Meet our adjudicators

Jeffery Wilson 
Adjudicator for Ensemble and Community Classes

Composer, performer and educator, Jeffery Wilson's career has spanned over four decades. His prolific output ranges from dance scores—34 to date—and stage works, including an opera and several musicals, to recent concert commissions such as the Saxophone Concerto Testament for the Docklands Sinfonia, Gather Round and Cèilidh for the London Youth Wind Band, and the forthcoming Piano Concerto Liberate Anima set to premiere in 2026.​ 

As a performer, Jeffery has played with prestigious ensembles including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonia and the European Community Jazz Orchestra and worked with artists such as Cliff Richard, Kate Bush, Barry Manilow and Elvis Costello. He was a member of Saxology for many years and is a central figure in groups like Triptych, and Electric Alchemy. He continues to explore his own projects such as The Reduced History of Jazz. His education legacy is equally distinguished. 

After studying privately and at the Royal College of Music, Cambridge and in Paris under mentors like Olivier Messiaen, John Lambert, Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob, Jeffery spent 32 years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, recently retiring as Coordinator and Professor of Composition at Junior Guildhall. He remains actively involved as Creative Director of the national competition Release, workshop leader for Guildhall Young Artists Online and as composition consultant to the GYA family.​ 

An experienced adjudicator and syllabus designer, Jeffery served as Principal Examiner (Jazz) for Guildhall Exams and advisor to Trinity College London for nearly three decades. He has also taught at Cambridge University, Utrecht Conservatorium, Colchester Institute and was the last Professor of Saxophone at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall until its closure in 2021. 

As director of Environ Music, Jeffery has led community music and education initiatives for over 35 years, promoting accessibility and special-needs awareness. He is currently Head of Academic at The Learning Machine, where he and the team lead innovation at the intersection of music, technology, and AI to expand global educational outreach.