We are a small team of musicians, led by our Artistic Director Peryn Clement-Evans, and supported by our brilliant team of volunteer trustees.
Our Trustees
Adrian Barsby
Having progressed from porter to general manager via traditional hotel training, and after several general manager postings throughout England, Adrian moved to Wales in 1994 to operate a private company with hotels throughout Great Britain. The company gained benchmark Investor in People status and won Employer of the Year in 2002. He has been Chair of North Wales Tourism and Wales Tourism Alliance (2015 – 2018) representing more than 6000 Welsh Tourism enterprises to Welsh and UK Governments. He has been active with the Chamber of Commerce, Institute of Directors (IoD) and regional economic development. Adrian is associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University and his company Barsby Associates Ltd has mentored over 200 enterprises since 2007 winning contracts for projects across northeast Wales WRAP (wrap.org.uk) and Regional Development Partnership (RDP).
Amanda Pemberton
Amanda grew up in north Wales’ musical environment – Rhyl Music Club, Welsh National Opera and Llangollen International Eisteddfod – and grew up surrounded by music as a daughter of a Jewish Czech violinist. Her profession was physiotherapy and in that capacity she worked as an instructor for Riding for the Disabled for 23 years. Latterly Amanda has been a piano and clarinet teacher for adults and children in the Colwyn Bay area. She enjoys playing in an entertainment band and loves playing in church. She has supported the work of Ensemble Cymru for more than 15 “wonderful years”.
Carolyn Burton
Carolyn was born in Thailand and brought up in Anglesey, learning the violin and piano from an early age, enjoying playing in a variety of orchestras and ensembles, including 6 years for the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. She went on to study music at the University of Birmingham, and since graduating in 2017 has been working in the music education sector. She is currently the Schools Officer for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (since September 2020) and before that was the Music Hub Administrator and peripatetic violin teacher for Ealing Music Service in London (2017 – 2020). She is an active violinist and still enjoys being involved in the North Wales music scene – regularly playing with the Brynafon String Quartet (founder member and previous manager) and the North Wales Camerata (manager). Having benefited from excellent youth music provision, Carolyn is committed to ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from the opportunities that she was lucky enough to experience with a particular interest in schools and education, children and young people, and young people interested in a career in music (whether as a performer, arts administrator etc).
David Roberts (Chair)
David has been a member of staff of Bangor University for over 35 years, serving as University Secretary and Registrar for 15 years and as Academic Registrar prior to that. He served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2010 and became an Honorary Fellow in 2015. A historian by background, he wrote a history of the University [Bangor University 1884-2009], which was published in 2009 to mark the University’s 125th anniversary. He is committed to supporting arts and culture and is a trustee of a number of other arts and heritage charities.
Phil Brooks – Treasurer
Former Head of Accountancy and Exchequer at Conwy Borough County Council, Phil is married with three children. He has a lifelong interest in the arts, theatre, and music, attending events at Theatre Clwyd regularly and actively supporting Ensemble Cymru concerts. Following a degree in politics from York University, he qualified as an accountant and has spent 40 years in local government, housing associations and consultancy.
Samantha Butler
Samantha, a computer scientist by trade, is passionate about using her skills to help and support others. As IT and AV Support Manager at Bangor University, she analyses incoming data to spot patterns and trends to enhance several projects, and she’s bringing her skills and enthusiasm to Ensemble Cymru to help understand the impact that Ensemble Cymru has on local communities, performers, musicians, and audiences. She’s committed to supporting Ensemble Cymru in their mission and brings an attention and focus to audience data, insights and evaluation.
Sarah Gwyndaf-Roberts
Sarah is a qualified solicitor specialising in Intellectual Property and Information Technology. She has over 20 years’ experience in complex and technical multi- million pound projects both in-house and in private practice. She is currently working as Chief Legal Officer in the pharmaceutical sector. She has also acted as legal advisor advising on strategic, commercial and regulatory advice with special responsibility for risk. Sarah lives in North Wales with her husband and three children, all of whom play instruments. Sarah has a particular interest in enabling children of all backgrounds to be able to experience music and to gain access to musical instruments.
Dr Stuart Anderson
Stuart is a retired GP who moved to North Wales in 1979, where he met his wife Liz. They have two grown-up children. From 1986-2006 he was a GP for the towns inundated by the 1990 Towyn Flood Disaster. From 1999-2017 he served on Conwy County Borough Council, chairing this from 2012-14. Stuart has retained his interest in music, singing for many years with the St Asaph Choral Society and playing the viola in Noel Tredinnick’s Prom Praise Orchestra. After several visits over 10 years, in 2015 Stuart organised a concert in Saxony to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Colditz Castle, where his father had been a Prisoner of War. He is currently supporting volunteer efforts to secure a future for the Sports and Recreation Centre next to Kinmel Bay’s primary schools, and serves on the UK support Board for a mission school at Mwanza in Tanzania.
Wyn Thomas
A native of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. Wyn spent his entire career in music – either as a school pupil, student, researcher, lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the field. It has been his privilege to spend 40 years working at a University located in the heart of beautiful north Wales, guiding students through the richness and diversity of the musical tradition and inspiring postgraduate researchers to delve deeper into their fields of expertise. He has been a member of Ensemble Cymru’s management board since its inception in 2001 and in that role, is responsible for sharing his understanding of the world of music in Wales and the use of music in the Welsh community. He spent a period of time as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University but the passion and attraction for music remains an integral part of his interest.
