Armonia - Who we are

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Popi Charitaki

Director/ Piano teacher/ Greek Dancing teacher

Popi Charitaki was born in Athens, Greece and lived and worked in England since 2002. She holds a diploma in Music Harmony and in 2014 she completed her studies as a Preschool educator (CACHE Level 3 Diploma: Early Learning and Childcare pathway), and in 2017 she completed the Trinity CME (Level 4 Certificate for Music Educators, Trinity College London). Her studies continue in music composition at the Open College for the Creative Arts. Since 2005 she has gained great experience in teaching music and piano in several public schools and privately. From 2009 to 2018 she was an educator in the Kindermusik program, while at the same time, she had the role of supporting teachers from the region of Greece / Cyprus / Middle East. Popi has extensive experience in Special Education and with her students, she has taken part in an international documentary on Autism, which has received over 80 awards around the world, part of which is accompanied by musical compositions by Popi Charitaki. Since 2012, her uniquely visionary collaboration with Eleni Lagoudaki has led to a series of international presentations, seminars, and the creation of educational interactive games inspired by the philosophy and methodology of SoundstepsbyEL. In 2018 Popi created 'Armonia Music and Arts' in Leicester. Popi is also the leader of the Leicester Greek Dancing Group since 2016.

Frances Deepwell

Deepwell Arts Owner

Frances had a long and successful career in higher educational development and digital education. Arts and crafts though, have always been very important in Frances’ life, as her mum is the painter, Rosemarie Deepwell. Frances studied art through school, with a particular leaning towards three-dimensional sculptures in ceramics and wood, as well as block printing. She has continued with pottery and drawing as a side activity for herself and encouraged her children with many and varied crafts and creative hobbies. Frances believes in the power of arts and crafts to form social connections and foster wellbeing, which is much needed at this time. That is why she launched Deepwell Arts for those who want to develop their skills in artistic expression with a range of media, and for those who just want to experience the process of making. Deepwell Arts also hosts workshops and events at a beautiful arts-and-crafts venue in Oxford.

Helen Butterfield

Violin Tutor/ Rusty Strings conductor

Helen Butterfield is a highly respected Violin Tutor with over 25 years of experience teaching children from 5 years of age to adults. She is passionate about allowing the student to follow their own musical journey, whether it be to achieve graded exams or to learn for fun. Helen is proficient in preparing students for graded exams under ABRSM and Trinity Exam Boards, but also teaches folk music styles, and introduces a variety of genres into a student's repertoire. Over the years she has taught in schools, community centres, at home, and online.

Her career has also given her skills and expertise in delivering community music activities, including leading choirs and junior orchestras, and developing and leading innovative community music projects involving collaborations with filmmakers, visual artists, and partner community organizations. This has enabled Helen to prepare her students for ensemble playing and extend their musical experiences beyond the instrumental lessons. She has also worked extensively as a Community Worker, mostly in Community Arts, which has encouraged her to strive to widen opportunities for more deprived sections of the community to take part in music learning and experiences. Her work at the music scheme at Woodgate Community Centre for over a decade has enabled Helen to contribute to this goal.

Helen is a member of the Leicester Symphony Orchestra and plays in a modern country band. She also plays and records in an Americana duo and has played and recorded with a range of musicians. She also runs a monthly music session and is very involved in the local music scene as a player and supporter.

Yimin Wang

Piano Teacher/ Piano Technician

Yimin Wang, a piano Tutor from Shanghai, boasts 16 years of teaching experience and is currently pursuing a master's degree in music therapy at the University of Derby.

She is a certified advanced piano teacher from the Central Conservatory of Music and the China Conservatory of Music. She serves as an examiner for the China Conservatory of Music Grading of Arts for Social Education. Furthermore, Yimin holds a Level 5 qualification in Early Childhood Education from New Zealand. She has dedicated nine years to studying ballet in her spare time.

Her dedication to excellence has earned her accolades, including the "International Excellent Tutor" at the Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival and the "Excellent Guide Award" at the China-UK International Music Festival, among a total of 12 prestigious awards. Through her steadfast principles of "Persistence, Exquisiteness, Pleasure," along with her effective teaching philosophy： Playing piano is not only a skill, but more about the depth of how to understand music, and how to make the music beautiful and colourful; Music is one of the ways to achieve happiness. Moreover, learning musical instruments helps to develop your personality.

Yimin has significantly benefited her students, leading them to remarkable achievements. The students have won awards in the following piano competitions. Three of them have even won international championships:

The Global International Musicians Association, China-UK International Music Festival, Juilliard International Musicians Association of North America, Los Angeles International Youth Music Open Competition, Singapore International Piano Competition, Vienna International Association for Music and Culture Exchange, International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, and Hong Kong International Youth Art Festival.

Dionysia Kollia

Artist/ Byzantine Iconography teacher

Dionysia or Denise for the English speakers, was born and raised in Athens. She moved to the UK in 1991 and studied photography. She has volunteered at schools in Peloponnese, and Corfu, Greece and the Kilby school in Leicestershire, giving art lessons and preparing many theatrical sceneries for school plays. Dionysia worked as a scenery producer for a children’s musical for the National Theatre of Corfu. Dionysia studied iconography from a young age. Orthodox iconography is a way of expressing spiritual truth through art. Icons are windows into the divine, helping people connect with God and the Saints. The unique style and symbols used in the icons, point beyond the physical world to reveal deeper spiritual realities. It is a way to experience timeless faith and connect with the sacred, especially during prayer and meditation. It’s a visual language that has remained largely unchanged for centuries, acting as a living connection to the ancient Church.

She lives in a small village in Leicestershire with her husband Presbyter father Ioannis Provatas and their nine children.

