Course Directors

Annabel is a multi-award winner and recognised as one of the most versatile and charismatic pianists playing today.

As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed in major concert halls and toured throughout the world, collaborating with artists such as Sir Bryn Terfel,  Roberto Alagna and chamber music with the Danish Ensemble Midtvest at Carnegie Hall, New York.

Matthew is Head of Chamber Music and one of the most sought after worldwide professors of viola at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Matthew is also a composer, mathematics graduate and teacher of the Alexander Technique and Kundalini Yoga/Meditation.

He is described by Strings Magazine as the finest Violist since William Primrose following his critically acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut in 2008.

Dominic first came to Pro Corda as a student 40 years ago. His violin teacher was one of the founders, Pamela Spofforth. He later won scholarships to Winchester College and the Royal College of Music studying the violin with Itzhak Rashkovsky, and also the piano as a joint first study with Peter Element.

Dominic plays the violin, viola and piano, and directs his own chamber ensemble ‘St George’s Chamber Orchestra‘, based in Beckenham. He also leads Buckinghamshire based ‘Alina Orchestra‘ and teaches violin and viola at New Hall School, Chelmsford.

Alison is from Cape Town, South Africa, and has lived in the UK for over 20 years. She studied cello performance at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She is currently a cello teacher at Trafford Music Service, where she also directs their Intermediate String Orchestra and is part of the senior leadership team. Alison is an extremely experienced teacher, inspiring children of all ages and stages.

Sarah McCabe is a Toronto-born artist and educator now based in London, England. She is Director of Pro Corda’s Create Together Adult SEND programme, and the Head of Education and Curriculum Development for the WeJam Foundation as well as Programme Director of Discovery Strings.

Sarah graduated with her MMUS in Viola Performance from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2017, and her BMUS from Acadia University in 2014. Sarah is finishing a PhD at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, focusing on song writing as a path to healing from trauma. Under the artist name Hendra, she is set to release her debut album in 2026, generously supported by a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Alexandra Mackenzie is internationally recognised as an outstanding performer and educator. After obtaining First Class honours from the Royal Academy of Music and Manhattan School of Music, she spent eight years in New York. Her extraordinary range as a performer is demonstrated by her work with the legendary S.E.M. Ensemble; playing with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; touring with a ragtime band; recording for Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and the Wu Tang Clan. Alexandra has played with the English Chamber Orchestra for over a decade and is in frequent demand as a guest principal with orchestras across the UK.  Alexandra teaches at the junior department of the Royal Academy of music and  was elected an ARAM in 2011.

An internationally sought-after teacher, Victor has been the Head of Keyboard Studies at Rossall School since 2022 where he is also the Director of International Piano Academy for gifted young pianists. He also holds teaching positions at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music. Described as a pianist with ‘with great possibilities of nuance and perfect flexibility’ (Revista Arta), Victor trained at Wells Cathedral School, followed by the Royal Northern College of Music (where he won the 2021 RNCM Gold Medal) and the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Christian Carpenter Prize for the best final recital. After pursuing the Artist Diploma programme at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Victor completed his studies with Kathryn Stott at the RNCM, gaining its prestigious International Artist Diploma.

Helen Reid first came to public attention when she appeared on BBC2 in the National Keyboard Finals of the BBC Young Musician competition. In 2000 she won first prize in the Karic International Piano Competition. Helen has given recitals all around England and Europe, at venues including the Wigmore Hall, the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and the Aldeburgh and Buxton Festivals. Performances have included Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and the world premiere of David Matthews’ Piano Concerto at Dartington International Summer Festival, a work written for Helen. Helen is currently course leader of Professional Studies at the Guildhall School, Senior Associate Lecturer at Bristol University and Teaching Fellow in Music Performance at Bath Spa University.

Gretel Dowdeswell studied with Hamish Milne at the Royal Academy of Music and later with András Schiff and György Kurtág at the International Seminar in Prussia Cove, where she is now resident pianist and a regular guest at the annual IMS Open Chamber Music. She was a founding member of the Gould Piano Trio, and has since established a reputation as a chamber music specialist, performing throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, South America, and the Far East. In the UK, Gretel has appeared at all the major chamber music venues and broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3. She is a former examiner for the ABRSM and currently teaches piano at Thomas Mills High School, Framlingham College, and Brandeston Prep School.