Our Directors

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	Robin Martin-Oliver, director, was trained at the Royal Northern College of music as a singer. After winning second prize in the International Singing competition at s'Hertogenbosch in Holland he went straight into major roles with Glyndebourne Opera, Welsh National Opera and Covent Garden. After ten years as a professional singer he turned to directing and he has been directing now for almost 20 years. He has worked with Sir Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Phillip Prowse and Tim Albery. His own productions are numerous and include plays for the Edinburgh Festival and opera for Channel Four. He also composes and, having already written two musicals, he is now half-way through his first opera. For further details, please see Robin's web site or the Jack the Ripper web site.
	Peter Cowdrey, musical director, was born in Oxford in 1963 and won scholarships to Winchester College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied composition with Oliver Knussen and his works have been premiered at festivals such as Istanbul, Schleswig Holstein and Bonn, and in the Royal Albert Hall and the Purcell Room by performers including the Brodsky and Emperor Quartets, and flautist Wissam Boustany.  His song cycle In Nature’s Ball was premiered at the Sunningwell Festival last Summer, and he recently finished a string quartet for The Brodskys.
	As a pianist Peter is in demand as an accompanist for singers, including baritone Henry Herford.  As a piano soloist, he played Charles Ives's first piano sonata on tour in South America.  Peter's future plans include: A new group, The Conference of Birds, which will play music inspired by birdsong over five centuries. A new company, Opera Maker, with Hamish Robinson, which will write and produce new operas and operatic entertainments, including an opera , based on wine diaries by Michael Broadbent.