Chris Trueman

Classical Guitarist/ Composer/ Arranger

Chris Trueman is a classical guitarist, composer, and arranger whose musical journey began at the age of five, strumming Beatles songs on a four-string tenor guitar. His early passion for music led him to piano and guitar lessons, and a deep admiration for the artistry of Andrés Segovia.

At just 11 years old, Chris earned a place at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester to study classical guitar, later continuing his training on scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His formative years were marked by a notable performance alongside John Williams in Bath in 2000, a moment that helped shape his artistic path.

Chris has twice reached the finals of the prestigious Andrés Segovia International Guitar Competition in Almuñécar, Spain (2014 and 2015), becoming the first British guitarist since Paul Galbraith to do so. His playing is deeply inspired by the expressive possibilities of the instrument, and he performs on guitars crafted by renowned German luthier Julian Dammann.

Chris also works as a composer and arranger for clients including Channel 4, MTV, Ted Baker and Decca Classics. His arrangement of ‘The Sound of Silence’ for guitarist Milos Karadaglic reached number 1 in the UK classical charts and was featured as track of the week and album of the month on Classic FM.

In addition to his performing, arranging, and composing work, Chris Trueman brings a wealth of teaching experience to his students. Passionate about sharing his love for the guitar, he creates a supportive and engaging learning environment for players of all levels. His work spans classical repertoire and contemporary collaborations, always driven by a deep commitment to musical excellence and artistic expression.

Keziah Leonard

Clarinet, Piano and Voice

Kez loves to sing and play all types of music from Brahms to Beyoncé. Kez was involved with All For Music in Leicester, where she took part in the orchestra and wind ensemble. She had opportunities to tour other countries and take part in competitions and pit bands as a clarinettist and bass clarinettist. Kez went on to study music at the University of Birmingham, where she was part of the Birmingham University Singers. Through this, Kez has had various performance opportunities, including the BBC Proms Youth Voices projects and concerts at Birmingham Symphony Hall with the CBSO and the Tenebrae choir. Kez’s studies focused on classical singing performance - she also had training in jazz singing and clarinet throughout her time at uni.

Kez has experience preparing students for ABRSM, Trinity and Rockschool exams. She has experience leading choirs and small ensembles as well as working one-to-one with students in various music centres around Leicester. Kez uses a student-centred approach in her teaching; she likes to get to know her students and their musical preferences to work towards the appropriate goals for them. She is very passionate about sharing music with others and seeing how music helps them to express themselves and develop not just as musicians but as people.

Krisztina Dufala

Little Armonia leader and Arty/Crafty leader

Krisztina Dufala, born in Hungary and raised in Poland, has a rich background in visual arts, theatre, choir, and various dance forms. She holds two master’s degrees in linguistics and speaks eight languages. A pivotal software translation project in Mexico ignited her passion for salsa dancing and Mexican art. She met her husband at a salsa class, moved to the UK, and they taught Cuban Salsa together. Krisztina also has experience working with vulnerable groups, and as a trainee creative therapist she uses dance and art to enhance wellbeing. After becoming a mother, she found joy in creative activities with her child. She is now studying Holistic Integrative Art Therapies to combine art, movement, and mindfulness in her work.

Rowan Bryn

Djembe drumming/Percussionist

Rowan is a community musician, drum circle facilitator and rhythm enthusiast with a passion for bringing people together through music. He holds a BA in Music from Manchester and an MA in Community Music from York, and has since led music workshops in a wide range of settings with people of all ages and abilities.

After learning flute and guitar as a child, Rowan discovered the djembe and began focusing on African drumming and rhythm. He has undertaken extensive training in drum circle facilitation through Village Music Circles and Rhythm2Recovery, alongside his continued study of African music and rhythm.

Rowan’s classes are welcoming, accessible and focused on the joy of making music together. Whether you’re completely new to drumming or have some experience already, his sessions offer a chance to develop your rhythm, learn traditional African drumming techniques and connect with others through the shared experience of playing.

He is passionate about the positive effects that music, rhythm and sound can have on our wellbeing, and loves creating spaces where people can relax, have fun and experience the energy and connection that comes from drumming together.

Jo O'Malley

Rusty Guitars leader

Jo is a passionate singer‑songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist with over 30 years of self‑taught guitar experience. She plays guitar, piano, violin, percussion, and is an active member of Rusty Strings, where she plays the violin. Jo will be leading the new adult guitar group on Saturdays, called 'Rusty Guitars'. The Rusty Strings are now expanding beyond violins and cellos into a guitar section, and Jo will be sharing her experience and skills with other adults. Jo also often performs at open mic nights, and she has been working as a Creative Practitioner on various projects with organizations such as Pedestrian. She also brings a background in Psychology, and outside music, she enjoys travelling, nature, and tending to her allotment.

Ciara Jackson

Flute teacher/ Therapeutic sound practitioner

Ciara is a flutist, therapeutic sound practitioner, community musician and educator with over 10 years of teaching experience. She has taught students of all ages and abilities in schools and privately, as well as leading community music sessions and therapeutic sound experiences. She holds an MA in Music Performance, a DipABRSM in Flute and a Level 3 Diploma in Therapeutic Sound.

Ciara has experience preparing students for ABRSM and Trinity graded exams and public performances, and also enjoys encouraging her students to explore their musicality through folk music, improvisation and playing for pleasure. Through her teaching and facilitation, Ciara enjoys helping people build confidence, connect with their innate musical skills and discover their own enjoyment in making music, whatever their age or experience.

More recently, Ciara has been exploring her natural voice and has completed Song Circle Facilitator training. She believes that music is for everyone and brings this ethos into the relaxed and welcoming spaces she creates.

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