Alumni successes in 2024/25
We are delighted to celebrate our alumni's successes in 2024/25.
Student successes in 2023/24
In the 2025 Olivier Awards, Paapa Essiedu FGS (Acting 2012) was nominated for Best Actor for Death of England: Delroy and Andy Nyman (Acting 1987) was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Hello, Dolly!
Ewan McGregor OBE FGS (Acting 1992) was nominated for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television, for A Gentleman in Moscow, and also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sarah Lancashire CBE (Acting 1986) was awarded a CBE for services to drama in the New Year Honours List 2025.
Michaela Coel (Acting 2012) was named Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Emma Rice FGS (Acting 1988) won Best Direction for Buddha of Suburbia at the WhatsOnStage Awards.
In 2024 The Stage Debut Awards Imogen Elliott (Acting 2024) was nominated for Best Performer in a Play and Toheeb Jimoh (Acting 2018) was nominated for Best West End Debut Performer.
Kalungi Ssebandeke (Acting 2019) was nominated for a Standing Ovation Award for The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar).
Claire Booth (Soprano 2004) won the Singer Award at the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Awards 2025, while George Barton (Percussion 2014) and Siwan Rhys (Piano 2013) won the RPS Young Artist Award, as GBSR Duo. Dinis Sousa (Piano 2019) and Francesca Chiejina (Soprano 2016) were also shortlisted for the Conductor and Singer Awards respectively.
At the Ivors Classical Awards, Dr Bushra El-Turk (Composition 2006) won Best Stage Work Composition and Laurence Osborn (Composition 2015) won Best Chamber Ensemble Composition. They were nominated alongside fellow alumni Dr Oliver Leith (Composition 2024), Leo Chadburn (Composition 2004), Duncan MacLeod (Continuing Professional Development 2004) and Philip Venables (Composition 2017).
Gabriela Ortiz (Composition 1991) won the 2025 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina.
Myleene Klass MBE (Junior Guildhall) received an MBE for her contributions to women’s health and miscarriage awareness and to charity, in the New Years Honours 2025, and Alison Kay (Music 1986), was awarded a BEM for services to the arts and to young people.
At the Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition: Jong Sun Woo (Piano 2022) won the Pianist's Prize, Jonathan Eyers (Baritone 2023) took third prize, and Joël Terrin (Baritone 2022) received the Vaughan Williams Song Prize for the Best Interpretation of Songs in English by a British Composer.
Roza Herwig (Mezzo-soprano 2023) won the Outstanding Performance prize at the 2025 Lotte Lenya Competition, where George Robarts (Baritone 2023) was a semi-finalist, along with Bridget Esler (Soprano 2023) who also won third prize in the 2024 Gerda Lissner Foundation’s Lieder/Song Vocal Competition.
Felix Gygli (Baritone 2022) won the Lied Prize at the 2024 Queen Sonja Competition and was the inaugural winner of the Eastbourne International Singing Competition.
Emily Roberts (Jazz 2020) and Aurora Nischevi (Composition 2021) won the Popular Music Award at the Sky Arts Awards with The Last Dinner Party.
Clare Hammond (Piano 2011) and Edmond Finnis (Composition 2013) were awarded the Edison Klassiek Neoklassiek Award 2024 in the Neoklassiek category.
Jamie Reid (Trombone 2024) was awarded First Prize in the British Trombone Society’s Alto Trombone Competition.
Rosie Murphy (Harp 2020) was the winner of the BBCNI Young Musician Platform Award.
Violetta Suvini (Violin 2023) won an RPS Instrumental Prize in January.
Heather Brooks (Harp 2024) won First Prize at the 2025 UK Harp Competition.
Rob Lewis (Tenor 2020) won third prize overall and a special award for best tenor at the Viñas Competition in Barcelona.
Twm Brunton (Vocal 2024) and Erin Gwyn Rossington (Opera 2021) were joint first prize winners of the Dunraven Welsh Singer of the Year.
Kryštof Kohout (Violin 2024) was selected as a Classeek Ambassador Artist and featured in a live solo recital with the Violin Channel/Classeek.
