LUUMS Alumni Spotlights – Leeds University Union Music Society

Alumni Spotlight – El Clarke

El Clarke is the outgoing president of LUUMS, former concerts manager, conductor of the Symphony Orchestra (2024-26) and Sinfonia (2023-24). El Clarke is Master’s level student studying Musicology at the University of Leeds. Originally from Essex, El was a member of Essex Youth Orchestra and Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra as a percussionist and occasional…

Alumni Spotlight – Dr. Susan Wanless

Dr. Susan Wanless conducted the LUUMS Symphony Orchestra and Chorus between 1980-1984. Susan came to the University of Leeds in 1974 to read Music and then did a further three years study there, researching leitmotif in the operas of Verdi. It was during this time that she took up conducting, collaborating in various Music Department…

Alumni Spotlight – Founders of the LUUMS Percussion Ensemble

The LUUMS Percussion Ensemble was founded in 2022 by Ashruta Mani & Marcia McCants . With their shared goal of making percussion music more accessible to student musicians, Ashruta and Marcia created a space for percussionists of all skill levels to explore a range of instruments and genres of music. Following a trial period in…

Alumni Spotlight – Dave Jackson

Dave Jackson is the biggest supporter of LUUMS and has been an honorary patron of the society since 2011! How did you come across LUUMS? I first came across LUUMS, or the Music Society as it then was, at the Societies Fair during Freshers week when I first arrived in Leeds as a student in…

Alumni Spotlight – Mia Windsor

Mia was one of the managers of the LUUMS Composers Collective for 3 years during her Undergraduate and Master’s degree at the University. Mia Windsor is an experimental musician currently completing a practice-led PhD project at the University of Leeds (with funding from Leeds Doctoral Scholarship). The PhD involves building and improvising with Muta: her…

Alumni Spotlight – Founders of LUUMS Brass Band

In conversation with founding members of the LUUMS Brass Band founded in September 1988. Looking back on the year 1988, when LUUMS Brass Band was founded by a small community of student brass players at the University of Leeds. University brass bands were fewer and far between 38 years ago, and founders Sue Frencham, Sue…

Alumni Spotlight – Oliver Heath

Oliver Heath was an active member of LUUMS during his degree, as conductor of Chamber Choir (2023-25), Concerts Manager (2023/24) and Freshers Representative (2022/23) Since leaving University, Oliver has been able to immediately work full time as a Freelance Conductor and Singer. He currently serves as Choral Director for Salford Cathedral and Associate Choral Leader at St Martin-in-the-Fields and…

Alumni Spotlight – Patrick Rimes

Patrick Rimes conducted the LUUMS Symphony Orchestra during while doing a BMus in Performance at the University of Leeds. Photograph by Meinir Siencyn Patrick Rimes is a musician, composer, arranger and educator from North Wales. Born and raised in the thriving traditional music heartlands of Eryri, North Wales he went on to study classical violin and…

Alumni Spotlight – Bibi Thomas Gándara

Bibi was the secretary (2020/21), president (21/22) and treasurer (22/23) of LUUMS during her time at the University of Leeds! Throughout her time in LUUMS, Bibi was a member of Chorus, Brass Band, SymphonicWind Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir. She now works as a SeniorAssistant Artist Manager at a IMG Artists in London. Can…

Alumni Spotlight – Ben Frampton

Ben Frampton conducted the LUUMS Symphony Orchestra from 2022-23. Ben is currently working back at the University of Leeds as a Helpdesk Coordinator and as a Freelance Conductor, having studied Mathematics and Music as an undergraduate. He was part of the 2020 Cohort that started their LUUMS adventure online, playing instruments to each other in…