2025 Adjudicators

David is a professional conductor and pianist. He taught music in schools, before embarking on a full-time career as a freelance conductor and pianist.

He has conducted many West End and international touring shows and appeared on TV, radio, played on film soundtracks, and recorded 3 original cast albums.

He was Director of Music at the BRIT School for Performing Arts, Director of Performance at the Academy of Contemporary Music and has been a vocal coach and singing teacher at many leading drama colleges.

David is an examiner for London College of Music, and was recently awarded an FLCM for Professional Achievement. He has been a Music Mentor for Music For Youth for several years, is an Adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals and has adjudicated many festivals nationwide.

He now lives in Lincolnshire, teaches singing and piano, and conducts and accompanies adult and children’s choirs.

Murray studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music (1984-1988) with Howard Snell, and during this time, he played principal trumpet with the European Community Youth Orchestra.

He joined the Orchestra of the Royal Ballet in 1988 before taking up the position of principal trumpet with the Orchestra of Opera North in 1989. He has also appeared as guest principal trumpet with most of the other leading orchestras and ensembles in the UK, as well as many abroad. Murray can be heard on orchestral and chamber recordings on labels including Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, Naxos, Decca, Signum, Telarc, Cala, and Hyperion.

Murray has been professor of trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music since 1990 and since 2022 has been Head of the School of Wind, Brass and Percussion - Director of Brass. He also taught the trumpet for many years at Chetham’s School of Music and has worked as trumpet tutor with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Many of his former students now hold positions in orchestras throughout the UK and abroad.

He has given recitals, master classes and served as competition juror throughout Europe, America and Asia, as well as at all of the leading British Conservatoires.

Murray served for many years on the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild and in 2002 hosted the ITG Conference at the RNCM.  For a number of years he edited the Orchestral Section column in the ITG Journal and has also written for Classical Music and The Brass Herald magazines.

Maria Jagusz trained as a dancer before taking up a place at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded the Ricordi Prize for Opera. Further scholarships enabled her to continue her studies at the National Opera Studio.

As a singer Maria has worked as soloist for most of the leading opera companies in the U.K and Europe. She is a keen recitalist and a regular soloist for choral societies in the U.K.

She formed MJ-UK Music and Arts. As part of their training Maria believes that getting as much performing experience both in concert and on stage is vital for the development of young talent. She arranges many concerts both in the Cotswolds and in Cornwall where young singers can get the chance to perform in a safe welcoming environment. Maria is emerging casting advisor for Longborough Festival Opera’s Young Artists programme.

Martin has recently retired from playing the Viola with the BBC Philharmonic, after 36 years in the job. A graduate of Chetham's School of Music and The Royal Northern College of Music, he has enjoyed an exciting and fulfilling career playing in many of the finest concert halls around the world.

Martin is hugely committed to his involvement in music education. He regularly advises senior students at the beginning of their professional career, and was for a number of years a Mentor for the BBC Philharmonic/RNCM Professional Access Scheme.

Away from music, Martin is a fluent French speaker and loves 'escaping' to France on holiday. He is a keen walker and will often be found hiking around the Yorkshire Wolds where he now lives with his wife (a cello teacher), 2 huge cats and 2 crazy dogs!