MK Festival of the Arts
2026 Adjudicators
Rebecca Vines
MA,FVCM,LLAM,LALAM,GSMD,ATCL,ANEA
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. 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.
Jenny Thornton
AGSM(Teaching),ALAM(Acting, Public Speaking), CertEd, CDE, LISTD(Dance)
Jenny trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama gaining awards for Character Acting and for Most Promising Teacher. Jenny has led the performing arts teams in large comprehensives, been an Assistant Principal for Edexcel and a LAMDA examiner. She enjoyed running her own Performance Centre with ages from 4 years to adults delivering drama, dance and musical theatre and writing. Her play called “Gone” gained a Commended when performed at The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond as did her most recent play “Young Love”. Her most recent teaching experience is working in a state school as a peripatetic teacher as part of her ‘Outreach’ programme. She was delighted when LAMDA chose 2 of her pieces for their acting anthology. Jenny is looking forward to visiting Milton Keynes Festival and making to a very enjoyable and positive experience for all concerned. “Drama is a life skill that changed me from a stuttering introvert to a confident individual. We can give our children no better opportunity.” Jenny Thornton
Jena Chun-Wah Pang
MA(Oxon), PGDL
Based in the United Kingdom, Jena Chun-Wah Pang is celebrated for his exceptional teaching and judging in international music competitions. His students, hailing from diverse global cities, have consistently garnered top honours and multiple first prizes in prestigious international competitions, demonstrating his impactful pedagogical approach and showcasing their talents in both piano and violin. Recognised for his pedagogical skills, he has lectured on competition preparation and given piano and violin masterclasses for the Alberta Piano Teachers Association, the Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association in Canada, IMPACT Piano Competition New York, Clavis International Music Competition Bavaria Germany, Amigdala International Music Competition Italy, Windsor International Piano Competition, Maidenhead Music Festival in the UK and for the Singapore Music Teachers Association. His musical journey was nurtured through an instrumental scholarship at St Peter’s College, Oxford University, he studied violin with Lydia Mordkovitch and piano with Lora Dimitrova. As a child he appeared on British and Hong Kong television playing both piano and violin, at the Purcell Room South Bank, and with English Orchestras for concertos. Recent concerts have been with Dennis Lee, Chee Hung Toh and Graeme Humphrey. Jena is Piano Convenor and a trustee of the Southend Festival of Performing Arts, trustee of the Freda Parry Scholarship Fund Competition, on the juries of several international piano and strings competitions and adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech.
Graham Fitch
MMus(Perf),GRSM(Hons),ARCM
Graham Fitch maintains an international reputation as a pianist, teacher, workshop leader and writer. Graham is a regular writer for Pianist Magazine, and has many video demonstrations on the magazine’s YouTube channel. Graham runs a busy private practice in London, and counts among his long- term students Daniel Grimwood, James Baillieu, and Gemma Webster - with many others active in the profession. In addition to teaching talented youngsters and working with professional pianists and piano teachers, Graham is very interested in helping amateur pianists develop their playing. Graham is a guest tutor on The Piano Teachers’ Course UK and is also a tutor at the Summer School for Pianists at Stowe, and gives sell-out courses at Finchcocks throughout the year, as well as courses in Blonay, Switzerland, twice a year. Graham has published an ebook series based on his popular blog, www.practisingthepiano.com, and curates a considerable library of written and video content by himself and other contributors on his website, the Online Academy. He is presently co-authoring two chapters for the upcoming Oxford Handbook of Piano Pedagogy. Website: www.grahamfitch.com Blog: www.practisingthepiano.com
Timothy Barratt
ARAM,GRSM,LRAM,ARCM,LMusTCL
Timothy Barratt studied Piano and Viola on a Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, winning many major awards, and completed his studies with Vlado Perlemuter in Paris and Geoffrey Parsons. A performing career throughout the UK and abroad career as soloist, accompanist and chamber music player has spanned more than 30 years, with a particular focus on voice and piano partnership. Teaching forms a major part of his musical life and he enjoys working with pupils of all ages and levels from beginner to post-graduate. He was Head of Keyboard at Dulwich College for many years whilst also teaching at the RAM and TCM and now pursues a busy freelance practice. Formerly a member of the examining, training and review panel for the ABRSM, he now acts as a Syllabus Consultant. He regularly directs Masterclasses and Residential Courses for performers and teachers and is in demand as a Competition and Festival adjudicator.
Gill Johnston
AGSM
Gillian studied the bassoon with Archie Camden at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and, after a period of freelance playing, concentrated on a teaching career, before moving to Harpenden where she established her own Music School, ‘Harpenden Musicale’. As well as running the Music School, Gill arranges Musicale Holidays, Competitions and a Summer Music Festival. She is the founder and Musical Director of the National Children’s Wind Orchestra and associated groups. Gill is an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals and very much enjoys contact with young musicians, inspiring and enthusing their interest in music
Liz Childs
GRSM(Hons), LRAM, ARAM
Liz studied flute with Gareth Morris and piano with Graeme Humphrey at the RAM and has performed all over the world. Her varied career includes performing with Quintessimo, adjudicating at both home and abroad and was visiting Flute Teacher for the University of East Anglia when it had a full-time music department. Liz is very comfortable adjudicating virtually/online and has already undertaken some of these classes and really enjoyed them. Liz is founder and Musical Director of the Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy (www.bedfordshirewoodwind.co.uk) which includes the Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy Flute Ensemble which is thriving having undertaken 3 European concert tours with a more extensive one proposed for 2021. Liz is Flute/Piano/ Ensemble teacher at Beechwood Park School in Markyate, Hertfordshire, a role that she thoroughly enjoys on many levels. Liz is passionate about her work as an Adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals, regarding it a real privilege to be able to encourage and inspire performers. She believes that a positive experience at a Federation Festival can change a performer’s life forever. It did hers!
Sarah Jefferies
LRAM,ARCM
Sarah Jefferies is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where she won many prizes and won a scholarship to study on the Opera Course. She has sung all over Europe and recorded with the LPO and the Orchestra of the Opera de Lyon, as well as giving well-received recitals. Sarah is a visiting teacher to Marlborough College and enjoys helping singers of all standards to find their real voice through workshops and master classes. She has been an adjudicator for the British Federation of Music Festivals for twelve years which has taken her all over the country, as well as Bahrain and the Channel Islands.
Nicola-Jane Kemp
MA(Cantab),MMus(Opera),RSAMD
Nicola-Jane started professional life singing for The Sixteen and The BBC singers, before becoming a principal coloratura soprano. Opera work has included Music Theatre Wales, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and BBC Radio 2. Concert work has taken her to the South Bank, Barbican, St John’s Smith Square in London and to the Middle East. She has taught several generations of singers at Clare College, Cambridge and her pupils of all voices have advanced to post-graduate study at all the major UK conservatoires. Many are regularly to be heard at Glyndebourne Festival, Royal Opera House, BBC Singers, the Dutch National Opera and in German opera houses. She is an ABRSM Grade/Diploma examiner, has taught for The London Youth Choir, National Youth Choir and Rodolfus Choral Courses and taught at St Paul’s Girls’ School, London – designated a centre of excellence for Music Theatre by the London College of Music Exams. Whilst there, she and Heidi Pegler co-edited the award-winning series ‘The Language of Song’ (Faber Music), a resource for learning to sing in foreign languages. She is a member of the ISM and served on the council of the Association of Teachers of Singing from 2008-2025 (Chair 2020-2022). She became Head of Singing at Eton College in 2015.
