Our Team
The festival is run by a small team of volunteers.
Co-Artistic Directors:
Daniel Thomson & David Yardley
Executive Director:
Rachel Stott
Daniel Thomson
Founder & Co-Artistic Director
A Melbourne-born, London-based tenor specialising in historically informed performance, Daniel has built an international career performing music from the medieval period through to the 19th century. He has appeared as a soloist and ensemble singer at leading early music festivals across Europe and Australia and with renowned ensembles including Huelgas Ensemble, Dowland’s Foundry and Rune. His work combines performance, research and a deep engagement with historical sources, reflected in acclaimed recordings, appearances at venues such as Wigmore Hall and the Palau de la Música Catalana, and collaborations with some of the world's foremost early music artists. Drawing on this experience, Daniel is committed to enriching London's medieval music scene by championing historically informed performance in the city's remarkable medieval spaces, creating opportunities for artists and inviting new audiences to discover the richness of medieval music and culture.
David Yardley
Co-Artistic Director
A countertenor, medieval harpist, composer and director, David has been immersed in medieval music since first encountering it at the age of twelve in Sydney, Australia. Following studies at the University of Sydney and the University of Cambridge, he has performed as a soloist and with outstanding ensembles across the UK, Australia and the United States, from specialist medieval music festivals to prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. With compositions described as "transcendent medieval-inspired music for modern times", David also writes music that draws inspiration from medieval texts, traditions and sound worlds as well as contemporary fantasy, weaving old and new together for a fresh and captivating sound. He is founder and director of the Green Dragon Guild of London, made up of five soloists with rare expertise in medieval music. He is dedicated to bringing medieval sound to new audiences, and his artistic vision helps shape the festival’s contemporary celebration of medieval creativity, storytelling and performance.
Rachel Stott
Executive Director
Rachel is a composer, viola and viola d’amore player based in London. As a performer, she has worked with both early and contemporary music ensembles, while her compositions have been performed at major venues and festivals throughout the UK, Europe, North America and Japan. Her four string quartets were commissioned for the Fitzwilliam, Dante, Callino and Revolutionary string quartets. With longstanding experience of historical instruments, she has written for viol consorts, lutes, cornetts & sackbuts and other period instrument ensembles including Clare Salaman’s Society of Strange and Ancient instruments.
Since 2021, Rachel has been Director of the Stoke Newington Early Music Festival where she has developed innovative approaches connecting historical music with contemporary audiences, incorporated crossover programmes of early and traditional music and given increased presence to medieval music ensembles. Her broad artistic experience and organisational expertise help ensure that Medieval London Music Festival delivers an ambitious, engaging and sustainable celebration of medieval culture.
