About New Dots

New Dots was founded in 2012 with the aim of helping to create the future of classical music by connecting UK based emerging composers and musicians to support them in forming professional collaborative relationships for the future. We provide performance opportunities for them and support the connection to a broad audience.

We promote a small number of events a year that feature new or recently written works. We want to create a conversation about the music at each event so we include opportunities to hear the composers and musicians talk about the music during the concert and select venues that allow the audience, composers and musicians to discuss the music after the concert.

Our Values

• We believe that contemporary classical music is relevant and can enrich people's lives
• We think that there is huge talent and creative energy in contemporary composition and performance
• We believe there is an opportunity to do more to enable new composers and performers to reach a broader audience
• We support craft and talent
• We will not compromise on quality in anything we do

Our Team

Steve Cook

Steve Cook is a commercial manager at BP. He has worked with a number of charities over the past 7 years, providing business planning advice to a London based property trust and organisations that support young people and carers.

Steve believes in the power of bringing the energy of a diverse set of expert perspectives to bear on the issues facing small charities and how they can become more sustainable. He has a BA and D.Phil from Oxford University.

Meryl Wingfield

A former consultant in customer relationship management, Meryl currently holds a senior role in BP's R&D organisation. She has also worked with the capacity building organisation Pilotlight, advising charities on strategic planning.

Meryl has a MSci in Chemistry from Imperial College, London. She has played the violin and piano since she was a child and current plays with the Farnborough Symphony Orchestra

Richard Uttley

Richard Uttley is a pianist currently represented by Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT), who is recognised for his ‘musical intelligence and pristine facility’ (International Record Review) and has been featured as a Rising Star in BBC Music Magazine. His awards include 1st prizes in the Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition 2010 and the British Contemporary Piano Competition 2006, as well as the Myra Hess Scholarship 2009. He has recorded two critically-acclaimed recital discs and commissioned works from composers including Timothy Jackson, Mark Simpson and Chris Willis. Richard has a Double First in Music from Clare College, Cambridge. (photo: Benjamin Harte)

Chris Wittlinger

Chris is a former management consultant turned entrepeneur. He currently serves as the COO of a London based start-up. Chris holds a B.Eng in Industrial Engineering from DHBW Stuttgart and a MBA from Cambridge University. He plays the saxophone  

Our Friends and Supporters

The Estate of Chris Bull

Chris Bull , BA (Music) 16/7/59 - 28/6/12. Chris Bull was a talented pianist and composer from Southampton who, aged 15, won a Hants & Dorset Music Scholarship to study piano under David Parkhouse, FRCM. He enjoyed a wide range of classical and contemporary popular music, so that alongside his piano studies he also found time to sing in a choral group and played both guitar & keyboards with friends in a "Prog-Rock" band. He was offered a place at the Royal College of Music but just a month before his A-Levels, while travelling to perform at a recital, he was involved in a car accident that left a quadriplegic. After a long recovery he completed his A-levels and went on to gain a 2:1 in Music at Southampton University, one of the first universities to take live-in disabled students. Chris returned to live semi-independently in Highcliffe on the South coast and continued to compose piano, chamber and orchestral music in what would be regarded as an avante-garde style in the classical tradition, He maintained his connection with Southampton University, collaborating with their quartet-in-residence; he also had some of his works performed by David Parkhouse at the Barbican and took on a few commissions for television.

Chris was a spirited individual who is greatly missed by his family and friends. He was especially passionate about contemporary classical music and left a bequest to be used for its promotion and performance. Having searched extensively for a suitable group to support, his family are very pleased to have encountered New Dots who are equally passionate and enthusiastic about this music. Chris would be proud to be associated with New Dots and his family hope his bequest will help this vibrant and exciting charity continue its ambitious programme.

Cathy Pyle

Cathy Pyle is a Surrey-based photographer specialising in contemporary and creative portraiture and still life photography.

See her portfolio at http://www.lemonyellowphotography.com

Ed Davison

Ed Davison is a director of the Digital Consultancy - Digital Potion

Digital Potion loves to chip-in for charities and projects such as new dots, where the use of digital communications can make a real difference bringing other people's passion to a wider audience.

http://www.digitalpotion.co.uk

Matthew Downes

Matt was one of the founding trustees of new dots and stepped down from the board of trustees at the end of 2013, although still continues to support us behind the scenes. He has a success career in orchestra management and currently works at the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He was also the principal trombone of Fulham Symphony Orchestra for the past ten years.