Meet our Musical Director

Our Musical Director, Robin Norman, was born in Norfolk in 1973. His musical life started at the age of
11 when he began studying the Tuba at Springwood High School, Kings Lynn. As a Tubist Robin
quickly moved through the school, regional and county ensembles as well as becoming the Brass
finalist in the West Norfolk Young Musician of the Year at the age of 16 and also being awarded ‘Most
Outstanding Soloist’ in the National Concert Band Festival held in Manchester in 1990. It was also at
this time that Robin first experienced brass band following an invitation to join Matthews Norfolk Brass.
In 1991 Robin accepted an unconditional offer to study Tuba at the Birmingham Conservatoire and it
was here that he first experienced conducting by undertaking classes in orchestral, brass band and
choir direction tutored by the Conservatoire conductors in residence. Whilst a member of the
Conservatoire Robin was fortunate enough to take part in performances in some of the most iconic
concert venues in the UK, and under some of the greatest conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle and Sir
Charles Groves to name but two. Watching some of the greatest names in conducting ignited an
interest in conducting that Robin maintains to this day.
Robin graduated from the Conservatoire in 1995 with a first-class Bachelor of Music honours degree
and freelanced around the Birmingham area before entering the Music Publishing Industry. He
remained in the industry until 2008 working for the major companies including some time as the
specialist and consultant for Warner Bros. Publishing in Band, Orchestra, Choral and Education
products. It was also during this time that he took his first full-time conducting positions in Norfolk and
Suffolk.
Robin left the publishing industry in 2008 and re-trained as a secondary school Music Teacher, a
decision he has never regretted. He was the Head of Performing Arts and Head of Music at Ken
Stimpson Community School in Werrington, Peterborough from 2011-2021 where he developed their
highly successful choir and acapella group that regularly performed in Peterborough and further afield
including invitations to perform at Disneyland Paris on two separate occasions.
In September 2021 Robin was thrilled to return to where it all started for him musically when he was
appointed Director of Music at Springwood High School and for the West Norfolk Academies Trust
where he leads music in 4 secondary schools and 9 primary schools. As part of his role he conducts
Springwood’s award-winning Concert Band and their Orchestra as well as leading a fantastic team of
educators to build on previous excellent work that has given Springwood the reputation as one of the
most musical schools in not just the East of England but the whole of the UK.
Away from the world of work Robin has performed with many of the UK’s professional orchestras
including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and
Orchestra de Camera as well as many of the country’s best known brass bands such as Grimethorpe
Colliery, Brighouse and Rastrick, Leyland, Flowers and GUS (with whom he was solo Eb Tuba for 12
years), and in some of the most iconic Brass Band competitions. These have led to invitations to
perform as soloist with different ensembles across the UK and abroad. As a conductor he has directed
many Brass Bands, Orchestras and Concert Bands across the UK including being the current Musical
Director of the Peterborough Youth Orchestra where he has developed a real interest in conducting
music ‘live to film’, something he hopes to bring to the concert performances of the City of Norwich
Brass Band.
Robin is thrilled to join the City of Norwich Brass Band as Musical Director and have thoroughly
enjoyed working with such a hard-working, friendly, group of people in recent weeks. The partnership
continues to go from strength to strength and is one he hopes will continue into the future with some
exciting plans.