MEET OUR World Music Conference Patrons

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Dr Shashank Vikram, Consul General of India, Birmingham is Diplomat from the 2004 Batch of Indian Foreign Service(IFS). Dr Vikram is a medical graduate. Before assuming the charge of CG, Birmingham, he has served in various capacities in Government of India, in Indian embassies abroad and in the State Government of Uttar Pradesh. He has worked in Embassy of India, Lisbon, Embassy of India, Brasilia and also as Consul General of India, Durban, South Africa. In Ministry of External Affairs he has served in PAI and OIA Divisions. In Uttar Pradesh, Dr Vikram has served as Special Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) & Additional Mission Director for National Urban Health Mission and as Special Secretary(Tourism) & Managing Director, UP State Tourism Development Corporation (UPSTDC). Dr Vikram is the Chief Patron of the World Music Conference, with the aim of promoting Music and Mental Health.

Amish is a diplomat, author and columnist. He has taken over as the Director of The Nehru Centre in London in October 2019. Amish has been listed among the 50 most powerful Indians by India Today magazine in 2019. Forbes India has regularly ranked Amish among the top 100 most influential celebrities in India. Amish was also selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, a prestigious American programme for outstanding leaders from around the world, in 2014. Amish published his first book in 2010, and has written 8 books till date. His books have sold 5.5 million copies, and have been translated into 10 Indian and 9 international languages. Amish is an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta. He worked for 14 years in the financial services industry before turning to writing.

Andy Street was re- elected as the Mayor of the West Midlands in May 2021.. The primary function of the role is t chair the West Midlands Combined Authority and brings with it significant powers over transport, housing, skills and jobs. Before becoming Mayor, Andy combined a career with John Lewis, Britain’s most successful workers’ co-operative, with a host of high-profile economic development roles, working with local and national government. Starting on the John Lewis graduate scheme,  He was the Chair of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership between 2011 and 2016, helping to build the relationships that have underpinned the economic growth of the region. Additionally, he has been lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group. Outside of work, Andy is passionate about the arts, particularly in the West Midlands. In June 2015, Andy was awarded the CBE for services to the national economy. 

Dr Paul Sabapathy CVO CBE.

He was awarded the OBE for services to urban regeneration in 1995. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE for services to business and education in the West Midlands. He was awarded the prestigious Lunar Society Medal for his outstanding contribution to public life. He has received Honorary Doctorates from Aston University, Birmingham City University and University of Birmingham. Paul was appointed as the first non-white Lord- Lieutenant in 2007 and held this post until September 2015. In October 2017 in recognition of his outstanding services as Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands Her Majesty the Queen bestowed her personal recognition by conferring on him the prestigious and rare Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He is the Patron of the British Carnatic Choir and ShruthiUK, a South Asian organisation based in Birmingham.

Julian is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise) at Birmingham City University (BCU). He is a Professor at BCU, an Emeritus Professor at Plymouth University, Visiting Professor at BML Munjal University, and a Visiting Professor at LP University in India. Julian was recently appointed to the Governments Strategic Trade Advisory Group (STAG 20/22) as the UKs academic member informing HM Governments Trade strategy and policies. He is a member of the West Midlands REDI Advisory Board, Innovation Board member and West Midlands India Partnership Board member and an Advisory Board Member of Amity University – India. Julian works closely with government departments and agencies and has represented both the Midlands and the UK on international partnership and trade missions

Dr Nasir Awan MBE DL is Chief Executive Officer, Awan Marketing Plc; Director of Awan Marketing International Limited; and Director of Awan Property Investments Limited. He is a Director of The Greater Birmingham Chamber Of Commerce group, Chair of Asian Business Chamber Of Commerce and Chair of Trustees Inspire Education Academy at Yew Tree School, Aston. He is also a Director of the National Asian Business Association.

Julian Lloyd Webber enjoys one of the most creative careers in music today. As a solo cellist he has performed with many of the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors.

Julian has also inspired more than fifty new works for cello from composers as varied As a solo cellist he has performed with many of the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and every leading symphony and chamber orchestra in the UK. He has also collaborated with a wide range of legendary musicians.

