MEET THE TRUSTEES, PATRONS & TEAM
TRUSTEES
Jasper Parrott
Jasper is one of the world’s leading music and artist managers, and HarrisonParrott, the company he founded in 1969 and which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is widely respected as one of the most influential and internationally active businesses in its field today. In recent years, Jasper has taken an increasing interest in the desire for diversity across all company activities, culminating last year in the launch of the HP Foundation, alongside other programmes relating to equal opportunities for all within the arts.
Aïda Lahlou
Aïda Lahlou is a concert pianist who has performed in 16 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia, and is the recipient of over 20 prizes at national and international piano competitions. Her work has been reviewed and profiled in four languages, and featured in leading classical music publications including Gramophone and International Piano Magazine.
Born in Morocco, Aïda moved to the UK at the age of 15 to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey. She subsequently read Music at St John’s College, Cambridge, and completed a Masters in Piano Performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating with Distinction.
She is the founder of Oxford Concert Circle, a non-profit working to raise standards of pay in the UK’s informal classical music performance sector.
Jennifer Johnston
Celebrated British mezzo soprano Jennifer Johnston is a distinguished performer in opera, concert and recital. Winner of multiple awards including the Royal Philharmonic Society Singer of the Year and Gramophone’s Recording of the Year, she is a former BBC New Generation Artist, and has “one of the most generous and beautiful voices in the business” (Prospect Magazine). Running alongside her singing career, Jennifer has a cultural and artistic strategy consultancy, working with global organisations across the cultural sector. Her expertise rests in strategy, recruitment, and business development: bringing culture into spaces where it has only had hitherto limited exposure, placemaking, developing creative projects from inception with artistic organisations, and creating partnerships to unite communities via culture and the arts. She is Patron of Streetwise Opera, Destination Opera and the Southport Bach Choir, Debate Chair and Performing Arts Network Lead at the Royal Society of Arts, a contributing writer for publications including the Guardian, Opera Now, London Book Review and The Stage, and a commentator on the arts for BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, Classic FM and Times Radio. A former Barrister, she holds an MBA from the Global Leaders Institute, is an alumnus of the Oxford Cultural Leaders programme, and received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Enterprise Award, supporting her participation in Harvard University’s Women in Leadership Programme.
Jo Towler
Currently Chief Executive of Music in the Round, the leading national producer of chamber music, Jo Towler has been working in the arts for over 25 years. Rooted in Sheffield but reaching audiences across the UK, Music in the Round has redefined how chamber music is experienced in recent years, breaking down barriers between performers and audiences while nurturing the next generation through pioneering education programmes. A refresh of its programming and activity means it now reaches more than 25,000 people across the country through over 300 events each year, and its flagship nine-day Sheffield Chamber Music Festival has seen Guest Curators including Steven Isserlis, Claire Booth and Errollyn Wallen each provide their unique stamp on the annual event. Previously Jo was Executive Director of Candoco Dance Company, a producing and artist development organisation for disabled and non-disabled dancers, and Executive Director of Protein Dance. Jo has also worked in finance, marketing and administration at the London Mozart Players, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition. She is Chair of Classical Sheffield, a trustee of Orchestras Live and the South Yorkshire Music Hub and a director of the Association of British Orchestras, as well as being a member of the Sheffield Cultural Leaders Group and Sheffield Cathedral Music Board. She recently completed an MBA in Senior Leadership (Culture).
A horn player, Jo read music at Edinburgh University and afterwards continued her post-graduate studies at the Royal College of Music, London. She continues to perform, appearing in musical theatre shows and with a variety of ensembles in Yorkshire and across the country, as well as playing cornet in a local brass band.
Lorna Aizlewood
Lorna has over 30 years’ experience in the arts, music, television, film, digital new media, IT and associated industries. Also a solicitor, she has broad commercial and legal knowledge and experience in operational matters such as strategy, branding, budgeting, operations, P&L accountability, business development, HR and the management of teams. She is also Chair of the Board of Directors and Trustees of the Arts Council England NPO the English Folk Dance and Song Society. She is passionate about the ability of the arts to transform lives and opportunity for all.
Lydia Connolly
Board Director with HarrisonParrott for over 30 years, Lydia was worldwide general manager for a prestigious roster of instrumentalists, conductors and composers. She was additionally Head of Inclusion and Access at HP and continues as a Trustee of the HarrisonParrott Foundation. Lydia is now working as an independent consultant focused on mentoring both musicians and music industry professionals.
Lydia was the first woman to read Music as an undergraduate at New College, Oxford — during which time she also qualified as a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (violin). She is an alumna of the Strategic Leadership Programme at Saïd Business School Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Lydia has been a Board Member of the International Artist Managers’ Association as well as a long-standing member of the IAMA Broadcasting and Media Committee. She has been invited to speak at industry conferences including IAMA, ABO, Women in Music, SouthbankCentre, Institut Francais, Classical:NEXT, EBU, SphinxConnect, Alink-Argerich Foundation; and has experience as an international competition juror as well as leading seminars and workshops with young musicians and music industry professionals.
