Derek Williams began his musical career at the age of six, studying the violin. Later, whilst a student at Nottingham High School, he became a member of the National Youth Orchestra. As a student he was in demand as a soloist, both locally and beyond, his repertoire included most of the major violin concertos, including those by Barber, Beethoven, Elgar and Sibelius.  After initially working in Bedford where he founded the Bedford Festival Opera and conducted a number of local orchestras in 1983 he returned to his home city of Nottingham to become Musical Director of the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra.  In 1985 he founded the Nottingham Youth Orchestra along with the late Stephen Fairlie, a previous Director of Music at the School. The organisation now comprises three orchestras involving some 240 players from 50 schools in Nottinghamshire and beyond who meet at the High School each week for rehearsals during term time.

Isobel Bounford studied violin at the Royal Academy of Music.   She has been involved with the musical life of Nottinghamshire for many years both as a teacher and performer, in particular through the activities of the Nottingham Choral Trust.  In her spare time she also enjoys long distance walking, gardening and playing the trombone!

Tony Morgan read music at Manchester and Cambridge Universities and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music.  He is a former member of the National Youth Orchestra and the English and Scottish Chamber Orchestras and plays regularly with many of the country's leading orchestras.  He has taught at the Birmingham Conservatoire for twenty years and latterly at Keele and Nottingham Universities.  He is a consultant for Leicestershire and is the principal conductor and artistic director of the English Pro Musica.