At Borlase, we are proud to have an excellent team of highly qualified, experienced and engaging music teachers. In recruiting our teachers, we insist that not only should they be expert teachers, but that they are actively working as players. We think this is an important ingredient in ensuring that our students become accomplished performers as well as players, and this is borne out by the excellent contribution the students make to our school concerts and productions. Some of our peripatetic music staff also undertake wider roles within the department, including running extracurricular ensembles. For further information about their qualifications and expertise, please read their individual biographies below.

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Mrs M Atabek 

Violin, Viola, Piano

Minor is passionate about teaching violin and piano and is also an accomplished performer with experience of playing in professional orchestras and quartets. She is from Istanbul where she taught and worked in Istanbul University State Conservatoire, undertook her MA in Violin Performance in Istanbul Technical University MIAM and played in various professional orchestras. She has been living in the UK since 2008, working for Berkshire Maestros for many years and currently works in schools in the Berkshire and Buckinghamshire areas. Minor specialises in teaching young learners, ABRSM, Trinity and performance preparation and also teaches pupils from all age and levels. She loves charity work and runs free online music and instrument classes for primary school-aged children who need music education in Turkey. 

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Mrs S Cossins

Woodwind, ‘Cello, Piano

Sue studied Clarinet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and plays Clarinet and Cello for numerous societies in the area. She is principal Clarinet of the Slough Philharmonic orchestra.

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Miss L Cucic

Piano; School accompanist

Lara is a French pianist based in London whose work centres on solo and collaborative performance. She studied Classical Piano Performance at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she completed both a Bachelor of Music (Hons) and a Master of Performance. She performs regularly across the UK and Europe as both a soloist and chamber musician and has a particular interest in interdisciplinary projects that combine piano with spoken word and visual arts, as well as in creating new and more accessible concert settings for modern audiences.

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Mr S Davie

Brass, Piano; Director: Borlase Jazz Bands, Youth Orchestra & Brass Ensemble

Having been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Simon went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Goldsmith’s College, University of London. His teaching career has seen him hold the position of Director of Music at a number of secondary schools. In recent years Simon has stepped out of the classroom and is now focused on instrumental teaching and conducting in a number of schools in the High Wycombe and Marlow area, including the Chiltern Music Academy.

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Mr H Robson

Organ; School Organist; Teacher of English

Organ Scholar at Pembroke College, Oxford (1984 - '87), Hugh has over forty years' experience of performing as a soloist and accompanist on piano, organ and harpsichord. He has taught both organ and harpsichord on and off for over thirty years.  He is currently Chapel Organist at Borlase and occasionally composes and performs his own compositions. Hugh has an Associateship of the Royal College of Music (ARCM) and Fellowships of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO) and the Royal Schools of Music (FRSM) (harpsichord performance).  

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Mrs G Ross

Voice; Director, Cambiata Boys’ Choir

Gilly has worked extensively as a professional soprano with various conductors in London for many years. As an educator she has given master classes, helped form and train choirs and been thrilled to be involved in training young people, helping them to realise their dreams, teaching at Borlase for 20 years and others in the area. Gilly is married to harpsichordist and organist Alastair Ross; together they formed and recorded with their own group, Concerto Delle Donne, and ran a children’s choir for 8 years in which their four boys, now all musicians, sang.

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Mr D Shannon

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar

Dave has been teaching electric, acoustic and classical styles of Guitar for over 10 years, ranging from complete beginner all the way through to degree level. When he is not teaching he also enjoys working as a composer and session guitarist, as well as performing with a couple of the UK's leading function bands and accompanying original creative artists. 

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Mr T Stafford-Allen

Toby Stafford-Allen is a professional opera singer, performer and Musical Director and teaches singing at the highest level; he is classically trained in Bel Canto but uses Estill figures and CVT approaches to complement his teaching. He is in great demand as a vocal coach and conducts master classes at the University of Northumbria and is an associate member of Co-opera company, where he specialises in operatic and musical theatre performance interpretation. He has been on the staff at Tonbridge school for 15 years and is currently Head of Singing at Beaconsfield High School. He passionately teaches all aspects of classical singing technique, all styles and abilities ranging from pop to musical theatre to classical, lieder, English and French Art song and opera. He is also Musical Director and co founder of Triple Threat Performing Arts Academy which specialises in the field of musical theatre training.

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Mrs M Vanryne

Violin, Viola

Marilyn studied at Amersham Music Centre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and The Royal Academy of Music. Leader of the Slough Philharmonic Orchestra for the past 30 years, she also plays in the St John's Chamber Orchestra and has been leader of the Misbourne Orchestra and Crendon Chamber Orchestra. In the past Marilyn has coached the upper strings for Buckinghamshire County Youth Orchestra and conducted Elementary Strings and Youth Strings at Amersham Music Centre. She often leads for local Choral and Operatic Societies and currently teaches at 3 local Grammar schools.

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Mr M Vincent

Percussion

Born in Reading, United Kingdom, Mark started drumming at the age of 4 then took up private lessons through the Berkshire Music service from 7 years old. At the same time as also taking piano and recorder lessons, drumming quickly turned into a deep rooted passion for Mark. Mark is best notably known for drumming with The Arusha Accord. With multiple releases on Basick Records, the band has toured extensively throughout the UK and across Europe, having gained fans worldwide with their virtuosic and extremely technical sound. Mark was able to stretch his potential even further by graduating in 2015 with a 2:1 BA (Hons) in Music from Oxford Brookes University, where his gift to move between genres fluently with different projects and musicians was strengthened and used to its best ability. Among these were the musical theatre productions of RENT, Spring Awakening, Footloose and Rock of Ages. Mark’s ethos for teaching stems from creating a solid framework to firstly build strict technique, a musical ear and a strong inner sense of pulse. Lessons are tailored to each pupil’s needs and aspirations. For those wishing to study drum kit grades, all exam boards are welcomed, including Rockschool, Trinity Rock & Pop, and Trinity College. 

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Mrs E Walker

Woodwind

BMus Hons PGCE LLCM (P) ALCM (TD) – Flute and saxophone. Emma is a graduate of The London College of Music where she studied flute, piccolo and saxophone. She enjoys playing all styles of music and has performed in venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall and St John Smith Square in London. Emma is a respected woodwind teacher in Buckinghamshire working for Buckinghamshire Music Trust and coaching players for the County Youth Orchestra. She has previously worked at The London College of Music Junior College and as a classroom music teacher at a secondary school in West London.

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Mr M Willis

Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar

Matt studied Music Performance and Recording at The London College of Music where specialised in Guitar, graduating with first class honours. Since leaving university he has found work as a professional guitarist; playing in a variety of ensembles across many genres including performing in London residencies, UK touring shows and theatre productions.