Prof. Raja is a passionate educator, entrepreneur, researcher, and mentor with 15+ years of experience. He is one of the judges in QS Reimagine Awards 2020 (the Oscars of Education) and was a shortlist judges in QS Reimagine Awards - 2018. He co-founded multiple UK businesses and has mentored many successful start-ups in the past. He was also the part of the Trade missions led by ex-British Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Theresa May and Sir Malcolm Grant, Chairman of NHS. He is currently working as Professor & Director - Research & Consultancy, GITAM University, India, where his main responsibility is to build sustainable research and innovation ecosystem. 

Ramya Palacholla is a Primary Care Physician and a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School. She is the co-author of one of the first books to be written for clinicians on novel treatment methods for the management of Military Sexual Trauma in war veterans. She was also honored with the "Woman of the Year" award in 2019 by the INE News for her contributions to health care innovation in the U.S and was featured as one of the “Women to Watch in Health IT” by Beckers Hospital Review.

Prof JS Bamrah CBE is a Senior Psychiatrist in the NHS and Chairman of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. He is a great advocate for music as a medium for maintaining sound mental health and the therapeutic power of good music. As stress and depression are now more prevalent in our younger generation he believes that we should promote this principle fir all children and adolescents. 

Dr Satish Rao is the Deputy Medical Director at Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital.

Professor Paul Cadman, regional business leader and Charity Ambassador, Birmingham City University.Cadman, who spent his early years in Birmingham Market where he says he honed his networking skills and went on to have a successful career in the fire service and then onto senior leadership in international brands and the automotive industry, manufacturing and Skills. He currently has senior trustee and ambassadorial, Patron roles for Acorns Hospice, Employability WASUP ‘World against single use plastic’ and Steps to Work, some of the region’s leading charities. While sitting on a number of company boards and running a range of small ventures in automotive, design and consultancy. Paul has also been a judge & ambassador for some of the regions key events such as the Birmingham Awards & the Midlands Food Drink & Hospitality Awards.

Lamberto Coccioli is originally from Italy, where he studied music composition with Edgar Alandia and then Azio Corghi at Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan. In a career spanning over 30 years Lamberto has lectured and performed all over the world in his different roles as composer, researcher and electronic performer. 

In 2000 Lamberto became Head of Music Technology at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

(RBC) where he directed the €3.1m EU-funded Integra – Fusing Music and Technology project to support and promote composition and performance of music with live electronics 2005-2012), including the development of the Integra Live software. As a spin-off of the project.

Lamberto co-founded with Jamie Bullock Integra Lab, the music interaction design research centre based at RBC. In 2012 he became Professor of Music and Technology and two years later Associate Principal, playing a key role in the development of RBC’s international strategy and the design and construction of the new Conservatoire building with its innovative digital infrastructure. 

Colin Touchin is a British conductor, composer, clarinettist, recorder player, festival

adjudicator and broadcaster. He is Chief Conductor of the Lufthansa Orchestra in Frankfurt.

In Hong Kong he is currently Musical Director of the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir,

Grace Notes a capella female choir and guest conductor of the City Chamber Orchestra of

Hong Kong and Tak-Ming Philharmonic Winds. 

Colin Touchin’s distinguished career includes fifteen years as Director of Music at the University of Warwick, and conductor of award-winning ensembles.

He has conducted the National Youth Wind Orchestras of Great Britain, Wales, Luxembourg

and Hong Kong, and has founded several ensembles in the UK, notably the Spires

Philharmonic Orchestra, Chorus and Youth Orchestra in Coventry and the National Youth

Recorder Orchestras.

Colin Touchin is very active in music education, having conducted and led workshops for students and teachers in 20 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, China and several European countries. 

Dr. Pallavi Vedantam is a passionate immunologist with a deep rooted interest in music, culinary sciences and theology. She is a senior scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

Vidushi Kala Ramnath with her ‘Singing Violin’ stands among the world’s finest, most inspirational instrumentalists. Her playing has been featured on the Grammy- nominated Miles from India project, compositions of hers have appeared on the

Grammy-winning album In 27 Pieces and the Kronos Quartet’s 50 For The Future. The UK-based Songlines magazine hailed Kala Ramnath as one of the 50 world’s best instrumentalists and selected album Kala as one of its 50 best recordings. She was the first Indian violinist ever to be featured in the violin Bible, The Strad. She was the

subject of a solo essay in the third edition to The Encyclopedia- Rough Guide to World Music. Her contributions feature in Hollywood soundtracks like the Oscar-nominated 'Blood Diamond' and many more.

