Biographies
 | Alistair Parnell Director Soprano, sopranino, piano, electronics A graduate of the Royal College of Music, Alistair Parnell has worked in the music industry for more than 40 years. As a teacher, he has a private studio and is visiting scholar for the University of Nottingham. As a performer, he has worked with the CBSO, LPO, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Flotilla Ensemble, Northern Saxophone Quartet, Mistral Quartet and the Equinox Saxophone Ensemble, appearing throughout UK, Europe, USA and Asia. He plays regularly as a solo recitalist as well as for weddings and functions. He is a conductor, arranger, composer, accompanist, adjudicator and has developed a wide range of skills in music technology, running his own recording studio and Youtube channel. www.isax.co.uk | |
 | A founder member of the group, Nicola has played with many groups and orchestras, including the Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Philharmonic, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra of the Restoration. She is also an oboist. She was a principal player with National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain, and has recorded a personal collection of chamber pieces for saxophone. After fifteen years of private saxophone teaching she completed her Masters in Performance Science from the Royal College of Music, and a PhD in music ensemble performance from the University of Sheffield. She now works as an academic researcher, and has completed collaborative projects in entrepreneurship, group music, and music and wellbeing at the Royal Northern College of Music and University of Sheffield. | |
 | Claire Tomsett-Rowe Claire studied at the Purcell School of Music in Bushey where her love of the saxophone really took off (she is a secret violinist!). She read music at Nottingham, studying saxophone with Alistair Parnell. Claire was assistant musical director of the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and currently plays with Equinox Saxophone Ensemble; performing throughout the UK and Europe, and at every World Sax Congress since 2006. In the real world, Claire is Director of Music and Performing Arts at Wetherby Prep School in London. A keen composer and arranger, Claire's music is currently published by Saxtet Publications and Masquerade Music.
| |
 | Keri Degg Alto, soprano saxophones Multi-instrumentalist Keri plays clarinet, flute and piano as well as the saxophone. Keri has completed her diplomas in saxophone performance and also in teaching (clarinet) in which she achieved a distinction. She is passionate about teaching and learning, always keen to develop new skills and pass them on to others. She teaches privately, and enjoys working on her own compositions, running her own music publishing company Masquerade Music. | |
 | Cat Hanson Tenor saxophone A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, Cat started her musical career playing percussion in brass bands when she was 8 years old and progressed through many instruments to find her true calling on the saxophone. Over the years, she has performed at many famous locations with various chamber ensembles, such as the Birmingham Symphony Hall, St. Martin-In-The-Fields (London) and the Royal Albert Hall (London).
| |
 | Tenor, alto saxophone Lindsey grew up in Stafford, where she played with the Staffordshire Youth Wind Orchestra. She studied at the University of Nottingham and was a founding member of the Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra. She was a member of the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe and in concerts throughout the UK. Now based in Buckinghamshire, Lindsey combines her musical commitments with a career at The Open University, where she works on the production of distance-learning music degrees, and plays saxophone and bassoon in the OU’s orchestra and wind band. She recently joined the ranks of Bader’s Big Band, which is the first UK big band to consist almost entirely of musicians with a disability. | |
 | Michelle Phillips Baritone Saxophone Michelle is a Senior Lecturer in Music Psychology and Head of Enterprise (Academic) at the Royal Northern College of Music. Michelle has played with the Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra, BSQ quartet, National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and other ensembles in Leeds, Nottingham, and southern Germany. Michelle has a PhD from the Centre for Music and Science at the University of Cambridge, and conducts research on music and time, music and maths, live music, audience response, music and Parkinson's and entrepreneurship. | |
 | Deborah Hutt With over twenty years playing experience under her belt, Deb was one of the founder members of the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain. Performance highlights include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the World Saxophone Congress and appearing (albeit briefly) on the BBC’s “Play it Again” series alongside Lord Robert Winston. A versatile player, she is involved in a number of Big Bands in the West Midlands area as well as playing with the Giocoso Quartet. | |
 |
| |