Our Network
Overseas Staff
Europe
All of the operations staff for our tours to Europe are based in our London office. It is part of Specialised Travel, one of the UK’s leading providers of travel services to the professional and amateur performing arts world.
Richard Savage
Managing Director
Richard is Managing Director of ACFEA Europe, and has been with the company since 1970. He graduated from Oxford University where he sang in Christ Church Cathedral Choir. In addition to his responsibilities at ACFEA, he still maintains a professional singing career, having taken part in over 150 CD recordings and appearing regularly with the Gabrieli Consort, King’s Consort, Polyphony, Tenebrae, Les Concerts d’ Astree and other European ensembles.
Nick Abbott
Director of Sales
Nick received his degree in Music at the University of Cambridge and was organ scholar of Girton College. Prior to joining ACFEA, he combined post-graduate studies in Musicology at the University of Bristol with work as a conductor, organist, accompanist and baritone.
Helen David
Director of Operations
After receiving her degree in Music from Sussex University, Helen worked for 15 years as Tours Manager for the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. In this role she traveled throughout Europe, the Far East and the USA. Helen studied the violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has sung with the BBC Symphony Chorus on various occasions.
Dan Porterfield
Director, Specialized Travel Concert Touring
Dan is an oboist and received a Bachelor of Music degree from Birmingham Conservatoire before joining the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, administering their community choruses. He has also worked at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Catherine Clambaneva
Senior Tour Manager
Catherine obtained her master’s degree in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Music Studies from City University in San Francisco. Now back in London, Catherine has worked as an arts manager and consultant for emerging artists and not-for-profit organizations. She is an active performer specializing in Greek music and has performed all over Europe and the USA.
Vanessa Hadley
Tour Manager
Vanessa’s love of music and travel has seen her teach English in Mexico, study Music in Cuba, and establish a fair-trade crafts organization in the Brazilian Amazon — and a prior stint at being an ACFEA Tour Manager in both Europe and Latin America. She is a keen ‘cellist and enjoys playing with the Kensington Symphony Orchestra.
Becky Shaftoe
Senior Tour Manager
After receiving a degree in Music at Newcastle University, Becky trained in arts administration at the London Sinfonietta before spending five years organizing concerts and education projects for the London Symphony Orchestra. Becky plays the oboe and, prior to joining ACFEA, taught English in Spain.
Ellen Stokes
Tour Manager
Ellen is a flautist and is currently completing a PhD, studying Salieri’s instrumental manuscripts. She has travelled throughout Europe – most extensively in Italy and Norway – and works primarily with our North American Choirs & Orchestras travelling to Europe.
Ina Wieczorek
Tour Manager
Ina studied music in Germany at the Musikhochschule Münster and in the Netherlands at the Royal Conservatory The Hague. Since then, she has worked as a soloist and chamber musician, as Project Manager for IMG Artists’ Orchestral division, Concerts and Recordings Manager for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and as Project Manager for a number of international orchestral tours and Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival.
While we operate tours in most European countries, there are several select regions in which we have exclusive representatives.
Sebastian Gheorghiu
Romania
Sebastian lives in Bucharest and has a wide range of expertise in cultural management. He is best known as co-founder of the ICon Arts International Academy and Festival, and as producer of the New Year’s Eve Concert, held annually in Sibiu’s Philharmonic Hall.
Saraswati Griffith
Portugal
Saraswati attended Cardiff University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Saraswati moved to Portugal 30 years ago with her husband and five children, and has since worked as a piano accompanist and teacher as well as Artistic Director of Coral Sinfónico de Portugal.
Dragana Grozdanovic
The Balkans
Dragana graduated from the University of Philosophy in Athens, Greece with a degree in English Literature. She has worked in travel and tourism her entire life and was introduced to ACFEA in 2008, first as a courier, and subsequently as Regional Representative for the Balkan Countries.
Anders Lindstrom
Scandinavia
Based in Rättvik, Sweden Anders received his music degree in conducting at the Stockholm Royal College of Music and he also studied in Cambridge. For many years, Anders was organist and choirmaster in churches in Stockholm and Sollentuna. He has also made many recordings and radio and TV productions with his choirs.