Prakash Sontakke is one of the leading names in the field of Hindustani Classical and Fusion music on the Hawaiian Slide Guitar.

He is a Grammy  Award Winning  composer  & internationally renowned lap steel guitarist. Has performed and collaborated with musicians all over the world, over 23 years.

Shashank  Subramanyam is widely acknowledged as a legend of the Flute, is a Grammy-nominated renowned exponent of the Bamboo Flute from India and specializes in Indian Classical Music.

He is hailed as a child prodigy and began performing from his age of 6 in 1984 and has performed for over three decades.

He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi's senior award by Govt. of India bestowed by the Hon. President of India for the year 2017 .

The Lord Mayor is a Science Graduate from the Punjab University. He came to England in 1969 and settled in Birmingham with his wife Tazeem.He was very much interested in community work and joined the Labour Party in 1970 and became very active politically in his community. A passionate believer in education, the Councillor was the Chair of the Governing Body of Anglesey Primary School for over 30 years. He was also the Director of Birmingham Settlement a major Birmingham charity offering a wide range of services to Birmingham’s residents to help people gain the skills and confidence they need to overcome life’s challenges and bring about positive change

He has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for public services by former Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, David Miliband in recognition of everything he has done for the City.

He was also awarded the Community Service Award by the Right Reverend Jessie Jackson (American Senator) for his long services to the community in Birmingham.

Cllr Muhammed Afzal is one of the esteemed patrons of the bBitish Carnatic Choir.

Professor Martin is a Visiting Professor for Health, Education and Life Sciences at 

Birmingham City University and an Honorary Consultant for Health Innovations with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. In addition to holding the position as Chief Executive Officer for Medical Devices Technology International Ltd (MDTi), a company that specialises in the commercialisation of NHS medical devices innovation. 

Martin has spent over 18 years as a leading expert in the field of Medical Innovation and Structural Healthcare. 

Prof Levermore has been published widely in several academic and medical 

journals: he holds a Senior Associateship with the Royal Society of Medicine. Martin Chairs Medilink Midlands the 

regions’ largest industry body for MedTech companies,. He is an Executive Committee Member 

of Greater Birmingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce. 

Prof Levermore is a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for Services to West Midlands’ Businesses in 2013 and was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) to Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands in 2018. 

Professor Peter Francis 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) 

Professor of Criminology 

Professor Peter Francis joined Birmingham City University in July 2021. He previously worked at the University of Northumbria, University of Hull and the University of Leicester. His responsibilities as Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) include the academic portfolio, academic partnerships and TNE, home and international student recruitment, student experiences, student support, and student mental health and wellbeing.  He also leads on the University’s response to TEF. 

Professor Francis graduated from Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic, and the University of Hull. With a track record in higher education leadership, Professor Francis’ career spans all aspects of academia, from education to research and knowledge exchange.  Along with experience working as a Senior Advisor to the Home Office, and member of national committees and Boards, this means that he is extremely well placed to lead the academic agenda for a university embedded in its community, which is student centred and known for its business engagement, innovation, and academic excellence. 

As an active researcher, Professor Francis has undertaken consultancy, evaluation and applied research for public, private and third sector bodies. He has supervised PHD study on domestic violence, community policing, the culture of policing, youth justice, crime prevention, 

partnership working, policing victims of racist violence and he has a particular interest in exclusion and intersectionality.  

His published research has focussed on victims and victimisation, criminological research methods,

policing, prisons, drug testing at work, and crime and social divisions. 

He is currently writing a book on Contemporary Criminological Theory for Sage Publications. 

Professor Francis has a keen interest in student employability, and educational / learning analytics, and in student mental health and wellbeing. He has supervised doctoral study into employability and sport, while he has recently published three articles on educational analytics in HEIs, and on the platform society. 

