Derek Carden - Conductor

Derek started his musical career as a cathedral chorister (Rochester) then read music at Nottingham University and the London Opera Centre.

He specialises in conducting, accompanying opera and church music, on organ or piano, giving organ recitals, and in teaching.  He has appeared throughout the UK, Europe and the US. He has recorded an orchestral CD with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, featuring the late Sir Patrick Moore.

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Adrian Charlesworth - Leader

Adrian has been leading orchestras since the age of 7.

Some privileges from Adrian’s varied freelance career are being awarded an ARAM for services to music and playing with - Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir George Mackerras and Sir Charles Groves.  He has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and English National Ballet in famous venues around the country like the Royal Albert Hall and of course the De La Warr Pavilion, where he has led Polo Piatti’s International Composers Festival Orchestra twice. He has performed for HM Queen Elizabeth II and for two Prime Ministers, on TV & video for Queen of Pop Kylie Minogue, on stage with Procul Harum, in accompanying strings for Burt Bacharach and Joss Stone and on film for Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible.
Adrian therefore brings remarkable diversity of the highest level performing experience to the Hastings Sinfonia, not just of symphony, chamber, opera and ballet, but of pop, rock, musical and film, from his work on stage, pit and studio, plus orchestral coaching.

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Polo Piatti - Artistic Director

Polo is an award-winning British-Argentine composer and one of the few high-profile international living musicians concentrating exclusively on the creation and promotion of melodic, universally appealing classical music. His ‘Bohemian Piano Concerto' was premiered in Virginia, USA to a long-standing ovation and later recorded by the National Symphony Orchestra in London together with his 'Old World Cello Concerto’. Polo's 'Christmas Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra’ CD has just been released and his multi-faith oratorio 'Libera Nos’ was premiered by the London Mozart Players recently. Polo is the founder and artistic director of the International Composers Festival 

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​Trustees

Sandra Goodsell, Penny Phillips, Jane Richards, Debbie Clarke

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Committee

Chair - Nick Hutton

Events Manager Sandra Goodsell  -  hastingssinfonia@gmail.com

Membership Secretary (Friends and Musicians) - Penny Phillips - hastingssinfoniafriends@gmail.com

Treasurer - Jane Richards

Secretary - Debbie Clarke

Librarian -  John Shuttleworth

Artistic Director - Polo Piatti

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Marketing and social media advisor - Alexandra Hudson

Safeguarding - Joanna Baxter

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