Béla Simon
Hungary
Béla graduated as a pianist from both the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover. Following this he toured in many countires including the USA and South Africa before starting his career in music administration. He was orchestra director at the Hungarian State Opera for 8 years and now works in artist management, representing artists worldwide.
Sue Peter
Germany
Sue has worked for the Wales Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority in London, Frankfurt, Cardiff and Paris. Now based in Berlin, Sue joined ACFEA shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and as such made concert touring to East Germany her speciality. Sue sings in several choirs and enjoys learning new languages.
Pilar Pino
Spain
Pilar is based in Malaga and began working for ACFEA as a courier in 2016. Following several years of extensive touring experience, she became Concerts Representative for Spain in 2022. As well as being a keen Sitar player she also enjoys live music and experiencing new cultures and their folklore.
Michael Steinman
France
Michael received a double masters degree in Trombone Performance and Jazz Studies from Indiana University before joining the popular swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Now based in France, Michael leads his own jazz quartet – The Angel City Players – who perform regularly throughout Europe and have released two albums.
Tassos Strikos
Greece
Tassos is an accomplished musician, a pianist and orchestra conductor and has toured as an accompanist with several groups, including the Vienna Boys’ Choir. He has lived in Germany and Austria and, apart from his native Greek, is fluent in English, German, French and Italian.
Bea van der Kaaij
Belgium and the Netherlands
Based in the Netherlands, Bea holds a master’s degree in Musicology and a certificate in Choral Conducting. She has also directed various choirs in the Netherlands and UK including the Capella Sine Vinculis choir, founded by Bea and based on the English Choral tradition. Originally formed around her own family, the choir has grown and many excellent singers from all over the Netherlands have joined the ensemble.
Kate Werner
Poland
Kate was born in Krakow and has spent most of her life surrounded by musicians. She began working as a Tour Manager in 2008, mostly in the Jazz world before starting her own agency –Twelve Melodies in 2012. Alongside her work for ACFEA, she represents jazz guitarist Marek Napiórkowski and the only all-female Polish jazz band O.N.E. Quintet.
Anna Zili
Italy
Anna is a writer and Baroque singer with a passion for 17th century music. Based in Rome she has worked as a tour courier since 2014. She joined Specialised Travel in 2022 and is now Concerts Representative for Italy. She is also currently writing her third book!
Our vast network of managers throughout the world are exclusive to ACFEA. The breadth and depth of this network ensures quality and consistency across each and every one of our tours.
Latin America
Sylvia Garcia Marin
Manager
Sylvia earned her International Relations degree from Pantheon-Assas University in Paris and is fluent in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America and was ACFEA’s French representative before taking on her present role. Sylvia is an avid scuba diver and is a certified Dive Master. Sylvia is currently based in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Australia & New Zealand
Robert Latimer
Manager
Robert has been an educator and businessman, having taught at both primary and secondary levels, and has been involved in the photographic and cinema industries. As an amateur musician, he has sung in choirs in addition to performing in musical and dramatic productions. He lives in rural Victoria, has been associated with ACFEA for over 20 years.
South Africa
Pieter Myburgh
Manager
Born in Upington near the Kalahari Desert, Pieter now resides in George with his wife and three children. He holds honors degrees in both Human Resources and Psychology, and has owned his own travel business for over ten years. Pieter is an avid traveler and currently sings with the George Male Choir.
China
Jeff Sha
Manager
Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Fudan University in Shanghai. After graduation, he has been active in the travel industry and has worked with ACFEA since 2000, helping to arrange dozens of successful concert tours of China. Jeff is an avid traveler and has traveled extensively throughout Asia, Europe and North America.
Hong Kong
Esther Yu
Artistic Consultant
Esther received a BSSc (Communication Studies), B.A. (1st Hon, Music) and M.Phil. (Musicology) from the Hong Kong Baptist University. As an active member of various orchestras and choirs from a young age, Esther toured to North America, Europe, China, and South East Asia.