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WE ARE RAISING FUNDS FOR GRANT ROUND 8 - YOU CAN HELP US REACH OUR £100K TARGET
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WHO WE ARE
Vincenzo
ROBERT BINYON
Economist and Fund Management
Robert Binyon’s interest in period performance was first kindled during his time at Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied Modern History, and has continued throughout his career. After graduation, he joined the merchant bank Morgan Grenfell and, in nearly two decades there, served many years overseas in Geneva and Tokyo, when traditional Japanese music and theatre also became a great interest. Since the mid 1990s he has been working in the emerging markets promoting investment in small businesses and micro-finance banks as a way of encouraging sustainable economic development in the private sector. The challenges of finding financial support for these businesses and nurturing them on the management side has been a major theme of his work for the last 20 years. Robert was the Treasurer of the Royal Society of Literature in London for many years and still serves as a trustee of various charities and trusts in the UK and as a non-executive director of a number of SME businesses and SME focussed funds and banks in Asia and Europe.
RIITTA HIRVONEN
Executive Arts Management
Riitta Hirvonen has been the Executive and Finance Manager of the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) since 2013, operating in their London offices prior to the headquarters’ move to Ferrara, Italy in 2018. The EUYO is the Cultural Ambassador of the European Union and works each year with young, talented musicians from each 27 Member States. Previously she was the General Manager of the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra, looking after their management and administration for nine years. Working with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his three ensembles sparked the love of baroque music and performances by uniquely talented period instrumentalists. She has lived in London for over 25 years and comes from Finland. Prior to life in the Arts, Riitta had a career in travel stretching back almost two decades, in Helsinki and London.
VINCENZO TUOZZO
Business Affairs Manager, Apple
Vincenzo advises on consumer-facing content, IP rights, and the intersection of marketing and technology. With experience in both the finance and film industries, he has successfully managed film acquisitions, distribution and financing. He holds a Master of Law in IP Law and a Bachelor of Science in International Management and Economics. As an active contributor to the field of open innovation through his research, Vincenzo has focussed on the importance of collaboration between startups and larger businesses. He firmly believes that innovative ways and the right incentives will engage new audiences for early music to allow it to thrive.
STEPHEN UHLIG
Financial Adviser
Stephen was a Foundation Scholar at Queens’ College, Cambridge. He is currently working as an independent Financial Adviser to Governments and Corporates in Europe and beyond, as well as directing and teaching a project and infrastructure finance post-graduate course at the University of Surrey. He has worked in both the public and private sectors on corporate structuring and restructuring, fund-raising and project finance. Stephen began his career at Morgan Grenfell (now Deutsche Bank), where he worked for 20 years in International Banking leading teams in London and Frankfurt. Following this, he became Head of the Advisory Services Group at DEPFA Bank before becoming an independent adviser. Stephen has recently completed an eight year term on the Advisory Board of Golding Capital, Munich.
TINA VADANEAUX
Founder and CEO, Continuo Foundation (pro bono)
Tina began her professional career in Corporate Finance on Wall Street, having also been educated in the US. Following a move to London in 1992, she had a fifteen year career in various leading City firms. Subsequently, she completed post-graduate studies at Kings College London in English and Art History, before working on a pro-bono basis with the European Union Youth Orchestra. For four years until Covid-19 caused the closure of music venues in March 2020, Tina was active in audience engagement for The Mozartists, a period-instrument orchestra and opera company. She has been dedicated to raising awareness of the innovative programming and artistic excellence which are the hallmarks of historical performance.
BENEDICT VANDERSPAR
Partner at McKinsey & Co.
Ben is a Partner at McKinsey & Co. He spends his time building and scaling new digital businesses primarily in media and technology. Prior to his career in management consulting, Ben worked in investment banking and before that he read Politics Philosophy and Economics at Keble College, Oxford where he was a music scholar. He feels fortunate to be part of a family of musicians, and is an accomplished violinist who studied with Natasha Boyarsky. Ben enjoys spending time supporting classical musical organisations on a pro bono basis and is passionate about engaging new audiences for classical music. He is excited about using the power of technology to help the period performance sector flourish, and enhancing the lives of musicians and the general public.
TOM WEISSELBERG KC
Barrister
Tom Weisselberg KC is a barrister specialising in Commercial and Public Law. He studied Modern History at Merton College, Oxford and then trained as a lawyer. As a Media lawyer, he has wide experience of copyright law and has practised as a music lawyer for over 20 years. He has acted in a wide range of music related disputes, including for iTunes, Spotify, Onward Music, Jonas Kaufmann, the BBC, Fat Cat Records, Microsoft, Blue and Oasis. As a Public lawyer, he deals with a wide range of human rights issues. And as a Commercial lawyer, he has assisted both individuals and businesses. He has also undertaken a wide variety of volunteer and charitable roles, including working with “Lawyers in Schools”, the Guy Fox History Project, the Alexander Maxwell Law Trust and the Independent Monitoring Board of HMP Wormwood Scrubs. He has a great love for Baroque music and is also a Trustee of Early Opera Company.
Riitta
Stephen
Tina
Robert B
TOM W
BEN V
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