Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust Personnel

Leon Gee – Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and the Grand Orchestra - received his formative musical training as a violinist, subsequently studying conducting at the Birmingham Conservatoire under Jonathan Del Mar, with further studies in the Czech Republic, at Dartington with Diego Masson, and with British Youth Opera under Peter Robinson. As British Arts Council Young Conductor, Leon was appointed founder Music Director for the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (1991-94). Subsequent guest engagements have included the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Shanghai Symphony, as well as many of this country’s leading non-professional orchestras. He has also served as Music Director for the Windsor & Maidenhead, Northampton, British Police and Oxford Symphony Orchestras. Much in demand with younger orchestras, recent and ongoing work in this field includes conductorship of Junior Guildhall Symphony, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Junior Dept, Oxford University Orchestra, Pro Corda and Music Directorship of the Worcestershire, Ealing and Berkshire Youth Orchestras. Leon is an Honorary Member of the Birmingham Conservatoire, where he has been a frequent guest conductor since 1993.

Robin Wedderburn – Conductor of the String Orchestras – began his violin studies with Maxwell Ward. After study at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with Manoug Parikian, and at King's College, Cambridge, he has worked in school-teaching, first at Malvern College and afterwards, from 1981 to the present, at St. Paul's School in London, where he is Head of Strings. He is an experienced coach and conductor and has always enjoyed composing and arranging, most often in connection with his teaching. Several of his works for string orchestra have recently been published by Goodmusic. In 2004 he wrote a Concert March which was performed by the Grenadier Guards Band. His "Fantasy for Orchestra" was commissioned by SScOT, with whom he has worked since 1992, and performed at their 20th anniversary course in July 2005.

Susan Dingle – Conductor of the Wind Bands – spent 7 years working in opera administration with Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera, after gaining an honours degree in music from Sheffield University. Since 1994, however, she has been pursuing a career in conducting, spending over 3 years studying at the State Conservatory in St. Petersburg with Alexander Polishchuk and Ilya Musin. In 1998 she completed her M.Mus (conducting) at the RSAMD in Glasgow, where she studied with Martyn Brabbins. Since then she has conducted the Highland Region Youth, BBC Scottish Symphony, Leicester Symphony and Highland Chamber Orchestras, the Paragon and Kelvin Ensembles, the Cumbernauld and Edinburgh Practice Choirs, Opera on a Shoestring and Lontano. She is Music Director of Paisley Musical Society and principal conductor of the Kentigern Ensemble.

James Chamberlain - Conductor of the Brass Ensemble - holds an honours degree in Music Performance from the University of Huddersfield, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate of Education. As a trumpet specialist, he has performed with the English Northern Philharmonia and the Classic FM award-winning ensemble "Harlequin Brass". He has performed with the finest brass bands in the UK, including Black Dyke Mills, Yorkshire Building Society and Brighouse and Rastrick. Currently a member of the Whitburn Band, he is highly regarded as a flugelhorn soloist and was recently featured on BBC Radio 2's "Listen to the Band" programme.

Neil Metcalfe – Chairman of SScOT and Co-Director of the summer courses – has been Director of Music at Strathallan School since September 2002, after 7 years as Director of Music at Rannoch School, where he also ran one of the boarding houses. After gaining an honours degree in music from Edinburgh University, he worked as a repetiteur with Scottish Opera for several years, before moving into the field of music education.

Jean Murray – Director of SScOT and Co-Director of the summer courses – has been organising extra-curricular musical activities for children for over 20 years, and is currently Director of Edinburgh Young Musicians, which runs Saturday Morning Classes for children aged 3 to 17. She holds a music degree from Edinburgh University and has worked as a freelance flautist and instrumental teacher for 30 years.