Flautists
Robert Winn
Robert Winn is acknowledged as one of Europe’s most experienced orchestral players and a sought after teacher. A graduate and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London he was principal flute of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 to 1997. He was professor of flute at the Franz-Liszt-Academy in Weimar, Germany. and since 1999 he has been professor of flute at the Köln Hochschule fuer Musik, Germany.
In the last decade more than 45 of his students have gained places in major orchestras all over the world. He has published several technical study books for the flute including ‘High Performance Flute’ and ‘Melodies for Developing Tone and Interpretation’.
Kate Hill
As a member of the English Chamber Orchestra for thirty years Kate travelled the world extensively, including tours to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Europe, North America, Brazil and Argentina, working with wonderful artists and music makers. Her freelance musical activities were widespread encompassing orchestral playing, concerto performances, chamber music and recording.
Her successful recording of the Mozart flute Concerto in G led to her recording the Concerto for flute and harp with harpist Lucy Wakeford. Kate has recorded the wind chamber music of William Alwyn on the Chandos label with the Haffner Wind Ensemble.She was a member of the Haffner Wind Quintet for over twenty years, and as a member of this wind ensemble she was a founder member of the Britten Sinfonia. Kate has now completed twenty-five years as a professor of flute at the Royal Academy of Music, a position which she has enjoyed very much. In 1998 she was awarded the Honorary ARAM.
Kate is a regular teacher with the Oxford Flute Summer School. For many years she was the flute coach for the Spanish National Youth Orchestra (JONDE). She taught at Chetham’s School of Music for nine years and for ten years the Royal Northern College of Music. She has many successful students who are now working in the music profession all over the world. Kate studied with Janet Way and Trevor Wye and performed at many master classes given by Marcel Moyse, William Bennett and Geoffrey Gilbert.
Carrie Hensel
Carrie Hensel trained as a flautist at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, subsequently working as a freelance musician, teacher and conductor of several youth orchestras and wind bands. Having now established a busy private teaching practice in Hampshire, she also enjoys tutoring and conducting on holiday courses, including the Oxford Flute Summer School and Flutewise.
Many of her students have gone on to achieve scholarships, play at county and national level and have successful musical careers. She is the founder and director of Hampshire Flute Days, and conductor and coach of several of Hampshire’s wind ensembles, both for youths and adults.
As conductor of the Hampshire Flute Choir, she has taken the group on tour to places such as Estonia and Germany. She has led them with regular performances at the National Festival of Music for Youth and British Flute Society conferences.
As a founder member of Flute Roots, and an enthusiastic supporter of musical education, she gives recitals and workshops to help inspire and motivate young musicians. She is also a Music Adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.
Robert Manasse
Robert Manasse is working as a freelance flute player with a wide variety of orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Welsh and English National Operas, The Philharmonia, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Sinfonia.
He is a member of the London Mozart Players, works with Jane Manning’s contemporary music group Jane’s Minstrels, and with the chamber music groups CHROMA and the Galliard Ensemble. Robert has a long-standing duo with the harpist Helen Cole. He studied with Kate Hill initially, and then later with Michael Cox and Sebastian Bell as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music.
Robert has taught at Dartington International Summer School, for the Royal Academy of Music, at the Junior Guildhall and at the international Kammermusik Festival in Oxford as part of the Albion Ensemble. He teaches at the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music in London.
Recordings include the award-winning CD of music by Harrison Birtwistle made in association with the Galliard Ensemble, music by Tony Payne played by Jane’s Minstrels, and arrangements of Beethoven played by the Albion wind ensemble.
Robert plays a silver Louis Lot flute from 1883. He read Applied Biology at Imperial College and later took a PhD in Plant Biochemistry.
Katie Bycroft
Katie has been involved with OFSS since it began in 1988, first as a helper to the founders Janet and Clive, and now as director. Her first and foremost teacher was Janet Way, and she has benefitted from nearly 40 years exposure to the teaching and performing of visiting tutors and musicians at the summer school. Katie initially studied Japanese at Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, then trained as a music therapist at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Katie enjoys a varied career of performing, teaching, and music therapy and is currently working for The Malta Trust Foundation to help establish a new centre for music and other creative arts therapies on the islands of Malta and Gozo.
Sinéad Walsh
Hailing from Dublin, Sinéad Walsh is quickly developing a diverse career as a flautist and young industry leader. A Britten Pears 2026/27 Young Artist, and Southbank Centre ‘Future Artist’ for the 2024/25 season, Sinéad was a finalist for the Irish Heritage Bursary 2025 and 2026 at Wigmore Hall, and is a 2025 recipient of the RPS Isserlis Scholarship.
Sinéad is an experienced solo, orchestral and chamber musician performing regularly across the UK and Ireland, having performed with orchestras such as the Ulster Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Knussen Chamber Orchestra and Irish National Opera.
Sinéad is the Founder and Co-Director of EMPOWER: Women Changing Music, a leading initiative dedicated to showcasing emerging musicians and women composers. Through EMPOWER, Sinéad has presented events at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Kings Place London, and Stoller Hall, developed the commissioning award ‘OpusHER’, now in partnership with ABRSM, and has performed live on BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’.
A confident presenter with a passion for participatory music, Sinéad was an Open Academy Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music, and regularly leads projects with organisations such as Sinfonia Smith Square, Chetham’s School of Music, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, City of London Sinfonia, Wigmore Hall, National Children’s Orchestra and Spitalfields Music. She is also the Associate Director for Buxton International Festival from 2026/28.
Sinéad recently completed her postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she was awarded a DipRAM and Exam Board Award for the highest final recital mark. Sinéad previously received a first class honours degree from the Royal Northern College of Music, and was awarded the Sir John Manduell award upon graduation, the college’s top prize, for exceptional contribution and outstanding potential.
Janet Way
Janet Way founded the Oxford Flute Summer School with her colleague Clive Conway in 1986. She has had a long career both as a player and teacher. Her own teachers were William Bennett, Geoffrey Gilbert and Marcel Moyse and during her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama she won a number of scholarships and prizes, including the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Prize.
She lectured on the art of teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and is a former diploma examiner and mentor for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and manager for Oxfordshire Music Service.
In 2014 Janet was commissioned by Boosey and Hawkes to produce a series of books for young instrumentalists called “Grade by Grade”. All 25 books for woodwinds are now published. In 2014 Janet was elected Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.
Clive Conway
Clive Conway was co-founder of the Oxford Flute Summer School and now has a consultative role. He is Vice Patron of the Tutu Foundation UK ( Patrons; Desmond and Leah Tutu) and his highly successful and innovative business, Clive Conway Productions now occupies most of his time.