Currently he is leading a major multi-partner and multi-site R&D project on 

mental health analytics using student data to create thriving and striving student cultures. The team he is leading was awarded OfS Mental Health Challenge Competition funding to examine student mental health and wellbeing delivered through advanced 

educational data analytics, relationship management, and effective models of support.  

Having spent the last year developing the model and approach, 

the project team are now working towards its operationalisation in several HEIs, alongside engaging with the wider sector on interoperability and implementation. He is also supervising three PhD students as part of this project. 

Professor Francis’s interests outside of BCU lie in the creative arts and culture, 

vinyl collecting, and live music, travel, and the highlands and islands of Scotland. 

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). United Nations Ambassador. Commander by the Ministry of Culture of Brazil. Full Professor at University Anhembi Morumbi. Artist of the largest piano factory in South America - Fritz Dobbert. Founder of the Samuel Quinto Academy of Music and Acoustic Project. Musical director of Igreja Batista Nações Unidas in SãoPaulo. Specialist in Neuroscience Applied to Education; Psychopathology and Psychosocial Care, DigitalTechnologies for Education; MBA in Educational ManagementDegree in Pedagogy and Music Pedagogy; Master in Public Health; Doctor in Philosophy;  Doctorate candidate - Digital Media Art.

Brahim El Mazned is a member of the EU/UNESCO Bank of Expertise 2019-2022, and an expert on cultural policy and creative industries at the UNESCO for several years. He is also a member of the jury and artistic adviser for numerous cultural events in Morocco and across the world. 

He has been elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals (FWMF). In 2014, Brahim El Mazned launched Visa For Music (VFM), the first festival/professional market dedicated to singers and musicians from Africa and the Middle East. He has taken part in the recording and publishing of a dozen albums as well as in the organisation of hundreds of concerts in prestigious festivals and venues across the five continents. 

Angelo chose to study 

Music and soon after graduated with a degree in piano and composition 

from the State Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome. He then became a 

professional concert pianist touring European Countries.  Angelo has since 

gone on to have a successful musical career where he has performed in 

concert tours all over Europe and in the United States.  Angelo’s passion for using his musical gift to help children has become the mission of his life and his true calling.  After an extensive set of courses in Musical Therapy, culminating in his 

European Certification as a professional Music Therapist, Angelo 

underwent 8+years of clinical teaching experience in order to treat patients  

with special needs through the art of music.

Ben is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, co -Director of the professional choir London Voices, assistant Director of music and Bye- Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. He sits on the advisory board of British Carnatic Choir. His compositions and arrangements are published by Peters Edition, Oxford University Press and Faber Music. H has made over 100 recordingd. He is also a house composer for production music company, Audio Network.

Imed Alibi is the  Director of the Carthage International Festival (CIF), held in July - August at the ancient Roman amphitheater of Carthage Under the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in Tunisia . Imed was also the artistic director of Sousse International Percussion Festival and Director of Carthage Music Days(2019). In addition to his career as a musician and composer in different projects and collaborations Imed Alibi worked  as member of the jury or consultant for Visa for Music in Morocco, Babel Music XP in Marseille (previously Babel Med), Candid foundation in Germany.

Cleopatra David graduated the National Music University from Bucharest in 2004, pursued the Master in Choir conducting and obtained the PHD in musicology in 2010.   Her professional activity includes performing arts but also cultural management and entrepreneurship. She organised the projects: 2013-2019 Sangit Chamber Ensemble concert seasons, The Spring of Spirit Festival (celebrating Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi Day) 2016-2019, Conferences series at Metropolitan Library  “The Tree of Life”, The Treasures of Persia National tour and Traditional Music Gala (2017), International Singing Masterclass with Mezzosoprano Aura Twarowska at Romanian Athenaeum (2018), her own international singing masterclass in Vaasa (Finland, 2017) and co-organiser for  Junge Talent Masterclass 2016 together with Los Angeles – Moscow Music School  and Austrian Imperial Arts.

Stephen Bryant is an English violinist perhaps best known as the Leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. 

He is also in  demand as a soloist ,chamber musician and teacher.

George is an American Saxophonist known for combining Jazz and Indian classical music. He is the founder of the jazz fusion groups Summit, Aspada, Bombay Jazz, the Raga Bop Trio, and Elements.

