Fiori Musicali (Fiori) are governed by the Trustees, while members of the Management Committee act in an advisory capacity and attend Trustees' meetings from time to time.
Fiori are constituted as the Fiori Musicali Charitable Trust (FMCT), a registered charity 100% owning Fiori Musicali Limited (FML), a company limited by shares. The Trustees normally meet four times a year.
The day-to-day operations of Fiori are managed by the Director of FML and the Treasurer of FMCT, who are appointed by the Trustees under a Management Agreement and accountable to them.
Fiori's charitable status
FMCT is registered in England as a Charity no.802684 and is regulated under the Charities Acts.
We have full charitable status in the UK allowing us to raise funds from donations and legacies, on which neither Inheritance Tax nor Capital Gains Tax is charged, while donations can be offered to Fiori under the Gift Aid scheme.
Fiori's legal status
While FMCT has wide powers, in practice Fiori operates through FML supported by donations from FMCT, and the Director of FML has full executive authority for the day-to-day activities of Fiori.
FML is registered in England and Wales as a Company no.2574653 and is regulated under the Companies Acts.
Board membership
Trustees and members of the Management Committee are as follows, all reside in Northamptonshire (unless indicated) :
Gail Arnott – TrusteeGail was until recently Chief Executive of The Castle Theatre & Arts Centre, Wellingborough and is the most recent addition to the board of trustees. She has wide experience of arts adminstration and we are delighted to welcome her.
Morag Ballantyne – Management Committee
Morag is an independent consultant, facilitator and mentor in the arts and creative industries.with over 20 years experience across all artforms. Clients include individual artists, organisations, local authorities, Arts Councils (SAC and ACE) and other agencies.
Morag is senior mentor for the Arts Marketing Association, and a mentor for Business Link East Midlands Start Up programme, as well as being an accredited Action Learning Facilitator.
Morag is a Trustee of the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, where she Chairs the Challenge 125 Fundraising committee. She is a Trustee of South Northants Leisure Trust and a member of Scottish Dance Theatre’s Advisory Board.
Morag provides leadership on organisational development and business planning (currently funded under Progress 2), and assists with bid writing, monitoring and evaluation.
Sue Carverhill – Management CommitteeSue is Arts Development Officer for South Northamptonshire Council – a Local Authority providing regular grant aid for Fiori's activities in the district and funding for selected concerts in partnership with Orchestras Live. She has been familiar with Fiori's work for 20 years.
Sue provides on-the-ground marketing support and advocacy.
Michael Doolan – TrusteeMike is a biochemist and director of the European division of US-based company, with an MBA in International Marketing and Finance. He has a wide knowledge and appreciation of the relationship between business and culture worldwide.
As a long-established supporter of Fiori Musicali, with two daughters who have sung with Fiori since their teens, he recently became a Trustee to help address issues concerning financial sustainability. He helps to bring objectivity and a different perspective based on his extensive business and cultural experience.
Mike focuses on strategy and sponsorship-raising, actively helping to raise awareness within the business community.
Jeremy Greenhalgh – Trustee
Jeremy has been an international corporate financier all his working life, working first for a British merchant bank, then an American investment bank and finally a Swiss universal bank before going independent in 1996. His corporate advisory firm advises mainly unlisted UK and European clients on capital raising, acquisitions and financial strategy. He is a director of several companies and is the CEO of an internet start-up.
In addition to his involvement with Fiori Musicali, he is the chairman of Bilton Grange Trust the owner of a preparatory school, and was the vice chairman of The Sulgrave Manor Board a charity with an Anglo-American mission.
Jeremy is Chairman of the Trustees.
Monica Huggett – Founder Trustee
Monica is professor of baroque violin and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.
Although no longer based in Northamptonshire, she has been a regular performer with Fiori. Monica has worked with many of the great directors of the baroque world, with regular guest appearances with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the European Union Baroque Orchestra.
Monica is artistic director of The Portland Baroque Orchestra in Oregon, USA, and has an international reputation as one of the foremost baroque violinists of our time
Bernard Rapson – Treasurer, Management CommitteeBernard is a Chartered Accountant and IT professional, who headed the consultancy practice for the East Midlands region of Grant Thornton before going freelance in 1990. He specialises in financial information systems, and raising finance.
Mainly engaged in the North West until a few years ago, Bernard has more recently been strongly involved in Fiori's business development, forging new partnerships and taking the lead on Igniting Ambition. He also sings in the Fiori choir, and has a great interest in poetry, photography, wine and travel. In his Oxford days he managed choir tours to America, France and behind the Iron Curtain for Schola Cantorum of Oxford.
In addition to his finance role, Bernard also leads on public sector issues and IT.
Penelope Rapson – Founder Director, Management Committee
Penelope follows the tradition of Oxford musicians who have championed the revival of music before Mozart. Hallmarks of Penelope’s direction are her skilful blend of known and unknown baroque repertoire, making for stimulating programmes, and a freshness and vitality that distinguish Fiori Musicali’s performances.
She read music at Somerville College, Oxford, and was later tutor in music at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. Her doctoral thesis on the sources of music by Thomas Tallis, was chosen by the University of Oxford for publication in New York. She has directed Fiori Musicali in numerous concerts and recordings since 1983.
As well as being artistic director, Penelope also leads on marketing and community liaison.
David Scott – Trustee
David has been a freelance licensing and business development consultant for the past 15 years. He advises and provides training on intellectual property, strategic, business development and financial issues to small companies across Europe. He is author of a number of best-selling training manuals and a director of three healthcare companies. He also runs ‘Engineering YES’, a business plan training scheme for university researchers.
Before becoming a consultant David worked for Fisons plc in a variety of managerial roles, including marketing, business development, strategic finance and finance director of their Spanish subsidiary. David has a BSc in Chemistry and post-graduate qualifications in Marketing and Market research
David originally became involved with Fiori Musicali in 1993 as a ‘Business in the Arts’ mentor, providing advice and support on the preparation of a marketing plan. He has continued to play an active role in providing general business and marketing support ever since, joining the Trustees in 1995 and becoming chairman of the Trustees at the end of 2009.
David played a key role in drafting and concluding the management and intellectual property agreements that underpin the sound governance of Fiori Musicali.
Rachel Terry – TrusteeRachel specialises in housing finance policy issues and project finance. Having worked in corporate banking and local government, she has been involved in several equity release projects over a number of years,
Her commitment to Fiori led to Rachel's commissioning the recording Grace Davidson: A Portrait (her début solo album) which earned excellent reviews.
Rachel is Secretary to the Trustees.
Sue Yates – Management CommitteeSue was Director of Business Development also Head of Foundation and English Courses at SOAS (University of London). She has worked on international projects linking the arts and creative industries in the UK with Asia and Africa and has considerable experience of working at the interface of the public and private sectors. In addition to her work with Fiori Musicali, Sue is a trustee of two international educational charities.
Sue assists Fiori with administration and marketing.
