Board of Trustees
Community Music Wales has a Board of Trustees who meet quarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy development of the charity.
The members are from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. An observer from the Arts Council of Wales also sits on the Board but has no voting rights.
The Executive Officer of the Board of Trustees is the Director who is responsible for the effective management and strategic development of Community Music Wales in accordance with its constitution and aims and objectives.
Nick Corrigan (Chair) – Nick has been working professionally within the arts for the last forty years and has vast experience with community trustee boards having spent time as Vice Chair for Cardiff’s Third Sector Council; The 1910 Trust and Interim Chair of Green Willow Foundation. Recently he sat on numerous strategic boards for the Welsh Government (Educational Curriculum Review and Mental Health); Cardiff Councils’ Scrutiny Committee and two schools in South Wales. His specialist experience is in HR, fundraising and external public relations and his knowledge includes arts development and charity governance across the UK. Nick also ran drug and alcohol services for children across North Wales for CAIS and was responsible for substance misuse education and prevention. As well as being a published author of several books that focus on substance misuse, he also regularly speaks at international conferences on the criminal justice system and contextual safeguarding.
Alicia Stark - Alicia holds a PhD (Musicology) and an MA (Music, Culture, and Politics) from Cardiff University, and a Bachelor degree in Music Education from Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, USA. Her academic research focusses on identity construction in popular music, specifically in representations of gender and ethnicity in cartoon, hologram, and puppet bands. Born in Canada and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Alicia has been active in music education for more than 10 years in both the US and the UK. She has directed, music directed, or produced over 40 musical theatre and theatre productions for participants of all ages, including award-winning productions of Cotton Patch Gospel, Oedipus Rex, and Lebensraum. Recently, she has begun working with Tenovus as the choir leader for the Abergavenny Sing With Us Choir.
Elizabeth Bryan - Elizabeth is a third sector project manager who has managed youth, family, and education based programmes in Wales and across the UK. This has included managing grant funding from Big Lottery Fund, Children in Need, and Welsh Government, as well as developing policies on safeguarding, quality assurance, and volunteer management. An enthusiastic amateur violinist and singer, Elizabeth is a member of a symphony.
Rebecca Richards - Rebecca is an Chartered Public Finance Accountant (CIPFA) whose current role is the Director of the NHS Wales Finance Academy, which develops professional skills and operational practice across the finance functions within NHS Wales. Rebecca started her career with NHS Wales as an A level entrant trainee in 1990 and has since worked in healthcare organisations across South Wales, including holding positions of Finance Director / Deputy Chief Executive of two statutory NHS Wales organisations for over 15 years, leading their financial strategy and delivery.
Simeon Benavente - Simeon is a distinguished professional clarinettist, composer, woodwind teacher, and advocate for music education. He has freelanced with numerous professional orchestras and currently serves as Principal Clarinet with Orchestra de Cymru, Hereford Sinfonia, and Orchestra West. In addition to his performance career, Simeon is committed to fostering music and arts education in the community. He serves as a Community Focused Schools Officer for Music and Arts for Caerphilly Council, where he works to integrate and promote arts programmes within schools, ensuring students have access to quality music education and creative opportunities.
Karyn Phelps - Karyn currently works as Digital Learning Officer for WJEC, having previously been a music classroom teacher for 12 years. Karyn taught in secondary schools in RCT, as well as lectured at Coleg Gwent. Her current role sees her project managing digital resources for all WJEC qualifications. Karyn has also worked as a professional musician (Bassoon and Piano) for over 20 years, performing in ensembles and accompanying soloists and choirs. Karyn performs regularly with the Rhondda Symphony Orchestra and accompanies the Melody Makers ladies choir based in Caerphilly. She also sits on the board of the Welsh Chamber Orchestra and is a governor at her son’s school.
Dr Emma Lile - Emma is an Archivist at BBC Cymru Wales and a former Curator of Traditional Music, Sports and Customs at National Museum Wales. Having graduated from the University of Birmingham, she gained postgraduate degrees from Cardiff University and The University of South Wales in Welsh Ethnological Studies and Sports History, and has published various books and articles in these fields. A fluent Welsh speaker, her current role involves curating bilingual archival collections for reuse across the BBC, sourcing BBC Wales material for reuse on S4C platforms, licensing archival footage to external broadcasters, and advising on third party rights and copyright issues.