Brooks was introduced to the world of Indian classical music by Kirana vocal guru, Pandit Pran Nath,[1] whose music has influenced the works of Terry Riley and La Monte Young. Brooks is a long time associate of Terry Riley. He has performed with Riley in the US, Canada, Asia, and Europe as a duo, in trio settings with sitarist Krishna Bhatt and percussionist Talvin Singh, and as a founding member of Riley's Khayal Ensemble.[2] Brooks appears as a soloist on Riley's June Buddhas with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and with the Kronos Quartet for Riley's 80th birthday celebrations.

Dr Adam Whittaker is the Head of Pedagogy and Lecturer in Music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and is an internationally recognised scholar in musicology and music education, having been an invited speaker at Heidelberg University, the Bodleian Library (Oxford), All Souls College (Oxford), and the Royal College of Music. He has researched in the fields of music education and musicology, and has taught music in a range of settings. His recent research has explored key issues in British music education, including inequalities within pedagogical structures in English schools, and the state of instrumental teaching in the UK. He is also interested in ways to make music education more accessible and was recently part of a team on the Creative United/OHMI Accessible Instruments Challenge which was investigating different ways to get accessible instruments to the musicians who need them. He is currently working on a number of projects exploring A-level music provision in the UK, and is co-investigator on an AHRC network exploring issues of representation in the classical music industry.

Maestro Elfakahany is  a  conductor, composer, expert in Oriental orchestral music and a  faculty in Special Needs Department, Ministry of Education, Kuwait.

Professor Colbet, Carmelle and Rémi Marcoux  is the Chair in Arts Management, HEC 

Montreal .

He is the 

Codirector of the joint Master of Management in International Arts Management (HEC, SMU, Bocconi)  François Colbert is an international speaker who has given keynote addresses and seminars in 30 countries

Jonathan Mann is in demand as both performer and music educator. He has conducted extensively internationally with recent collaborations as diverse as the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Chineke! Youth Orchestra (London) and the Arad State Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania).

Jonathan travels for projects throughout Asia and Europe. He is currently Music Director of UK based Ensemble Cambrica and Artistic Director of the Immanuel Orchestra - Music for Life Foundation in Thailand.

Passionate about inspiring young musicians, Jonathan Mann has conducted numerous youth orchestra festivals around the world. Since 2015 he has been Artistic Director of the Immanuel Orchestra in Bangkok which is loosely modeled on the renowned Venezuelan music program ‘El Sistema’. During this time he has raised the standard of the orchestra performing symphonies by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert. He also helps to mentor students and encourage them into higher education. 

Jonathan is also a popular teacher of conducting as guest clinician for universities and conferences and teaches classes at his home and virtually. He is Artistic Director of the Cardiff International Academy of Conducting providing intensive live and virtual courses for emerging conductors and with the founding of the Thai Conductors Forum he has started to mentor a new generation of young Thai conductors.

Dr Steven Berryman is the Director of Arts, Culture and Community for the Odyssey Trust for Education and a Visiting Research Fellow and Lecturer at King’s College London, Reading and Buckingham Universities and a Visiting Research Fellow at Guildhall School. He has taught Music since 2004 primary to secondary, including composition and academic studies at Junior Royal Academy of Music and Junior Trinity Laban. In his current role, Steven leads the arts and creative strategy for the MAT and the community engagement activities across the schools. He instigated and chairs Creative Bexley, a cultural education partnership for the borough that is supported by Arts Council England through Challenge London.

He contributes widely to arts and cultural education as a senior examiner, researcher and practitioner; projects have included work with Royal Opera House, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NMC Recordings and Pearson. Steven is a member of the Cultural Learning Alliance Advisory Panel, and recently appointed to the DFE/DCMS expert panel for the National Plan for Music Education. He is a board member of Spitalfields Music, UK Music Masters and the Berkeley Ensemble and a trustee and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors. A Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Steven was one of the first to achieve Chartered Teacher status, and now assesses for the programme. 

