MK Festival of the Arts
2027 Adjudicators
Rebecca Thompson
BA (Hons), LLAM (Hons)
On graduating from Bristol University with a degree in Drama and English, Rebecca worked for BBC Radio Four’s Drama Department. After further journalism and corporate work, Rebecca studied for her Licentiate Teacher’s Diploma and has been teaching Speech and Drama privately and in schools for over 25 years. Additionally, a voice and presentation skills coach in the region, she teaches in private and state schools, colleges and businesses and is a facilitator for Speaking and Listening Courses in the South Gloucestershire region; in addition, she facilitates communication training in schools across the country. Rebecca has been actively involved in theatre in the Southwest and is an Adjudicator for the Rose Bowl Awards for Amateur Drama and Music; she also continues to direct plays with young people. Rebecca is passionate about developing communication skills amongst people of all ages and abilities; she sees the festival movement as an excellent way of achieving this goal. Rebecca has adapted her teaching methods during recent months and is very happy to adjudicate in person or online.
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
Anthony Williams
MMus, GRSM (Hons), Dip Ram, LRAM
Concert pianist, writer, lecturer, examiner and adjudicator, Anthony Williams studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London and then at Reading University. Following international competition success, he embarked on a career as a concert pianist and alongside this quickly established an international reputation as a piano teacher and a passionate educator of pianistic musicianship at all ages and levels, giving piano masterclasses, public lecture-recitals and seminars on performance and the art of teaching both in the UK and abroad, including China and Hong Kong. He also coaches on International Summer Schools and Residential Courses. Anthony has given talks on piano performance for Radio 3 and is author and editor of various publications including The Best of Grade and Fingerprints (Faber), Teaching Notes (ABRSM), EPTA Piano Journal, and the highly acclaimed Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide (Faber). He is an ABRSM examiner (diploma, jazz and classical), educational consultant, and a member of the examiner training and review team. He is also a member of BIFF, Chair of EPTA Europe and President of Chipping Norton Music Festival. He was Head of Keyboard and Instrumental at Radley College, Oxfordshire for 34 years until retiring last summer to focus on his freelance and consultancy work.
Richard Deering
FTCL,GTCL,LRAM,ARCM,PGCA
Richard has been an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals for over 40 years, adjudicating at an average of 10 festivals a year, including many overseas festivals, as a piano or brass specialist and generalist. Although no longer active as a performing brass player, he has given piano performances – as soloist and accompanist – in over 90 countries and has held teaching positions in establishments such as London College of Music, Trinity College of Music, Middlesex University, Cambridge University, Auckland University and New York State University. Composers of the calibre of Malcolm Arnold, Malcolm Williamson, Edward Gregson, Edward McGuire, Thomas Wilson, Bernard Stevens, Brian Chapple and Charles Camilleri have written piano works especially for him, and for several years Richard had a close performing relationship with Elisabeth Lutyens. In 2023 he recorded the entire piano works of Hubert Parry and William Wordsworth, as two separate projects, and these are now available on the Heritage label and standard streaming services, while his recording of Lutyens piano music, recorded on her 70th birthday, is due for re-issue. During the summer of 2026 Richard has recorded the solo piano works of Alan Ridout, including a Sonata written days before the composer's passing, with Richard the sole owner of the manuscript, also for Heritage. Richard was also an Adviser to the London Arts Board on contemporary music and jazz. He has also made several other commercial recordings in both UK and Japan and, for many years, he was a resident pianist on cruise liners offering programmes of lighter music and conversation. A series of books of graded piano music by British Composers, edited by Richard, is published by Music Sales under the titles of "Composer Series" as well as two volumes of graded British piano music written during the 20th Century entitled, "A Century of Piano Music". His Federation work included serving on the Central Board of Trustees, Vice-Chair of the Adjudicator’s Council and with the administration of the PGCA qualification. He was also one of the presenters at both the Warwick and Leeds BIFF celebratory events in 1996 and 2000 respectively.Currently he is the Chair of Trustees of Croydon Performing Arts Festival and was honoured by being elected as a BIFF Fellow in 2012. Richard is also a high-ranking international cricket umpire, a Life Member of Essex County Cricket Club and a season ticket holder at Sutton United Football Club, where he is also the Stadium Announcer.
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.
