team - Islington Festival of Music and Art

Islington Festival of Music and Art is a Registered Charity, Number 1198568

Joana Ly is a Trustee of the Charity. She is the Artistic Director of the Festival, designs this website, is in charge of all publicity and promotion, and will play in the 2024 Festival.
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Martin André is a Trustee of the Charity. As well as playing the piano in several concerts during the Festival, Martin is the General Manager of the Festival, responsible for the finances and the co-ordination with the sponsors and the 9 venues around Islington.
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Mark Johnson is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
His entire career has been spent in the boarding school environment leading to his appointment as Headmaster of Cheam School. Since his retirement, he has launched two companies, MJA & KJA, which offer consultancy services to the education sector in the UK and Asia.
Mark’s love of classical music was nurtured by his father. Mark’s mother was a pianist but sadly those genes failed to permeate through to him! Mark is passionate about giving access to classical music, and the arts in general; as Chairman, his vision is that the IFMA provides a platform for the North London community. He is delighted that KJA is a regular sponsor for the opening concert of the Festival.

Fran Hills is a Trustee of the Charity. Fran studied music at Birmingham Conservatoire and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Now a freelance repetiteur she has worked for many companies including Garsington Opera, Glyndebourne Opera, Opera Holland Park, Opera North, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, English Touring Opera and most recently Copenhagen Opera House. She has played for several seasons at Bregenz Festival where she was repetiteur for the operas on the lake and orchestral pianist with Die Wiener Symphoniker. She has worked as a coach at the Royal College of Music, Morley College and British Youth Opera where concert venues have included The Clink restaurant in Brixton prison and the London Transport Museum where she played the accordion. She played for West Side Story and Guys and Dolls in Wandsworth prison with Pimlico opera and worked as musical advisor on the plays Quartet and Masterclass in the West End.

Anthony Foster is a Trustee of the Charity and the Festival's Production Manager.
After 23 years honing, amongst other things, his projects management skills as a City lawyer, Anthony, a resident of Islington, joined the IFMA Team for the 2022 Festival and is still here with us! His knowledge of the Borough and his good-natured patience with musicians are proving to be doubly invaluable!

This Festival would absolutely not be possible without the generosity, kindness and encouragement from a huge number of people and organisations, including the following:

OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS
Justin Joseph
Chloe Xiao
Valérie Thibault
Vidura Sothilingam
Niya Lecheva
Bertha Kum
Spencer Mordue

PARTNER VENUES
Angel Central
Christ Church Highbury
St. Mary's Church, Upper Street
The Little Angel Theatre
The Green Clerkenwell
The Bakery Art Gallery
The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
White Conduit Project
Yoga at the Arc

CONCERT SPONSORS
Bridgewood & Neitzert
Davy's Wine Merchants
Mark Johnson Associates
FESTIVAL PARTNERS
Artisti con Brio
Islington Storyteller
Cavatina Chamber Music Trust
Marc Gascoigne Photography
QUINTET FRIEND
Howard Gatiss
SOLO FRIEND
Charlotte Heath