 Salim Chahoud.. Musician from Syria

Graduate of the Conservatory, director and founder of the “Music for All” project in Syria, which aims to deepen the general artistic taste and search for unknown musical talents, especially in times of wars and crises. 

He is currently dedicated to a group of literature and research on the science of rhythm and its relationship with human formation, world languages and people's music, in addition to my work in teaching music education and training bands of new talents, emphasising the educational, psychological and social impact of music on human life and society

 Experienced musician and composer  , Imed Alibi was born in Tunisia in 1978 and moved to Montpellied in 2001..He worked with different artists and bands  such as  les Boukakes , Emel Mathlouthi, Michel Marre, Rachid Taha , Justin Adams , watcha clan, Natacha Atlas....

Imed Alibi is the  Director of the Carthage International Festival (CIF), held in July - August at the ancient Roman amphitheater of Carthage Under the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in Tunisia . Imed was also the artistic director of Sousse International Percussion Festival and Director of Carthage Music Days(2019). In addition to his career as a musician and composer in different projects and collaborations Imed Alibi worked  as member of the jury or consultant for Visa for Music in Morocco, Babel Music XP in Marseille (previously Babel Med), Candid foundation in Germany ...

For 20 years he has been travelling in more than 60 countries for festival and cultural network ...Experienced artistic director and programmer specializing in innovative commissions to world artists in different art , from digital to large public art, local and international partnership with diverse communities, strategic development and thinking and cultural diplomacy .

 Emily Klion is the founder and Executive Director of San Francisco Youth Theatre. She specializes in collaborating with artists from all disciplines, creating and producing new works of theater for youth with an emphasis on social justice. Emily has been teaching music and theatre to youth for nearly 40 years, and creates music for SFYT’s original productions. Before founding SFYT in 2014, Emily was the artistic director of the Marsh Youth Theater and San Francisco Day School’s Center Stage. She is the recipient of the Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Music Composition and Direction, the American Harmony Prize, and the Rex Foundation’s Jerry Garcia Award for promoting creativity in youth. In 2019 she was on the founding faculty of the Centre for Indian and Western Music in Shillong, India. Emily has a BA and MA from Mills College in music composition and is certified in Orff Schulwerk music pedagogy. 

Charalampos Makris was born in Corfu, Greece in 1981. His first musical experience was as trumpet player in the band of the Corfu Philharmonic Society. He studied music at Corfu Conservatory graduating with a Choral Conducting Diploma, Wind Band Conducting and Orchestration Diploma as well as Degrees in Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue under the supervision of Anastasios Kazianis and KIimon Chytiris. In 2010 he moved to Italy for further conducting studies in the Istituto Superiore Europeo Bandistico in Trento (Corso Superiore di Direzione di Banda) and the Conducting Academy of Associazione Musicale Amadeus in Fermo. After three years of study he graduated with a Conducting Diploma. During these years in Italy he studied with great conductors and teachers such as Franco Cesarini, Jan Cober, Andrea Loss, Carlo Pirola, Mirco Barani and Robert W. Smith. He also conducted various wind bands and ensembles.

He is Mmus candidate of the British Open University in London, Master of Arts and Humanities - MA in Music. His studies are sponsored by the Greek naval family of Nomikos.

Contemporarily, he is director and conductor of the Lixouri Philharmonic School of Music in Cephalonia (Greece) as well as professor of Wind Band Conducting and Choral Conducting in the Metropolitan Conservatory of Periteri in Athens (Greece). He is also collaborating as guest conductor and clinician in wind orchestras , academies and conductor's associations in many countries abroad such as Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Mexico and Israel.He is also frequently conducting the Rimini Chamber Orchestra in Italy. 

Works and arrangements are often performed by wind bands, orchestras and choirs in Greece and abroad.

Patricia holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Medical Doctor’s degree (M.D.) from the Escuela Colombiana de Medicina. She is a board member of the International Music Council, an organization created by UNESCO.

She is a  multifaceted artist- scholar, soprano, and musicologist Patricia Caicedo is one of the leading interpreters of Latin American and Iberian Art Song, having sung in venues worldwide.

She has recorded eleven CDs of art songs in Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and indigenous languages and published 10 books. She is the founder and director of the  Barcelona Festival of Song, which focuses on the performance and study of Latin American and Iberian art songs.

