A professional piano-MD, répétiteur and animateur, Heather works mainly in the field of vocal music, with repertoire encompassing opera, musical theatre, early music, jazz and big band, classical, folk and contemporary. She has established a busy career as an audition and rehearsal pianist, choral accompanist and musical director for contemporary musical theatre.
UK workplaces include Voicelab at the Southbank Centre, the National Opera Studio, London conservatoires and West End shows, vocal coaching for UK theatre productions and also Dartington International Summer School. Heather is a member of the Musical Awareness teaching staff for the Guildhall School of Music & Drama Junior Department (where she also directs the Baroque Ensemble), Theory & Aural tutor for St. Paul’s School, and teaches keyboard skills and musicianship to singers at NOS. Off duty she is a very dedicated Irish dancer and has trained at the Delaney Academy of Irish Dance since 2002.
For Making Music London Heather works a few hours per month on a freelance basis. She deals mainly with: developing the VocalEase programme; helping to set up community/wellbeing music groups; maintaining the MM London website; and continues to be the first port of call for London’s voluntary musicians. As well as the more common themes of marketing, recruitment and fundraising, Heather can help with artistic and programming issues, especially where professional musicians are involved, and gives bespoke advice on draft funding applications from MM member groups.
Previous MM London projects (as London Development Officer) include: music & health / wellbeing ventures including the VocalEase programme, Notting Hill Housing Trust, Elizabeth Court sheltered housing (which received Lottery funding); an education project with Kingston Music & Arts Service and Chessington Community College (which received Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames funding); partnerships with the Southbank Centre and English National Opera; and Training and Makeover Grants competitive award schemes.
