Clinicians
Brett Baker
The Cory Band
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Dr. L. Brett Baker is internationally recognized as one of the foremost trombone soloists of his generation. Renowned for his expressive playing, flawless technique, and pioneering spirit, Brett has built a global reputation through a remarkable body of solo work that spans recordings, live performances, and educational outreach.
A passionate advocate for new music, Brett has commissioned over 100 solo works for the trombone, working with many of the leading composers of our time. He is one of the most recorded brass soloists in the world, having released over 40 solo albums, including eight under his own label, White River Evocations. He has featured as a guest soloist on a further 40 recordings across major brass band and classical labels.
Brett’s solo career has taken him across the UK, Europe, the USA, Australia, South America, and Asia, performing at leading venues and festivals including the International Trombone Festival, Trombonanza, and the American Trombone Workshop. His concert schedule sees him perform up to 50 solo appearances annually, where he also delivers masterclasses and workshops on solo technique and performance artistry.
Previously Principal Trombone of the legendary Black Dyke Band for 24 years, Brett now holds the Solo Trombone seat with the Cory Band, the UK’s number one ranked brass band. His artistry has earned him accolades such as the British Open Solo Championship title (three times) and the International Trombone Association’s President’s Award in 2020.
Brett has worked with a number of Championship section brass bands as Musical Director over the past few years, including, Leyland, Grimethorpe, Northop, Ratby, Elland and Thorsby Colliery.
Beyond performance, Brett serves as Sales Director and Global Artist Liaison for Denis Wick & Alliance Products, and is a long-time Artist for Michael Rath Brass Instruments, with whom he co-developed his own signature mouthpiece. A respected educator and conductor, Brett is also Chair of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators and continues to influence the future of brass through his teaching and mentorship.
Nicholas Childs
Black Dyke Band
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Professor Nicholas J. Childs
DMA, MA, FRNCM, FLCM, ARCM (Hons)
Heralded as a leading figure in the worldwide brass community, Professor Nicholas Childs has rightfully achieved the highest international reputation as a performer, teacher-clinician, conductor, interpreter and advocate of new music, and producer of pacesetting recordings.
His current tenure as Principal Conductor and Music Director of the famous Black Dyke Band has been marked with significant contest success, as well as a series of innovative concerts, world premières and recordings of major works for brass band with a variety of soloists and musical combinations.
In the brass band contest scene he has won the National Championships of Great Britain, Royal Albert Hall, British Open and European Championships, together with French, Swedish and Norwegian Championships.
In 2007 Nicholas Childs received the Iles Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the brass band movement.
In 2014 Nicholas was awarded a Professorship at the Royal Northern College of Music. College Principal, Professor Linda Merrick, revealed that “We are very proud to be able to honour Nicholas Childs’ outstanding contribution to the music profession with a professorial.
Nicholas has for many years been a Professor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo Japan.
He made his New York conducting debut at the Centennial Memorial Temple in 2016, and in June 2017 made his debut at Glastonbury Festival on the Pyramid Stage. In July 2026 he will return to the podium at the BBC Proms held at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Nick is married to Alison who plays tenor horn with Black Dyke and his daughter Rebecca plays baritone with Black Dyke.
Hannah Plumridge
Grimethorpe Band
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Hannah Plumridge is the Principal Cornet of the renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Originally from Brixham, Devon, she began learning the cornet at the age of seven, joining her local town band where she quickly progressed to the position of Principal Cornet. As a young teenager she gained extensive experience performing with musical ensembles across the South West of England and beyond, including the Grimethorpe Besson Youth Band. At sixteen, she gained her first experience performing as Principal Cornet of a Championship Section band when she joined The Mount Charles Band, while also serving as Solo Cornet of the Cornwall Youth Brass Band.
Hannah went on to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where she enjoyed a highly successful period. During her time at the College, she won the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble Prize on three occasions, the McGrenery Chamber Prize, and the Linda Mowat Solo Competition. In 2016, she was awarded the Harry Mortimer Memorial Trust Award, and in 2019 received a Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe scholarship following success in a trumpet competition at the Royal Academy of Music.
Shortly before beginning her studies in Cardiff, Hannah accepted an invitation from renowned conductor Philip Harper to join the internationally acclaimed Cory Band. Over the following decade she became an integral member of the band, performing on Second, Solo, and Repiano Cornet, while also regularly deputising on Principal Cornet, Flugelhorn, and Soprano Cornet whenever the need arose. This culminated in a four-month period in the Principal Cornet seat, during which she led the band to become the 2026 Welsh Champions, earning the Ian Williams Award for Best Principal Cornet. During her time with Cory, she contributed to victories at every major brass band championship, numerous recordings, international tours, and the band's historic Grand Slam-winning seasons.
Alongside her work with leading brass bands, Hannah has built an international reputation as a performer, educator, and adjudicator. She has appeared as a guest Principal Cornet with bands around the world, including performances at the National Brass Band Championships of New Zealand and Australia, and has worked as a tutor for the National Youth Brass Band of Switzerland.
A proud Besson Artist, Hannah remains passionate about inspiring the next generation of brass musicians through performance, education, and outreach. Alongside her performing career, she works in marketing, combining her musical expertise with a strong interest in arts communications and audience engagement.
Luc Vertommen
Hauts-de-France Brass Band & Brass Band Rijnmond
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Dr. Luc Vertommen was born in Leest (Mechelen) where he made his first acquaintance with (wind) music through the local fanfare band. He studied cornet, music theory and piano at the music academies in Mechelen and Willebroek. Further musical studies were completed with a triple diploma – trumpet, music history and band conducting at the Lemmensinstitute in Louvain. He also obtained a first prize in chamber music at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, a master degree for conducting and Doctor of Musical Arts (2011) at Salford University, Manchester, (UK). In 2023 he became a Doctor of Musical Arts at VUB (Brussels) with his study of the original repertoire of the Synthétists for wind band during the interwar years. He has immersed himself full-time in the world of band music as a brass teacher, player, conductor, arranger and writer.
He conducts the Hauts-de-France Brass Band (France) and Brass Band Rijnmond (Holland), is head of music school in Deurne (Antwerp) and teaches band conducting at Luca School of Arts (Leuven).
He can be heard on more than 50 highly acclaimed CD recordings and is editor and artistic director of Band Press VOF. He regularly is invited to conduct or adjudicate around Europe and obtained the International Buma Brass Award 2014 for his international work within the band movement.
His interest for the past and for band history started a series of books and CD recordings. For this Anthology of Flemish Band Music he received the Fugue-Trophy by Sabam (the Belgian authors right association) in 2011. He unearthed many pages and hours of original music by Belgian composers and his interest for the future is shown in his collaboration with many contemporary composers.
As an arranger some of his arrangements (especially those made for fanfare band and brass band) are played worldwide. He was finalists in the 1er Concours International d’Orchestration pour ensemble à vent, organized by Coups de Vents in France (2022).
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