The China-born Austrian conductor Jin Wang belongs to the most distinguished artists of the present. Winner of 8 leading international competitions in Europe, among them “Prague Spring” in Czech Republic (Rafael Kubelik), “Malko” in Copenhagen and „Toscanini” in Parma, Italy etc. Jin Wang studied conducting at the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music and at the Vienna Music University, with Karl Österreicher, Leopold Hager, Zubin Mehta and Leonard Bernstein. Former assistant of Peter Eötvös and Vaclav Neumann. In Europe, Jin Wang worked with about 100 orchestras. He was appointed First Conductor at the Komische Oper Berlin and General Music Director “GMD” of the Mainfranken Opera House and Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany. In Asia he was guest of many top-orchestras, such as the Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, the Seoul Philharmonic, the Singapore Symphonic, the Taiwan National Symphonic, the China Philharmonic in Beijing etc.

He conducted the European tour of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and he organised several orchestra tours to China. Jin Wang is also one of the first China-born conductors who was awarded Professor for Conduct and Orchestra Education in Europe (Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm). He worked as a Guest Professor at the Music Universities in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Czech Republic, Bucharest etc. In November 2017 he was invited to hold seminars at the Vienna Music University. Among his most successful students are Tomas Netopil, Josep Caballé and Eivind Gulberg-Jensen. He is giving Masterclasses for conductors, for instrumentalists and for Opera singers in China, in Vienna, Czech Republic and Romania. He is invited as a Jury member to renowned competitions, such as “Grzegorz Fitelberg” in Poland and “Jorma Panula” in Finland

Akshay Anantapadmanabhan is a reputed and leading mridangam artist known for his sensitivity, tonality and innovative approach of spreading Indian rhythm through the world. A prime disciple of the legendary guru Sri. T.H. Subash Chandran, Akshay has performed with the past and present leading names of Carnatic music: 

His latest solo production: ‘Re-imagining Indian Rhythms’ pushes the boundaries of Indian rhythms in an avant-garde approach, bringing together the mridangam, kanjira, konnakkol and bharatanatyam with digital loopers and interactive visuals. 

  Joan Albert Serra, is a Music and Arts Leader, Consultant, Educator and Researcher. His extensive international career as a leader of music education institutions and programmes (including conservatoires, colleges and schools), consultant, researcher, lecturer, teacher, curriculum designer, QA reviewer, international relations coordinator, speaker, writer, producer, performer and composer.

  Ouafa Belgacem is the Founder of  CFW, a leading CCI financing intelligence platform in the MENA & Africa regions. It connects creatives with decision makers & funders & creates spaces where CC entrepreneurs and artist can be visible & build connections.

Ouafa is a Senior Business Development expert with over 15 years of specific experience in designing and financing international cooperation & development program in various contexts (Africa, Asia & MENA). Author & co-author of CCI related publications including: Cultural policy report Tunisia, Creative Economy report- UNESCO 2013, & Rapid mapping of cultural policies in the MENA region 2019.  Ouafa is one of the 100 most influential creative of African descent 2021, Tunisia lead with the 100 League network, and Creative director at the Pan-African chamber of Commerce.

www.culturefundingwatch.com, www.CCiboost.com, www.RMdigithon.com & www.Artnstay.com,

Oed Mukhilbi is a musician, born and raised in Uganda. He is a musician and pursuing his Medical course in the U.S.

Auge Ziad Abou Zeed is an exponent of qanun instrument, and music at the Farid Al-Atrash Institute in As-Suwayda, Syria.He is in his 5th year of study at High Insittite of Music in Syria.  He is the first founder of the Cithare Orchestra in Syria, for the year 2019 .The Qanoon Orchestra, Zither, is made up of 24 children trained by Professor Awge at the Farid Al-Atrash Institute.The orchestra has been officially documented by the Syrian Ministry of Culture.
One of his compositions was chosen to participate in the design of an album by five Syrian composers, including Awge Abu Zeid, on tour in European countries and the Middle East.
It has other activities in various technical fields
Directing, editing, photography and directing of short films.

