MEET THE TEAM
Musical Director
AIDAN SMITH
Aidan has taught singing and music to all levels for 20 years. He specialises in Bel Canto and Classical vocal technique. Many of his students have gone on to successful professional careers in singing in a variety of styles.
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After training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio, Aidan went on to become an Associate Artist of Welsh National Opera. Since then he has enjoyed a very successful operatic career in the UK and internationally.
Aidan has recently performed with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera and Scottish Opera. Internationally he has performed for Bregenz Festspiel, Saltzberg Festival and L’Ambronay Ancient Opera Festival.
Aidan currently teaches privately and is head of singing for London Studio Centre Associates programme. He has performed workshops for English National Opera and given masterclasses as far afield as the UAE.
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Aidan is inspirational, self-motivated and reliable. He is committed to developing musical skills, helping students to become independent and striving musicians.
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Watch a video of Aidan performing Bottoms Dream from A Midsummer's Night Dream here.
Professional Singer and Teacher
HANNAH DAVEY
Hannah’s classical performances take her across the UK and Europe performing song recitals, oratorio and orchestral concerts at venues including Wigmore Hall, Royal Shakespeare Company, St John’s Smith Square and many of the beautiful concert venues in Gloucestershire. Recordings include Mozart Requiem with Orchestra of St John’s and William Hayes ‘The fall of Jericho’ with the Corelli Ensemble.
Complementing her classical singing, Hannah is the vocalist with the Derek Paravicini Quartet, a vibrant jazz group performing a number of times live on BBC Radio 3. Hannah also guests with small ensembles and pianists at jazz clubs around the UK.
Hannah is passionate about teaching with particular focus on building a healthy vocal technique and encouraging confidence and a joy of singing. She teaches all styles of music from classical to jazz, musical theatre to pop. She is experienced in working towards grade exams or happy to focus on other goals. Hannah currently teaches at Pates Grammar School and privately.
Hannah studied with Christine Cairns at Birmingham Conservatoire where she gained a first class honours degree and won various prizes.
Hannah lives in Cheltenham with her husband and two young children.
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Administrator
LESLEY BAYSTON
Lesley spent all her working career in the financial services industry running large IT projects until she retired in 2017. Lesley joined the team in January 2020 and is reponsible for looking after the diary for the teaching staff, general administration and managing the business accounts.
Lesley has a degree in Economics from Manchester University. She is currently learning the piano and has achieved her ABRSM Grade 3 so far and she also has a distinction in ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory.
Principal Teacher
LUC BAILEY
As a musician, Luc has been grateful to work with many groups, schools, colleges and productions as a Musical Director and Pianist. He has been studying classical and jazz piano since a young age and has achieved his Licentiate Diploma in classical piano performance. He founded and conducted his own Cheltenham-based Gospel choir in 2015 and now conducts the Gloucestershire Police Male Voice Choir.
He has worked on in-house professional productions at the Everyman Theatre as Musical Director and composed the music for a new production of Jamela Gavin’s ‘Coram Boy’ which was performed at Gloucester Cathedral.
Luc performs regularly at Highgrove House in Tetbury during the summer months and for their special events.
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Luc has been immersed in the performing arts world since a young age having started out with the National Youth Music Theatre and having studied Musical Theatre and Dance at college. Luc went on to train with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and completed his qualifications in Modern Theatre and Tap Dance. He was awarded a scholarship to train further with Tap Attack and continued his studies of Rhythm Tap dancing at festivals all around the world.
Luc performs locally with a jazz trio called ‘Hands and Feet’, featuring tap dancing, saxophone and guitar. He most recently appeared as the tap dancer with the JP All Star big band for Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert.
Luc has a variety of choreographic experience; from amateur dramatic shows with societies across the county, to various summer school projects and professional productions at the Everyman Theatre.
Choir Leader & Conductor
GREG ABRAHAMS
Australian born organist Greg came to the United Kingdom some thirty years ago on holiday and just forgot to return. He has been a regular recitalist in the Cathedrals in the West of England having performed in Bristol, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bradford, Coventry, Truro, Gloucester and Hereford Cathedrals. He has also performed in Notre Dame in Paris, twice in Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Washington National Cathedral, Trinity Church in Boston MA, St Thomas' Fifth Avenue New York, Australia and completed three tours of Slovakia.
Greg has accompanied services in Cathedrals with the visiting choir the Cramner Company of Singers as well as training and directing his own Parish Church Choir to accompany services when a Cathedral Choir is unavailable.
As well as completing postgraduate studies with the Birmingham Conservatoire and holding professional music qualifications, Greg has a Computer Engineering Degree with his last proper lecturing in Computer Studies at a University.