Nadia Hinson
GRSM(Hons),LRAM,LTCL
Nadia graduated from the Royal Academy of Music after having studied the violin with Manoug Parikian and the piano with Jean Harvey. She was awarded first prize for Aural studies and her quartet won the string chamber prize in her final year. Nadia was the featured soloist playing the Lark Ascending and Bach double violin concerto for the Benslow Trust at St. James’ Piccadilly having been awarded an instrument to continue her studies. Other concertos in her repertoire include performances of the Mendelssohn, Mozart no.3 and 4, Haydn in C, De Beriot, Viotti, and works by Beethoven and Finzi. She began her career as a freelance violinist playing in many London based orchestras. As an accompanist to singers and instrumentalists, she met her musician husband Nigel and together they founded the Veloce Ensemble (string quartet and clarinet quintet) touring throughout Britain performing specially commissioned works for that genre. Appearances at festivals and stately homes inspired a regular concert series at Belvoir Castle and Holmepierrepont Hall. As a recitalist throughout the East Midlands, Nadia has been highlighted in festivals and BBC features locally. She is also currently the owner and director of the Hinson School of Music in Nottingham, and is an International examiner for the ABRSM, an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals, and a member of the Royal Society of Musicians. Nadia has recently stepped down as a senior consultant for the LEAD Academy trust, involved in developing music departments in schools in Nottinghamshire, and leading workshops to encourage and involve as many youngsters as possible in experiencing music and the arts in large scale productions and showcase concerts. She has set up composition workshops to inspire children to explore feelings and ideas through music and is a mentor for the Trust to develop self-confidence and communication through learning and performance. Nadia was awarded an honorary degree ARAM from her Alma mater The Royal Academy of Music in 2025 for services to musical education. Nadia has also recently been appointed to the ABRSM jazz examining panel. Also trained for online adjudication and online examining.
Belinda Mikhail
BMus (Hons), PgDipRCM, ARCM,EMT
Belinda Mikhaïl was awarded the Associated Board and the Queen Mother Scholarships to study piano and singing as a joint first study at the Royal College of Music where she won the Hopkinson Gold Medal for her final recital. She has travelled extensively performing both as a soloist and as a chamber musician and has appeared as a concerto soloist at the major London Concert Halls. She has made numerous recordings for Sony BMG and Universal and is a vocal soloist on EMI's Vocalise album as used in trailers for ER, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy. She appears as the featured soloist on many film soundtracks and her solo piano playing of the theme from Chariots of Fire was heard at every medal ceremony at the London Olympic Games. Belinda is also in demand as a vocal coach for classical, musical theatre, pop and rock singers and runs an extensive private teaching practice. She has trained performers as diverse as Siouxsie Sioux, Jennifer Ellison, Jack Garrett, Cathy Tyson, the Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche, as well as the world-renowned dancer Akram Khan. Her students are enjoying major roles in theatre companies up and down the country as well as West End Shows such as Anything Goes, Chicago, Dreamgirls, Haddestown, Dirty Dancing, Book of Mormon and High School Musical, and the hit TV series’, Bridgerton, Downton Abbey and Broadchurch. Belinda’s work as an adjudicator has seen her travel extensively; she was invited to Trinidad and Tobago where she adjudicated their month-long biennial Music Festival and future trips will see her travel to both Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. She thoroughly enjoys listening to a wide variety of music and meeting a wealth of musicians as she travels in her role as an adjudicator.
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.
Jane Wilkinson
BMus (Hons) (RSAMD), GradDipRCM
Jane trained as a soprano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and then at the Royal College of Music where she won many competitions and awards. She performs solo art song recitals across the country and has toured South Africa, Europe and America. Jane teaches singing at Laine Theatre Arts and is a singing tutor at Imperial College, London. She is a former singing teacher at St Cecilia’s School, Wandsworth, Brunel Universities, Chelsea Academy and Flora Gardens School, Hammersmith. Jane is a former member of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and now conducts New Malden Voices and New Malden Youth Choir. Jane has premiered many contemporary operas and frequently works alongside composers on new works for the stage and for recordings. She has performed oratorios and concerts at Edinburgh Festival, Royal Albert Hall and many other distinguished venues. Jane leads vocal masterclasses and workshops internationally and often runs ‘audition technique’ days for aspiring singers. Jane has taught singers of all ages and standards and has a great passion for educating. Her voice has featured on a wide variety of albums and recordings from children’s repertoire to contemporary folk rock. Jane has been adjudicating for the British and International Federation of Festivals since 2012.
