Address: 97 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 1HL

Paul Smith is a creative performer, conductor, composer, educator, and public speaker. As co-founder of the Grammy-nominated ensemble VOCES8, author of The VOCES8 Method, and CEO of the VOCES8 Foundation, Paul leads an international programme of concerts, educational work, and community engagement.

A lifelong singer, Paul began as a boy chorister at Westminster Abbey and has sung with VOCES8 since its founding in 2005. He has recorded extensively with Decca Classics, with albums topping classical charts and earning international acclaim.

As a composer, Paul writes for choirs, vocal groups, orchestras, and soloists. Paul also works with flutist and composer, Daniela Mars in their duo, MARS SMITH.

Paul’s recent works include Wayfaring Stranger, Magnificat, and Love Always Within, with new releases and performances planned for VOCES8’s 20th anniversary at the Barbican in 2025. His music is published by VOCES8 Publishing, ECS/Morningstar, and Edition Peters.

A passionate advocate for the transformative power of singing and the arts, Paul designs inclusive projects that promote academic achievement, social connection, and community cohesion. His collaborative work includes projects with Paul Simon, Eric Whitacre, Teena Lyle, Julia Hansen, Christophe Duquense, Anisha Bondy, and MandoBeatbox.

Paul has led major digital initiatives, including LIVE From London, a virtual festival supporting global music communities, and the VOCES8 Digital Academy, offering online choral learning. Since 2007, the VOCES8 Foundation has reached over 500,000 young people through global initiatives. Paul also established the VOCES8 Centre in London, a hub for vocal excellence. He continues to speak internationally on music, education, creativity, and leadership, including at TEDx and global conferences.

Birgitte Næslund Madsen has a degree in Musicology, English and French from the University of Aarhus and was a music teacher until 2021 when she decided to work full time as a conductor.

Her musical profile is characterized by an equal respect and interest in both classical, contemporary, popular and folk music which can be seen in the very diverse repertoire of the different choirs who collaborate with Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, folk music groups as well as some of the most popular artists in Denmark.

Birgitte has founded the choir EVE (gold medal winners in ECG in 2017 and 2019 and finalist in Denmark’s Got Talent in 2018) that merged with the older singers of Aarhus Pigekor to become SORA, in august 2023.

From 2017-2021 she worked with the youth talent program at the National Opera of Denmark as a choirmaster and conductor of productions. Currently, she is the conductor of the choirs SORA, Aarhus Pigekor and Aarhus Juniorkor, which all belong zo the Aarhus Musikskole.

Since 2023 Birgitte has participated in several festivals and competitions as an atelier leader or a jury member.

Dr. Michael Joseph Barrett is an internationally acclaimed conductor, educator, composer, and choral clinician. He was the conductor of the University of Pretoria (TUKS) Camerata and a full-time faculty member in choral conducting at the University of Pretoria's Department of Music from 2013-2025. Since April 2025, he has been appointed as a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria. Dr. Barrett earned his Doctor of Music (DMus) in Choral Performance from the University of Pretoria in 2017. His choirs have received numerous national and international awards, and he is frequently sought after as a guest conductor, lecturer, adjudicator, and choral clinician. His work spans across the globe, with recent engagements including conducting the Texas All-State Choir (TMEA 2024), the Missouri All-State Choir (MMEA 2022), and the Florida ACDA High School Honor Choir (2019). He has held university residencies at institutions such as Missouri State University, Texas State University, San Jose State University, and the University of Washington, among others. Dr. Barrett is also a passionate advocate for collaboration and regularly works with high school festivals and university programmes in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Internationally, Dr. Barrett has conducted and presented workshops in countries including the United Kingdom, USA, New Zealand, Singapore, China, Russia, and South Korea. He will debut at Carnegie Hall in April 2026, marking a significant milestone in his career. As the conductor of the TUKS Camerata, an 80-voice choir consisting of full-time students from diverse academic fields, Dr. Barrett had led the group to great success, including winning the prestigious Grand Prix of Nations for Best Mixed Youth Choir in Riga, Latvia, in both 2014 and 2017. The Camerata has also performed at the World Symposium of Choral Music in Barcelona, Spain (2017), and recorded six critically acclaimed albums. Their most recent projects include Light The Whole Sky (2025) and uJehova (2024), while their 2022 tour of the United Kingdom included a performance with the renowned vocal ensemble Voces8. In March 2025, the Camerata performed as a Headline Choir at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Dallas, Texas.

As a composer and arranger, Dr. Barrett has over 40 works published by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and Walton Music (USA). He has earned a Y2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa for his contributions to South African Choral Music Research. Dr. Barrett also serves as the Executive Director and Co-Producer of Capital Singers, South Africa's largest community choir project, further solidifying his commitment to choral music both locally and internationally.