TEDx & Global Professional Speaker I International Behavioural Facilitator  I Certified in ROI methodology EI Assessor I ICF Certified Coach I NLP Master Practitioner I KarmaVeer Chakra recipient I Mentor I

Sarvesh Karthick is an upcoming artiste, exhibiting his skills on varied percussion instruments and musical gadgets. His creative ideas, intensive traditional training on the Mridhangam from Guru Sri.T.H.Subash Chandran, with a sharp mind makes him a unique artiste. Sarvesh is the proud recipient of Yuva Kala Bharathi award from Bharat Kalachar and Laya Ilavarasu title from Deiva Tamizh Mandram. He carries forward the legacy of his father Sri. Ghatam Karthick.

Wajdi Abou Diab is a musician and composer with a music license in music composition and electronic music from the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music and is currently a faculty of the Lebanese Higher Conservatory of Music.
He is the founder, conductor, and art director of “Orchestra Al Moukhyam” and “Choueifet Orchestra and Choir”, and the founder of "The Lebanese Living Composers Channel" project, and the "Free music Education For All" project

Sruthi is a singer and violinist, born into an environment with many musical influences. She naturally developed a keen interest in music from a very young age, often displaying her creativity through her music and drama performances in school. She received merits in Music and Drama from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and merits in her Grade 8 in (Western) Vocal, Bassoon and Grade 6 Piano from the ABRSM examinations.
 

Her talent and efforts earned her places in the Birmingham Schools' Symphony Orchestra, as the principal bassoonist, and her school's chamber choir, both of whom she has toured internationally with and accompanied notable soloists. She has a great appreciation for all musical styles and genres and has further explored this by learning Carnatic violin. She started her initial learning from Vid Gnanasundaram Ayyakannu Desigar. She is currently pursuing her violin studies under Maestro Vittal Ramamurthy. 

Sruthi is currently a dental student at university, where she is also the president of NHSF (Hindu Society) Leeds. As president, Sruthi hopes to spread her culture to a wider audience in the Yorkshire area. As a pianist and an Indian classical violinist, she is very keen to integrate and experiment with different styles of music. She takes great pride in her rich Indian culture and heritage and devotes her spare time to learn about Indian culture.

She is an elected student fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 

The Romanian Youth Ambassador Iulia Alexandra Chertes is a 2021 graduate of the National University of Music in Bucharest. She majored in Musicology and her interests focus on the ways in which contemporary music taps into the current issues and challenges facing society nowadays, to reflect and respond to these challenges with its specific means. 

After her graduation from the University of Hong Kong, Yim started working in the arts administration field. She has worked at the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Hong Kong(MYOHK), curating educational music programmes for children and adolescents. She established and managed the first orchestra for autistlc students, Music Angel Orchestra (MAO) and the True Colors Symphony(TCS) under the PMA Music Foundation. As the largest inclusive orchestra in Hong Kong, TCS promotes inclusion.equity and diversity through various music performances, community and outreach events. She is now working at No Limits of the Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF), promoting inclusion through performing arts.

Dr Aruna Thampy has a Doctorate in vocal music (Carnatic music) from Mysore University.Post Graduate from Delhi University in Vocal music.Graded artist from All INDIA RADIO (Delhi and Bangalore) for Hindustani music.
Worked as HOD - Center for performing arts, Dayanand Sagar Institutions, Bangalore.
Worked as a music trainer at Indian Embassy School, Saudi Arabia for a very short period.
Currently working as the principal of music school "Raagaalaya School of Music"-from 2013 with students from all around the world.

Rajnandini Chauhan, now based in Barcelona, Spain,  is an Indian classical vocalist (Hindustani).

She has learnt indian classical music from her Guru under the Guru-shishya tradition.

She chose to learn Music & Literature, topping her University, Rohelkhand University, Bareilly. She went on to complete her M.A. & M.Phil in Hindustani Classical Music from Faculty of Music & Fine Arts, Delhi University.

She is currently learning from the renowned vocalist Vidushi Uma Garg from Kirana Gharana.

Iryna King is a musician and plays the Button accordion. At her own initiative she has learnt to play Indian songs on the accordion and given renditions at various events. She is a member of the Ukrainian center in Coventry. and takes active part in the Ukrainian community events.