting through song, audition technique, and auditioning thousands of prospective students. Countless of his former singing students enjoy successful careers in the West End and beyond. He also teaches singing at Kingston Grammar School and Tiffin Girls' School.
Born and based in London, Ben trained initially as a flautist before majoring in piano, singing and conducting. He read Music at Kingston University and the London College of Music, subsequently joining the teaching staff as the College's first resident MD.
Ben remains much sought-after as an accompanist, and collaborates in a variety of genres with countless singers and instrumentalists in many performing environments, working with several distinguished singers including Michael Chance CBE, James Bowman CBE, Robin Blaze, Hugh Cutting, Alison Pearce, Joanne Lunn, Peter Savidge, Richard Suart, Lotte Betts-Dean and Mark Dobell. He is one of the regular pianists for Cantabile (The London Quartet), and has given concerts with them in Germany, Belgium and the UK.
Ben is a Liveryman and on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He chaired the Company’s prestigious annual musical direction scholarship for eight years, and is presently Chairman of the Company's Jazz Committee.
For the Federation, he is also an adjudicator mentor, and is a member of the interviewing panel for potential new music adjudicators. He was a member of the Adjudicators' Council for 11 years, culminating in being elected Music Chairman, before stepping down in 2025.
Outside music, Ben is a keen motorcyclist and wine bore.
Maria Jagusz. GRNCM.FISM
Maria Jagusz trained as a dancer before taking up a place at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded the Ricordi Prize for Opera. Further scholarships enabled her to continue her studies at the National Opera Studio.
As a singer Maria has worked as soloist for most of the leading opera companies in the U.K and Europe. Her roles include Carmen, Cherubino, Orlofsky, Hansel, Dorabella and Rosina. She has performed with many of the worlds leading singers including Domingo, Carreras, Freni and Dame Felicity Lott. Her last role was Filipevna in Eugene Onegin for Mid Wales Opera just before lockdown. She is a keen recitalist and a regular soloist for choral societies in the U.K.
As a teacher Maria has specialised in training students who are hoping to have professional careers in the world of opera and musical theatre. As well as her private teaching practise she is vocal consultant for the International College of Music Theatre in London.
In order to give students the experience they need to succeed in this competitive industry she formed MJ-UK Music and Arts, As part of their training Maria believes that getting as much performing experience both in concert and on stage is vital for the development of young talent. She arranges many concerts both in the Cotswolds and in Cornwall where young singers can get the chance to perform in a safe welcoming environment. For MJ-UK she has directed Carmen, Bastien and Bastienne, Dido and Aneas, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Secret Garden, Jesus Christ Superstar, Seussical and most recently a production of “The Marriage of Figaro” for Stroud Arts Festival.
Maria is emerging casting advisor for Longborough Festival Opera’s Young Artists programme.Operas she has directed for them include Little Sweep, Dido and Aneas, La Boheme ,Sweeney Todd and Orfeo Ed Euridice.For the past three years Maria has been director of "Playground Opera " for Longborough Festival Opera .The company has toured a children's version of Hansel and Gretel and Carmen which has been seen by over a thousand children.This summer the company will be devising a piece based on L'Elisir D'Amore.
Martin Wallington
Martin has recently retired from playing the Viola with the BBC Philharmonic, after 36 years in the job. A graduate of Chetham's School Of Music and The Royal Northern College Of Music, he has enjoyed an exciting and fulfilling career playing in many of the finest concert halls in Europe, North and South America, China and Japan, as well as the BBC Proms and all the major concert venues in the UK.
Martin is hugely committed to his involvement in music education. He regularly advises senior students at the beginning of their professional career, and was for a number of years a Mentor for the BBC Philharmonic/RNCM Professional Access Scheme, where students spend time working alongside their mentor in the professional working environment. In addition to his playing commitments, he has always had a busy private teaching practice, as well as teaching for a number of years in the Music Department at Manchester University.
Martin has been increasingly in demand as an Adjudicator both at school music competitions and at a number of regional music festivals. He loves encouraging young people on their 'journey' to discovering the joy of making live music.
Away from music, Martin is a fluent French speaker and loves 'escaping' to France on holiday. He is a keen walker and will often be found hiking around the Yorkshire Wolds where he now lives with his wife (a cello teacher), 2 huge cats and 2 crazy dogs!
Bryan Husband
Bryan studied at the Royal College of Music, London, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. Bryan spent some years living abroad, performing in continental opera houses and concert venues; he and his partner now have homes in Hertfordshire and Malvern.
For 18 years Bryan was a Vocal Lecturer at Trinity Laban Conservatoire on the Musical Theatre BA programme, now runs a private practice, gives workshops (‘belting’ to audition techniques), performs, is a Music Examiner for one of the top music examining boards, adjudicates, and works as a ski instructor! Performances include tv and radio broadcasts, opera, oratorio and recital.
In 2005, Bryan was selected to become an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals, and adjudication has since taken him to many Festivals around the UK and Ireland, also to Hong Kong, Gibraltar and Trinidad & Tobago. In 2012, Bryan was invited to become a music examiner, since when he has travelled extensively at home and abroad to hear instrumentalists and vocalists in classical, Musical Theatre and Rock & Pop, from beginners to Fellowship diplomas.
In his spare time, Bryan spends time with his grandchildren (and their parents, of course!), attends a lot of diverse theatre, and enjoys gardening, skiing and walking.
Rosie Whitfield
As an experienced adjudicator member of The British and International Federation of Festivals, Rosanna is regularly called upon to adjudicate in the UK and abroad and has forged long-standing links with specialist music schools in Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Her positive, interactive adjudicating style inducing young musicians to participate, year on year.
Rosanna’s vast experience as a performer, teacher and presenter, teamed with an innate love of music, underpins her unstoppable drive as a dedicated campaigner for music in education. Her natural ability to both captivate audiences and inspire young musicians to achieve their dreams stems from an unquestionable belief that music can change lives.
As Director of Music at Whitgift School, Rosanna has devised educational projects for all levels of musician from beginner to advanced, and regularly presents interactive concerts and masterclasses to thousands of primary school pupils. A keen conductor and composer, she directed the world première of her work, ‘The Gift’, at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls in November 2012, involving over 300 performers.
Instrumental in developing the Whitgift International Music Competition in 2013, Rosanna continues to promote the outstanding benefits of the many musical projects offered by the school and supported by the Whitgift Foundation.
Rosanna was appointed as Head of Junior Guildhall Conservatoire from January 2020..
Gaynor Keeble
Mezzo Soprano, Gaynor won scholarships to the University of Warwick and Royal Academy of Music. She combines a busy performing career with teaching both privately and at the University of Warwick; recent operatic engagements having included Rome and the USA.
A member of Welsh National Opera for three years, she has worked for the Royal Opera, Opera North, D’Oyly Carte Mid-Wales and English Touring Opera. Concerts have included the London Mozart Players, London Bach Orchestra, CBSO Royal Philharmonic and The Philharmonia. In 2001 she won the London Lieder Prize.
In 2009 she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Gaynor is an adjudicator member of The British and International Federation of Festivals and is very happy to adjudicate at online/ virtual festivals.
