Musical Director and Band Leaders

Nicholas Garman, Musical Director
Nicholas has a deep connection with St Albans City Band having played cornet with us and conducted us many times over several decades. He has also played with many of the country’s finest bands including Brighouse, Cory, Fairey, Foden’s and Grimethorpe. And as a conductor, Nicholas has won ‘best entertainment’ in the Cory Online Entertainment Contest and other local entertainment contests and has also conducted at the National Finals of Great Britain. 

Beth Calderbank, Adult Training Band leader
Beth started her musical journey at the age of six in the West Midlands where she was a member of Sandwell Youth Music, gaining a place at the Royal Northern College of Music where she graduated in 2012. While at the college Beth made her professional debut with the Halle Orchestra and went on to become a busy freelancer working regularly with Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and the orchestra of Opera North. As well as Orchestral performance, Beth was a regular deputy with the areas top bands and particularly enjoyed performing with Fodens and Brighouse and Rastrick. Beth has since worked with most of the UK orchestras including the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, BBC Symphony, City of Birmingham, London Philharmonic, BBC Scottish, Welsh National Opera and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Beth is also a specialist on doubling instruments and is in regular demand as an alto trombone, Euphonium and Bass Trumpet player. 

Simon Tong, Youth Band Leader
Simon Tong is a freelance trumpet player from London and enjoys a varied career performing baroque and Renaissance music on period instruments through to more contemporary music touring festivals with artists. He has also played as part of the Macau Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and is currently principal trumpet with Regents Opera. Simon studied at the Royal Academy of Music where he was awarded a full scholarship and went on to complete both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees under the tuition of James Watson, Rod Franks, Mark David and Robert Farley. During this time, Simon performed solos at the London Handel Festival, toured Hong Kong with the University of London Symphony Orchestra, and played trumpet in a performance of Soldiers tale alongside the LPO’s Foyle Future First programme. After graduating, Simon started an educational fellowship with the Open Academy which started his future work as a teacher and workshop leader. He was awarded a fellowship for Southbank Sinfonia where he performed for the 2011 season, which included performances at the Royal Opera House and London Festival Hall and performing alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Simon is the upper brass tutor for the National Orchestra for all, and for the Camden Youth Brass Band and hopes to continue promoting brass playing in the youth of the area.