Our team

Antonio is a Malawian-born, Afro-British events curator raised in Southampton. His educational background is in Creative and Cultural Industries. Antonio's journey into music was first sparked by his cousin, a Grime MC turned Afrobeats artist Atupele, who lived with his family for a bit. His own tastes deepened through earphones and a spotify account that led train rides to college. Antonio is one of our Assistant Producers, following a successful season of the Vibe Collective.

Antonio's music blend: music mixed with art exhibits.

Carley's first concert was High School Musical Live, beating out the Dora act her younger sister saw. Live music wasn’t a thought after that (Troy wasn’t at the show), but 15 years later she sees every concert she can from punk to ballet. She has worked for TS since November 2024, as an inaugural member of the Vibe Collective and now an Assistant Producer.

Carley's music blend: punk to ballet!

David’s love of music started at the age of 4 when his dad introduced him to Black Sabbath. His music taste has diversified in part due to working here. He enjoys most styles of music and loves spending his time at live gigs and festivals with friends. David enjoys finding new artists to love which is one of the main reasons he works at Turner Sims the other being able to work with a fantastic group of people at a very inspiring venue.

David's music blend: heavy rock, metal and alternative, Bluegrass, blues, jazz and global music.

Ellie got her first CD when she was seven and has been singing along to her favourite songs at home and at concerts ever since. She’s been part of the team since January 2024 and works to promote arts and culture across the University. Ellie is a creative writing graduate and has previously worked for Marshall Amplification, AUBSU, and the University of Southampton’s Student Success team.

Ellie’s music blend: an eclectic mix of indie, pop, rock, musical numbers, and movie soundtracks.

Frankie is a second year music student with a keen interest in electronic music and music production. Previously part of the Future Producer team, he is now one of our Assistant Producers.

Frankie's music blend: electronic music, experimental, electronica, and shoegaze.

Frankie had dreams of becoming a saxophonist, but was given a clarinet aged 8 and happily never moved on. Her role focuses on engagement, working with our local community and emerging music industry professionals. Frankie also works with Southampton & IoW Music, and previously led learning programmes with Liverpool Philharmonic.

Frankie's music blend: weird and wonderful new sounds, folky twists, and crunchy harmonies.

Isabelle is a second year music student at the University of Southampton who has had a love for music since starting piano lessons at age 7. She was a member of the Vibe Collective at Turner Sims last year and is looking forward to organising more performances for the foyer.

Isabelle’s music blend: jazz, funk, neo-soul, rock, and a sprinkling of classical.

As one of the smallest children in her school, Jessica often turned heads when seen carrying her large cello! Although she no longer plays, her love of music and the arts remains. She has held Engagement and Learning roles in organisations including Southbank Centre and Trinity Laban. Jessica joined us in April 2023 to lead the development of programmes for children, families and young people.

Jessica's music blend: effortlessly soulful to wind down at the end of the day or a lively jive to get the body moving!

Jilly once sang with an all female a cappella group called Smashing Dishes. She now leads our Box Office team, making sure customers never notice the frantic paddling that goes into providing a smooth customer service.

Jilly's music blend: most kinds of music apart from shouty shouty music!

Jo's earliest memories are her parents singing and playing acoustic guitar. Her house was full of music from hymns to country, Motown and Bach. She discovered music was actually magic aged eight, when her dad played her 'Luka' by Suzanne Vega. She has spent her career encouraging people to experience that magic - and more - at Theatre Royal Winchester, Salisbury Playhouse, The Tower, and now Turner Sims.

Jo's music blend: eclectic! Melancholic acoustic folk and indie, bassy beat-driven dance, eighties-tinged electronica, and loud angry guitar.

Josh is a dynamic community music practitioner and an independent neo-R&B artist under the stage name Ramha. Josh coordinated the youth festival, Emerge, in Southampton and hosts a radio show on Unity 101, sharing their love for music with a broader audience while promoting emerging talents in the local scene. Josh joined us as an Assistant Producer, having previously been part of The Vibe Collective.

Josh's music blend: neo-R&B, soulful melodies and contemporary beats.

Spells in a church choir and the London Symphony Chorus, as a school music prefect, and concerts manager at university set Kevin up for a music career that has encompassed orchestral management and directing a 17-day festival comprising everything from classical concerts to Abba tributes. Joining us in July 2000, Kevin’s role covers strategic programming and co-ordinating concerts in the venue and beyond.

Kevin’s music blend: anything from choral evensong to the musicals of Stephen Sondheim, prog rock, European jazz, Björk, Benjamin Britten, and Stravinsky.

Leo has been a musician and music student for 5 years. He has loved music ever since his Dad used to play records when he was young. He keeps busy teaching, recording and performing music. Leo is part of our crew, helping load sound equipment and bands in and sometimes helping with sound checks.

Leo's music blend: 70s rock and great popular music.

Leyanne loves to sing and exercise her vocals either in choirs or playing in local bands. She joined us in February 2024 and worked previously at Nuffield Southampton Theatres.

Leyanne's music blend: Avid gig goer with eclectic music tastes - particularly smart lyrics and music that moves her, emotionally or physically.

Liz comes from a musical family and grew up surrounded by music of all genres, which lead to her becoming a professional singer/entertainer for over a decade. She started working at Turner Sims as an Arts Administrator in January 2012. Liz previously worked as an administrator in the University’s Research & Innovation Services team.

Liz’s music blend: vocal harmonies, noisy percussion, and evocative melodies.

Louise's love of music began at a young age, sat on stage at a Humphrey Lyttelton gig aged 4. She joined in 2016 and leads on arts and culture strategic development. Louise has worked in leadership, commissioning and curatorial roles at Art on the Underground, Serpentine Galleries and AN: The Artists Information Company.

Louise's music blend: eclectic, jazz-influenced and emotive vocals.

Ralph is a second-year music student at Southampton who has enjoyed creating and listening to music since a young age. Previously part of the Future Producer team he is now an Assistant Producer.

Ralph's music blend: film music, acoustic, electronic ambient, and alternative rock.

Sara fell for music, aged 2, at the toddler music group her parents ran from their living room. She joined us in April 2023 to lead on marketing and communications strategy. Sara has worked in senior roles for the Arts Marketing Association, Salisbury Arts Centre, and Energise Me.

Sara's music blend: rich harmonies, soaring melodies, cheerful beats, and unusual instrumentation.

Val came of musical age in the glam punk era - a time that still informs her love of playful, experimental and authentic sounds. Val joined Turner Sims in 2022, to take the lead on the day-to-day operations of the organisation, after 20 years working in the visual arts, including 15 years with our sister arts organisation John Hansard Gallery.

Val’s music blend: ambient, electronica, americana, grunge, soulful voices and great tunes!