Emma Besselaar (Cello 2017) received a grant from the prestigious Kersjes Prize.
Victoria Proudler (Piano 1997) won the Presto Music Classical Award for Sheet Music Publication of the Year 2024 for her piano book series Piano Grades are Go!
Andrew Hamilton (Vocal 2018) and Erika Baikoff (Vocal 2018) were announced as BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists for 2025–27.
Kit McCarthy (Composition 2024) and Elif Karlidag (Opera Makers 2023) were selected for the LSO Helen Hamlyn Panufnik Composers Scheme.
Oscar Colomina (Composition 2006) premiered their composition The Styx with the Valencia Orchestra.
Raymond Yiu’s (Composition 2014) newly revised concerto received its Asian premiere with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and US premiere with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He was also appointed as one of the new Professors in Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Byron Fulcher (Trombone 1991), currently Principal Trombone of the Philharmonia Orchestra, was appointed Section Principal Trombone in the Orchestra of the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden.
Mark Taylor (Flute 2015) was appointed Section Leader Flute (Principal) in the Ulster Orchestra.
Darren Moore (Trumpet 2012) was appointed first trumpet of the RTÉ Orchestra.
Cara Doyle (Clarinet 2023) was appointed Sub-Principal Clarinet/Bass Clarinet with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Ruby Collins (Bassoon 2021) was appointed Sub-Principal Bassoon of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Stefani Trendafilova (Oboe 2024) has been appointed Second Oboe of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.
Kaitlin Wild (Trumpet 2017) was appointed Principal Second Trumpet with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Katie Smith (Trumpet 2016) was appointed third trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Savitri Grier (Violin 2017) was appointed Première cheffe d’attaque of the second violins at the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
Camille Said (Violin 2023) won a trial with the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester.
Finan Jones (Conducting 2020) was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Albert Horne (Repetiteur 2007) was appointed Chorus Master at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf.
Paul Coll Tulloch (Horn 2020) was appointed conductor of Banda de Mao.
Isobel Doncaster (Violin 2024) has been appointed Development Coordinator for the Lionel Tertis and Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competitions for 2025.
Guðrún Jóhanna Ólafsdóttir (Soprano 2003) was appointed principal of the Reykjavík Academy of Singing and Vocal Arts.
Paul Scott-Williams (Vocal 1990) was appointed Head of Education, Outreach, and Communities at Victoria Opera in Melbourne, Australia.
Gemma Harrison (Technical Theatre 2009) was appointed Head of Sound at Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre.
Mike Walker (Production Arts 1985) was the Sound Designer for the Broadway transfer of Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical.
Emma Peace (Technical Theatre 2022) was appointed Assistant Stage Manager (Book Cover) at Cats International Tour (Europe 2025/26) with Crossroads Live.
Sammy Lacey (Stage Management 2023) was the Assistant Stage Manager for the UK premiere of new musical Becoming Nancy at Birmingham Rep.
Tom Leggat (Stage & Costume Management 2014) was appointed Chief of Staff at TodayTix Group.
Chloe Jones (Stage Management 2021) was the ASM book cover for The Buddha of Suburbia with the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Centre.
Richard Howell (Technical Theatre 2006) was the Lighting designer for The Real Thing at The Old Vic.
Graham Michael (Technical Theatre 1997) was the Stage Manager for Quiet Songs in the Barbican Pit.
Devon James-Bowen (Stage Management 2022) worked as Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) on East is South at Hampstead Theatre and served as ASM Book Cover for the Donmar Warehouse’s Macbeth.
Jonny Reeks (Technical Theatre 2023) was the new Deputy Head of Automation at The Tina Turner Musical.
Ben Mill (Technical Theatre 2023) was promoted to Deputy Head of Automation at ABBA Voyage!
Josh Cole-Brown (Technical Theatre 2023) joined the Royal Exchange Theatre as Assistant Stage Manager.
Jack Garner-Greene (Technical Theatre 2023) joined Matilda the Musical as Assistant Stage Manager & Book Cover.