The New Music Makers in Hedge End have appointed a new musical director with a wealth of experience.

Lillian Sediles started her singing career as early as age 10, starring as Belle in her primary school musical production of Beauty and the Beast. She started formal violin lessons at age 7 and voice lessons at age 14. Lillian went on to university with a full scholarship studying music education with performance honours at Syracuse University.  After giving four voice recitals and also performing in numerous productions, she graduated in 2008 Summa Cum Laude; however, her education did not stop there. Lillian continued her graduate studies at Syracuse University, receiving a Masters’ Degree in Choral Conducting and another Masters’ Degree in Music Education on a full scholarship.

Named the first recipient of the Gregg Smith Conducting Scholarship in 2008, she worked closely with three university choirs and one professional community children’s choir, the Syracuse Children’s Chorus. She toured with the Hendricks Chapel Choir internationally to China and to South America, and was also received as a presenter at the National Association for Music Education’s Music Week in 2009 for her paper, “Music Hall Acoustics and the Choral Singer’s Ability to Hear and Make Vocal Adjustments”.

After her university studies, Lillian started working in the schools teaching music to students aged 5-18 whilst singing professionally in the Baltimore area. She worked with the Baltimore Choral Society, Baltimore Concert Artists and St. David’s Church Choir professionally and was also contracted to sing for the National Christian Choir. In early 2015, Lillian, with her husband and daughter, moved to Hamble, UK. In her time in the UK, she has given two voice recitals, formed a children’s choir, performed as guest soloist and conductor for the Sarisbury Choral Society, taught private music lessons, and was the musical director of the John Lewis Southampton Choir. When she’s not being a mum, singing, conducting, or playing the violin, she enjoys photography, volleyball, teaching birthing classes, and running her own nail business.

She is so pleased to be the new musical director of the New Music Makers and brings with her an exciting change in style from across the pond.