SWCO Tutors
Carla Robinson: Strings
Carla studied the violin, piano and recorder at the Royal Academy of Music. Over the last 30 years she has enjoyed a huge range of freelance orchestral work, teaching work and chamber music which has taken her all around the world. Her lifetime motto “variety is the spice of life” has taken her from chamber music concerts in New York, opera contracts in Parma Italy, to playing in authentic Mariachi and Tango bands, playing aboard the Orient express and QE2 to appearances on Top of the Pops to name a few.
She currently runs a quartet “Le Soiree” with her husband Gideon a violinist in the Philharmonia Orchestra.
She teaches violin and coaches ensembles at Saffron Walden County High School and also runs instrumental lessons at her local village school.
She has coached on many courses and enjoys particularly working with young string ensembles.
Her interest in alternative therapies prompted her to qualify as a professional Reflexologist and `Reiki practitioner in 2002 where she runs a thriving clinic from home.
Stephanie Reeve: Woodwind
Stephanie started playing the clarinet at the age of 10, and worked her way through the Northamptonshire County Youth Orchestra system before moving to London to study at Trinity College of Music.
She has performed with various orchestras and chamber groups all over the country and at venues including Kensington Palace and No. 10 Downing Street. She now teaches around the Cambridgeshire and Essex areas in primary and secondary schools, runs playdays and short woodwind courses, and directs the Stapleford Clarinet choir.
Although familiar with all the woodwind family, she is a clarinet specialist and can often be seen with clarinets of all sizes including the very large contrabass clarinet. Stephanie has enjoyed being the woodwind coach for the Saffron Walden Children’s Orchestra since 2014.
Gavin Bowyer: Brass
Gavin started playing the cornet at the age of 6. The Haverhill Youth Band was particularly strong at the time, and music quickly became a serious hobby. Since then he has played in many brass bands including the Rigid Containers Band (formerly the GUS Band). Gavin was Principal Cornet of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain for two years, a position held by such illustrious names as Maurice Murphy, Phillip McCann and Philip Cobb.
In 1995 (aged 19) Gavin was a semi-finalist in the Shell-London Symphony Orchestra Scholarship, and in 1999 he graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After travelling in Australia and Canada, and playing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, he now teaches brass at schools in and around Linton and Saffron Walden.
Gavin has been a member of ‘Prime Brass’ for over 20 years, a Cambridge based Brass ten piece ensemble with whom he has recorded a number of albums which have enjoyed airtime on Classic FM and Radio 3. PB have performed in various cathedrals around the country exploring the brass and organ repertory and have a special relationship with Ely Cathedral.
Currently Gavin plays in the ‘Helen Medlock Orchestra’ as 1st Trumpet and he performs regularly for the Anglia Ruskin graduation ceremonies with a professional Brass Quintet.
Richard Hull: Orchestral Conductor
After gaining a Degree in Music from Dartington College of Arts in 1991, Richard embarked on a trumpet teaching career, starting at his old school, Bedford Modern School. He began to work full time for Bedfordshire Music Service in 1995. He taught for various music services, and was involved in many different aspects of brass tuition and education for over 30 years, having also spent a year as Visiting Professor of Trumpet at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Richard has played for and conducted a number of orchestras and bands throughout the East of England and is active as a pianist and accompanist. He has also performed as a soloist on the trumpet and piano, including performances of concertos by Grieg, Gregson, Arnold, Telemann and many others.
Richard was appointed Musical Director of the Saffron Walden Symphony (formerly Uttlesforde) Orchestra in 2008. Since then he has led the development of the orchestra, taking on more challenging repertoire and introducing more contemporary works into programmes, including symphonies by Martinu, Tubin and Glass. He has also commissioned works by young composers and provided opportunities for young soloists including Yume Fujise, Ellie Fagg, Stephen Smithers and George Harliono.
In February 2025, Richard was asked to conduct a City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra concert at short notice following the sudden death of their conductor of 17 years, Peter Bassano. He was delighted to be offered the position on a full-time basis in the following July, and is also looking forward to being guest conductor for a Lavenham Sinfonia concert in 2027.