ELMG
team

Matthew Hardy

Co-founder and Artistic Director

Matthew Hardy is a versatile and enterprising musician. Until recently, he was based in London and the music director of five different ensembles. In November 2025 he moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where he is becoming increasingly involved in the city’s musical scene.

He remains, from afar, Artistic Director of East London Music Group (ELMG), which he co-founded in 2015. With ELMG he has commissioned and premiered a variety of new works including Strange Joy and Antigone by Edward Nesbit; FRIDA by Paul Edlin, and 1936: An East London Uprising by Robin Haigh.

ELMG is active in community and educational work and has led several large scale projects with primary school children in East London, exploring local history and contemporary issues. In recent years Matthew has been heavily involved in higher education and community music making and has been Musical Director of Southampton University Symphony Orchestra, CoMA London Ensemble, St Albans Rehearsal Orchestra, Bowes Park Community Choir, and East London Community Band. In the past he has also been Musical Director of choirs, orchestras, and bands at Imperial College, University College London, Queen Mary University of London, and University of the Arts London.

He is particularly interested in new music and has given many premieres by composers such as Sungji Hong, Edward Nesbit, Robin Haigh, Kate Whitley, Leo Geyer, and Gregory Rose. He recently appeared on BBC Radio 3 discussing Barricades by Lee Westwood, which was commissioned by Making Music’s Adopt a Composer scheme.

Matthew studied orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music with Peter Stark and Howard Williams, at Dartington International Summer School with Sian Edwards, and on the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Cardiff Conducting Days course with Martyn Brabbins. During his time at the RCM he assisted conductors Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Martyn Brabbins, and Jac van Steen.

Sarah Campbell

Co-founder

Sarah is in demand as a trumpet player across the UK as an orchestral musician and in theatre and musicals. Sarah regularly plays in London's West End and has recently been touring with Mary Poppins in the UK and International Tour. She is also a member of the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra and tours around the UK and Europe. In addition, she has worked extensively at the National Theatre where she has been an onstage musician in their productions of Exit the King, Threepenny Opera, Amadeus and also provided the recorded the music for Angels in America, I’m Not Running and My Brilliant Friend. 

Alongside this, Sarah is in demand as a freelance orchestral trumpet player, performing with the Britten Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, London Philharmonic Orchestra, English National Opera, Paraorchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra and with the London Sinfonietta at the BBC Proms.

Sarah was born in Wigan, Lancashire where she began learning cornet at the age of 8, and went on to attend the Royal Northern College of Music Junior School and Chetham’s School of Music. In 2009, she received a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music with Paul Beniston where she graduated with a First Class Honours Degree, before completing a Master of Arts in trumpet performance at the Royal Academy of Music. After graduating, she was appointed Joint Principal trumpet of Southbank Sinfonia in 2015 with whom she toured to Hong Kong and Italy as well as performing as a soloist with conductor, John Wilson

Ella Harriss

Producer

Since graduating with a degree in Music and a postgraduate degree in Creative Media Industries and Cultural Management, Ella has built a broad toolbox of experience from across the creative sector, working with charities, commercial agencies, and arts organisations.

A versatile enabler of ambitious creative projects, she has led and supported production for international orchestral tours, corporate events, and multi-million-pound public art programmes. Ella cares deeply about access to music-making opportunities for all, and champions arts initiatives that foster community connection and build sustainable cultural legacies.

Isabel White

Fundraiser

Isabel set up her consultancy practice in 1996, working across the public, voluntary and community sectors. She has worked in almost every sector, including the arts, crime and community safety, disability, education, enterprise, environment, health, heritage, homelessness, housing, human rights, regeneration, social welfare, throughout England, with over 240 organisations, raising over £26m.

She has been a regular presenter at conferences, and has written columns for a variety of public and voluntary sector publications. She also advises clients on governance, strategic planning and ethical issues, offering a range of services including training and mentoring.