The Team

Bjorn Bantock took up the role of Director of Music in August 2025 and is excited to lead the university’s vibrant musical community with a commitment to diverse excellence, inclusivity, and artistic integrity.

With an open invitation to all students and staff with any musical interests to connect with our music department, Bjorn is keen for everyone to get involved in creating, performing, and celebrating music together, and is dedicated to fostering a creative and collaborative environment where music serves as a unifying force for all members of our community.

Bjorn Bantock is an internationally acclaimed conductor with over 30 years of professional experience leading a diverse range of orchestras and ensembles across the globe. Renowned for his dynamic performances and dedication to music education, Bjorn has conducted in countries including Chile, Argentina, Brazil, China, South Africa, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Russia, Malta, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. His extensive career encompasses principal conducting roles, guest appearances, festival leadership, and a commitment to nurturing emerging talent through masterclasses and educational initiatives.

Alex has a BA in History and Art History from the University of Nottingham and an MA in Museology from UEA.

After graduating, she worked in the museum sector, before re-joining UEA, as a member of staff, in 2007.

As Music Centre Administrator, Alex works closely with the Director of Music and Choirmaster to organise concerts, manage ensembles, coordinate scholarships and awards, support student-led music making and manage the Music Centre’s facilities.

Alex really enjoys working for the UEA Music Centre and being part of UEA’s thriving music community.

Tom Primrose is a critically acclaimed British conductor, accompanist and coach, whose performances have won praise for their discipline, grace, and imagination. Recent conducting engagements have included Antony McDonald’s critically acclaimed The Rake’s Progress with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the Grange Festival, Die Fledermaus in Lucerne, and Beethoven Missa Solemnis, again with the BSO. Next season he has various concert work taking him around the UK, and he conducts Britten’s Turn of the Screw in the Linbury at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Tom’s freelance work takes him all over the world, working at theatres such as Palais Garnier and Bastille with Opéra National de Paris, The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Norwegian Opera in Oslo, Polish National Opera, Theater an der Wien, Korea National Opera, Opéra de Montecarlo, and the Mariinsky Hall in St Petersburg. In the UK he has freelanced in the music departments of the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, the Grange Festival, Shadwell Opera, Opera Holland Park, and a number of others. He has assisted or chorus-mastered for a host of esteemed conductors. In addition to the core operatic repertoire, Tom is sought after in the preparation of twentieth century and contemporary opera. He has strong connections with East Anglia where he is Artistic Co-Director of the Southrepps Music Festival, works regularly with the Cambridge Philharmonic, and acted for a time as Assistant Organist and Director of the Girls’ Choir at Norwich Cathedral. Tom is an award-winning piano accompanist, and has performed in many of the UK’s principal concert halls and festivals, on BBC television and radio, and has collaborated with many of the UK’s and Europe’s leading singers and instrumentalists. He remains a sought-after coach and as a chorus trainer, combining his wide ranging repertoire knowledge with a singular understanding of vocal technique and pedagogy. Tom studied at the University of Oxford with Robert Saxton, and at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Dussek and Malcolm Martineau.

Rob joined the Music Centre team in 2023 after working for nine years at UEA Library and before that in public libraries and local archives. Rob’s passion for both music and history has led to him becoming the official historian of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, and he is proud to have written and published their official history in 2021.

As Assistant Administrator at the Music Centre, Rob finds being able to play a part in providing musical opportunities to both the UEA and wider communities hugely rewarding.

When not attending concerts or helping facilitate them, Rob can also occasionally be found playing piano in local jazz ensembles.