Founder and Director of the CWYM and WYO 1971 to July 2007Don Riddell MBE BA, BMus, LRAM, LTCL
 Don Riddell was appointed Director of Music at Poole College in 1970. In 1971 he founded the Poole College Youth Orchestra (now the WYO) and shortly afterwards – the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians. He dedicated his life to inspiring and encouraging young musicians to make music. Don was awarded the MBE in the 2000 New Years Honours List for his services to youth music.
Sadly, Don passed away in September 2007. He leaves behind him a legacy for all young musicians in the area and all of us here at CWYM are determined to see that his wonderful work will continue, well into the future. Wessex Youth Orchestra Susanna Riddell AGSM, LTCL
Conductor WYO and Director of the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians  Susanna was a member of the Wessex Youth Orchestra for 9 years before taking up a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study cello with Raphael Wallfisch. On leaving music conservatoire, she began work as a freelance cellist before accepting a permanent position with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1997. During this time she continued to work at the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians, directing the Wessex Starter and Middle Strings for 12 years.
She has worked with many of the country’s main orchestras including the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and of course the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Susanna has coached for the Kent County Youth Orchestra and Eltham College in London and continues to teach cello privately in her spare time! Wessex Starter and Middle StringsJane Lee BMus Hons, LRAM
Conductor WSS & WMS  Jane loves being associated with the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians having benefited from playing with the Cheshire Youth Orchestra and the North West Youth Chamber Orchestra when growing up.
She read music at London University and studied violin as a post graduate at the Royal Academy of Music, Jane taught music first in Surrey and then later at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth, for 9 years. She has written and produced several musicals for young people and now teaches from home. She enjoys playing the violin, viola and double-bass in various local ensembles. She is Musical Director of Ringwood Musical and Dramatic Society and is honoured to be taking on the mantle of the renowned Highcliffe Junior Choir from Mary Deniss. Wessex Youth FanfareKerry Hunter FTCL, LTCL
Conductor WYF (Picture to come). Another former member of the Wessex Youth Orchestra, Kerry was principal flute with the WYO for 3 years. She went on to study at the Trinity College of Music and during that time played with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. On leaving music conservatoire she performed in musicals both in London and locally. She has taught flute at local schools including The Park School, Uplands, Wentworth Milton Mount, St. Michaels at Colehill and Cranford Community College. Kerry is currently teaching flute at Castle Court School and also at The College (Bournemouth and Poole College) Music Department. Music Theory Classes Beverley Williams GMus, Cert.Ed, AmusLCM. (Picture to come). Beverley Williams has been teaching music in local schools and at The College since 1978, but she says she’s not as old as she looks! She currently works part-time at The College, Ferndown Middle School and of course the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians. As a student, Beverley’s first instrumental study was percussion and the Wessex Youth Orchestra was the first orchestra she played in. She has many happy memories of this time and one not so happy, when someone dropped a cymbal on her toe which she says, scarred her for life! She likes chocolate, fundraising and taking music sessions at a pre-school but she hates spiders – so under no circumstances should any theory pupils take in any plastic spiders to surprise her! You can contact Beverley by email at (address disguised to prevent junk mail): bwcwym at aol DOT com.
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