Our Management Board
Nicola Hands
Nicola co-founded the ensemble in 2019. Having trained at the Royal Academy of Music, she is a busy freelance oboist, performing both with orchestras and chamber groups and as a soloist. She has experience with such groups as English National Ballet, Philharmonia Orchestra, English National Opera and RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Artistic Director
Paul Harris
Paul Harris 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.
©Paul Harris 2026
Rhian Samuel
In her youth, composer Rhian Samuel (b. Aberdare, Wales, 1944) was an oboist and has since written much music for woodwinds. Her orchestral music includes Elegy-Symphony (St Louis SO, Leonard Slatkin, 1981), La Belle Dame sans Merci for chorus and orchestra (co-winner, ASCAP/Rudolph Nissim Award, USA, 1983) and Tirluniau/Landscapes, commissioned by the BBC for the Millennium Proms. A BIS CD (with Ruby Hughes, soprano, BBCNOW, Jac van Steen, conductor) containing her orchestral song-cycle Clytemnestra was short-listed for a Gramophone Award in 2020; the latest of her eight voice-and-piano song-cycles, Of Swans, Snails and Geese, will be premiered at the Three Choirs Festival by Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside in July, 2026. After completing a PhD at Washington University, St Louis, USA, Rhian taught at the St Louis Conservatory of Music. She returned to the UK in 1984, to Reading University, then City University, London, where she is now Professor Emeritus, and Magdalen College, University of Oxford. She is co-editor of the New Grove/Norton Dictionary of Women Composers (1994) and has published articles on several of the operas of Harrison Birtwistle. She now composes full-time at her home in Aberdyfi, mid Wales.
(rhiansamuel.com)
Brenda Finney
Brenda Finney is an accomplished scientific leader, communicator, and mentor whose career spans translational science, data‑driven product strategy, and collaborative research across academia, biotechnology, and global software organisations. Currently Director of Product, In Silico & Data Insights at Instem, Brenda oversees a multi‑product portfolio and leads cross‑functional teams bringing innovative scientific and data‑centric solutions to market. Her work unites deep scientific expertise with strategic product management, ensuring that cutting‑edge research insights translate into impactful tools used across the drug development and safety landscape.
Before stepping into senior product leadership, Brenda built a distinguished career in molecular pathology, toxicology, and clinical pathology, serving in roles such as Vice President of Translational Science at Instem, Head of Molecular Pathology at Propath UK, and Principal Scientist at Sequani. She is also Editor‑in‑Chief of Comparative Clinical Pathology, where she guides scholarly content, oversees peer review, and helps shape the direction of research in the field.
Brenda’s scientific journey includes a PhD from Cardiff University, postdoctoral research with the Birmingham Platelet Group, and a long history of presenting at international conferences including SOT, JSOT, ACT, and Eurotox. Her publications span research papers, white papers, and a co‑authored book, Histological Techniques: An Introduction for Beginners in Toxicology.
Across all facets of her career, Brenda is known for clear communication, thoughtful leadership, and a collaborative approach that brings together scientists, executives, and diverse stakeholders. A dedicated STEM ambassador, she is passionate about education, mentorship, and widening participation in science.
Outside her professional sphere, Brenda brings creativity, discipline, and community spirit—qualities she is delighted to contribute to the ensemble’s advisory board.
TreasurerNicola Whiting
Nicola is a Nottingham-based Chartered Accountant who shares a passion for music as a flautist, performing with several Nottingham-based orchestras, and is the Treasurer of the Nottingham Young Musician of the Year.
Nicola has supported the Tailleferre Ensemble through attending concerts over the past few years, and since becoming treasurer has used her professional skills to further support the group.
Anke Batty
Anke is an experienced London-based solicitor with a longstanding commitment to music. In her teens, she was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and later reached the woodwind finals of the BBC Young Musician competition in 2008. She studied law at the University of Oxford, where she continued to play clarinet with the Oxford University Orchestra. Now with a toddler at home, she has a particular interest in music education initiatives, relaxed performance projects designed for younger audiences and improving the accessibility of performances for young families and specifically new mothers.