Will Kunhardt — Artistic Director

Will's conducting career began at the age of three and a half, when he chose to direct a performance of the Royal Ballet from his seat in the stalls. Although early critical reception to his debut was far from positive (ushers asked him to stop or leave the auditorium) he was able to dust himself off and soldier on.

Still in his early twenties, he has made his debuts in St John's Smith Square, St James Piccadilly, the Amarylis Fleming Hall and Cadogan Hall. He has been Artistic Director of Sonitus Chamber Choir and the Young Virtuosi Festival in Castelreng, France and currently holds the position of principal conductor with both the CLIC Sargent Symphony Orchestra and International Orchestra for Freedom. This season he is delighted to be working with some of the finest established and young solo artists in Britain including Alexandra Dariescu, Monica Bancos, Mathieu Van Bellen, Melvyn Tan and Thomas Carroll, not to mention his two co-directors Rowan and Steffan.

For one so young the diversity of Will's career is quite remarkable. However all that he has achieved thus far has been underpinned by a strong and unwavering passion for Fulham Football Club, Bruckner and above all, the Moomins.

Steffan Rees — Executive Director & Principal Cello

When he isn't scurrying about for the ACO, Steffan is much in demand as a cello soloist, chamber musician and orchestral freelancer. Besides leading the cellos for the ACO, he regularly appears as guest principal of London Orchestra da Camera, Southern Sinfonia, Belmont Ensemble and the London Music Arts Orchestra. As a chamber musician he has performed widely in the UK at venues such as the Wigmore Hall, the Cadogan Hall and the Holywell Music Room with renowned figures such as the Chilingirian Quartet, Martin Frøst, Kathy Stott, Melvyn Tan and Colin Lawson. At 28, he is the granddaddy of the ACO team.

Rowan Bell — Executive Director & Principal 2nd Violin

Rowan spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders attempting to hide the fact he played something as un-cool as the violin from his friends. Having recovered from embarrassment in his late teens he decided to travel to the remote town of London, where he eventually graduated with a master's degree from the Royal College of Music, having studied as a Douglas Downie Scholar with Dona Lee Croft.

As a member of the Vardanyan Quartet Rowan has played all over the UK and Europe. The quartet held the Bulldog Junior Fellowship at Trinity College of Music from 2008-2009 and is the MBF Ensemble in Residence at Lake District Summer Music. They have performed at prestigious venues including the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall and the Barbican. Following their Pucell Room debut, the Sunday Times deemed them '...surely a group with a future'.

In his spare time Rowan enjoys sleeping.

Ben Norris — Head of Development

Ben Norris is a Modern, Classical and Baroque Violinist, currently based in London. Ben currently has a busy performance schedule, ranging from solo recitals to large orchestral concerts. Recent duo and chamber recitals have included appearances at the Leeds International Concert Series, Aylesbury Concert Series, National Gallery, V&A Museum, Trinity College, Oxford, Ruthven Festival (Angus) and Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia. Ben has also played with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, English Touring Opera, and the Belmont Ensemble of London.

In his spare time, Ben enjoys stravaiging around the Scottish mountains.

Levon Chilingirian — Artistic Advisor

Levon Chilingirian is a professor of violin at the Royal College of Music and a founding member of the world renowned Chilingirian Quartet. Today, the Quartet is one of the most active and celebrated string quartets on the international scene with tours to over fifty countries on six continents.

Mr. Chilingirian received the Cobbett Medal and, in January 2000, an OBE in the Queen’s Honours List. In Armenia, he has organised two competitions for young string players and numerous chamber music festivals.

The ACO believes that Mr. Chilingirian's rendition of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with Sir Neville Marriner on the soundtrack to 'Amadeus' is, without doubt , the best thing about the film.

Sheila Hayman — Board Member

Sheila Hayman is an award-winning TV director, journalist and novelist. The ACO is in awe of her many talents: she has variously been a Chinese interpreter to a BBC film crew, a Fulbright Fellow, fiddle player in the Irish band that appeared in 'Titanic' and the official necrologist of the 1996 Oscars! Her documentary 'Mendelssohn, the Nazis and Me' was recently shown on BBC4.

Florian Leonhard — Board Member

Florian Leonhard is one of the world's leading experts in rare and fine stringed instruments, with a globally recognised connoisseurship of violin restoration skills. His London workshop and showroom exhibits some of the finest examples of violins, violas and cellos currently available for sale on the market.

Today, Florian acts as specialist consultant to major financial institutions and many of the world’s leading solo artists, including Maxim Vengerov, Julian Rachlin, Lynn Harrell and Steven Isserlis, as well as taking an active interest in the careers of the most promising and talented young musicians.

Sherry Geissen — Board Member

Sherry has enjoyed a 30-year career in financial services working for US-based investment banks in the City of London and Wall Street. Currently Co-Ceo of Oppenheimer in London (team of 40), she has been in senior management since 2004. Most of Sherry's experience has been in Equities speaking to blue-chip financial institutions in the UK/Middle East generating commissions. She is also involved in securing US corporates for marketing in Europe which involves interface with senior managements.

Nigel Evans — Board Member

Nigel entered Parliament in 1992 as the MP for Ribble Valley. Following his role as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt. Hon. David Hunt MP, William Hague MP, and Tony Baldry Nigel became an Oppostion Spokesman for constitutional affiars 1997-1999, Wales 1999-2001, and Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party 1999-2001, 2004-2005. Nigel was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet in 2001 as Shadow Secreary of State for Wales, until 2003 and was appointed to the Culture, Media and Sports Select Committee 2005-2009. He was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2010.

Manvinder Rattan — Board Member

Manvinder has been Musical Director of the John Lewis Partnership Music Society since 1995 and his tenure has seen the introduction of the Cavendish Ensemble and Singers in addition to the development of the Music Society's main choir, Voices in Partnership. With ensembles from the Music Society, Manvinder has performed extensively around the UK and abroad, including St Paul's, St Albans, Westminster and Ripon Cathedrals, the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow.

Manvinder studied Choral directing with James Wild and Laszlo Heltay, amongst others, and orchestral directing with Colin Metters, Neil Thompson and John Farrar.

Manvinder is Development Director and Head of Conductor Training for the charity Sing for Pleasure and in considerable demand around the country to lead seminars and courses in conducting and singing, and festival adjudication.