Adjudicators

ADJUDICATORS 2026

Pamela Chilvers (Piano) studied Piano with Dame Fanny Waterman before graduating from the Royal Academy of Music.  She went on to a.PGCE at the University of Reading followed by a postgraduate Diploma in Music Therapy from the University of Bristol.

Pamela was an Examiner for ABRSM for nearly 20 years combining this with teaching advanced pianists including FRSM level, adjudicating and composing.

Her publishers, Mozart Edition UK, recorded ‘Changing Places’, a collection of instrumental compositions available on Spotify, and her piece ‘Kites’ is on the Grade 8 syllabus for MTB.

She has written 12 Piano pieces to accompany Wine from Ivan Rapuzzi’s ‘Ronchi Di Cialla’ vineyard in Northern Italy, and the music can be accessed by a QR code on the bottles.

Pamela has also written 16 pieces to capture the character of paintings by Alastair Dunstan a young portraitist working in Florence.

Her latest venture was in Malta, December 2025 where her commissioned piece ‘The sea between two islands’ for Flute and Piano was performed in Valetta.

Nigel Wilkinson (Piano) was for many years a senior producer for BBC Radio 3 and now works mainly as a pianist, teacher, examiner and adjudicator.

For the BBC, he oversaw the radio production of the Proms for six years and produced many hundreds of studio recordings, collaborating with a wide range of leading performers, including many of the world’s major pianists  He ran Radio 3’s Young Artists’ Forum scheme for emerging talent, and was made an honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his involvement with young musicians at the start of their professional career

In the last twenty years, private teaching has become a major part of his work, specialising in upper grade and diploma preparation: in that period, he has prepared over 100 pupils for grade 8 and taken more than fifty through diplomas (ARSM, dipABRSM, LRSM, ATCL and LTCL).  Nigel has also worked extensively as an external examiner and adjudicator for the Royal Academy of Music (2001 –05, 2012 -17 & 2020-26), the Royal College of Music (2006 – 10, 2016-17 and 2020-23) and the Royal Northern College of Music (2012 –15 and 2024-26).  Nigel was a diploma and grade examiner for the ABRSM for over twenty years, and his national panel/audition work includes: Music for Youth, Mottram International Piano Competition, BBC Young Musician of the Year, Young Concert Artists’ Trust, Kirckman Concert Society and major prizes at the RCM, Guildhall, and at the RAM.

Lorraine Deacon (Strings) studied the ’cello with Douglas Cummings and chamber music with Sidney Griller at the Royal Academy of Music, and whilst there was  awarded the Manson Prize for the Performance of Contemporary Music by Sir Michael Tippett. She subsequently undertook further studies with David Smith of the Alberni Quartet. Her performing career ranges from West End theatre to the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, whilst recordings range from the haunting cello solo on Katie Melua’s cover of “Turn to Tell” to the string chamber works of David Osbon with the Anglo American duo for Albany Records. She is principal ’cellist with the Chameleon Arts Orchestra and gives regular chamber music recitals at South Hill Park and Norden Farm Arts Centre in Berkshire. Concerto performances include Bernstein’s Three Meditations and the concertos of Elgar and Walton under conductor Philip Ellis. For many years she taught the ’cello at Wellington College and has a busy private practice. Many former pupils have been awarded music scholarships to prestigious public schools or have gone on to further study at the country’s leading conservatoires. Lorraine is an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals.

Paul Harris (Wind) is one of the UK’s most influential music educationalists. He studied the clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the August Manns Prize for outstanding performance in clarinet playing and where he now teaches. He is in great demand as a teacher, composer, and writer (he has written over 600 books); he gives the occasional recital and his inspirational masterclasses and workshops continue to influence thousands of young musicians and teachers all over the world in both the principles and practice of musical performance and education.

Christine Cairns (Voice) has sung in concerts all over the world. Some of her highlights include concerts with the Vienna the Berlin Philharmonic the Los Angeles philharmonic orchestras with conductors such as Andre Previn Sir Simon Rattle and her husband John Lubbock.
When their younger son was diagnosed with severe autism she decided to devote her professional life to teaching since when she has taught in the conservatoire in Birmingham The Guildhall school of music and Drama and privately in Oxfordshire. She has also examined for several of the London colleges adjudicated at many competitions and given master classes with a wide range of students.
Christine is delighted to be back at the Abingdon festival this year – a festival she particularly enjoys.