Mark Pemberton
Mark Pemberton OBE was for 15 years Chief Executive of the Association of British Orchestras, which exists to champion, connect and develop professional orchestras across the UK. After graduating from Oxford University he started his career in arts management as Administrator of professional touring theatre company Quicksilver Theatre for Children, before moving to leading drama conservatoires Drama Centre London as Administrator and Mountview Theatre School as Head of Development & Marketing. Before joining the ABO he was Chief Executive of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, the UK’s representative body for amateur and community theatre, during which time he served as chair of Voluntary Arts England. He served as chair of the UK’s National Music Council, which exists to promote the interests of the music sector as a whole, from 2010 to 2022. He was awarded an OBE for services to music in the New Year Honours 2022. Since September 2022 he has been a consultant, with clients in the UK and abroad.
Ruth Minton
A soloist, collaborative pianist and educator, Ruth K. Minton is a Lecturer in Classical Performance at the University of Liverpool, leading modules on harmony and overseeing the provision for undergraduate Classical Performance. After graduating from Oxford with an MA Honours degree in music in 2010, Ruth graduated with a Masters degree in Music Performance from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, as well as an LRSM Diploma in Piano Performance. A sought-after performance coach and academic tutor, through having worked in a range of positions from primary to higher education, Ruth has extensive experience of music education in the UK. She is passionate about supporting the next generation in the arts, and particularly music, creating opportunities for all.
Strahinja Mitrović
Strahinja Mitrović is a double bassist, cultural advocate and philanthropist dedicated to using music as a force for social impact. A trustee of the HarrisonParrott Foundation and co-founder of Belgrade’s BUPBAP Festival, he is actively involved in charitable, educational and interdisciplinary initiatives that broaden access to the arts. Alongside collaborations with organisations including the Royal Ballet and Opera and London Fashion Week, he maintains an international performing career, having appeared at venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris and Barbican Hall. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, he was named one of Classic FM’s ‘30 Under 30’ Rising Stars and became the first double bassist to receive Guildhall’s Gold Medal since the award’s foundation in 1915.
PATRONS
Leia Zhu
Lauded for her musical maturity, expressive interpretations and impressive technical ability, 15 year-old British violinist Leia Zhu is recognised as a star of the future. Appointed Artist-in-Residence with the London Mozart Players in October 2021, she embeds herself within the orchestra, performing as a featured soloist, leading play/direct programmes and in chamber music. Leia also plays a crucial role in the orchestra’s community residencies in Croydon and Hastings, inspiring and motivating her peers through educational projects. In producing her own regular videos, Zhu is a confident communicator and passionate advocate for classical music. She regularly posts videos on her popular YouTube channel, where she shares her joy of music, composers and creativity, which attracts thousands of subscribers and views.
Matilda Lloyd
Matilda Lloyd is an award-winning trumpeter known for her expressive, lyrical style and virtuosic performances. A BBC Young Musician Brass Final winner and ECHO Rising Star for the 2024/25 season, she performs internationally as a soloist with leading orchestras and in major concert halls. Her recordings on Chandos have received critical acclaim, including BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Month. Matilda is passionate about music education and outreach, working as an ambassador for Brass for Africa, mentoring young musicians through Future Talent, and teaching at music conservatoires, universities and brass festivals internationally.
Ollie Howell
Ollie Howell is a multi-award-winning drummer, film/tv composer, instrumentalist, producer and broadcaster. Based in London, Ollie has established a name for himself internationally as a composer and performer. His live shows and recordings impress fans with a punchy blend of creativity, stunning improvisation and critically acclaimed compositions. Legendary producer Quincy Jones calls Ollie“an unbelievable drummer. So creative I couldn’t believe it. He really is a 360-degree beautiful young cat.” Ollie is the first ever jazz recipient of a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship, and his debut album Sutures and Stitches received critical acclaim, with the Guardian hailing it as“a fine debut” and Mojo stating that his music“has delicious dynamic flow and an almost elegiac beauty”. As a composer for Film and Television, Ollie has written scores for many award winning films and tv series, with his work being screened at International Film Festivals all around the world (including earning several‘Best Original Score’ nominations). Alongside multiple recent feature film scores and tv series, Ollie also recently worked as a Musical Arranger/Instrumentalist on‘Dynasties’, the David Attenborough TV series for the BBC, composed by Benji Merrison and Will Slater.
TEAM
Anna Rodrigues: HP Foundation Secretary
Catherine Fairlamb, HP Foundation Treasurer
Lissy Kelleher-Clarke: HP Foundation Manager
Lissy is the Manager of the HarrisonParrott Foundation. She graduated with a BA in Music from Nottingham University and then began a career in artist management. Following a decade working in artist management, she recently completed her MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology of Music from the University of London. Lissy’s research interests comprise barriers and enablers to young people’s participatory arts engagement. She believes participatory arts engagement has the power to transcend educational ability, physical disability and socio-economic status whilst affording an array of prosocial and wellbeing benefits to those who engage. However, thousands of young people in the United Kingdom are facing barriers to such engagement. Managing the HP Foundation serves as the ideal opportunity to deliver impact in this vital area of charitable activity, by generating meaningful engagement opportunities. Outside of her work with HarrisonParrott, Lissy continues to conduct action research, and volunteers in her community for arts organisations, such as Deptford X.
