Fiona Pacquette - Music Director at East London School of Music.
- Isobel Arden
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
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Meet Fiona Pacquette, the music director at East London School of Music.
At the helm of the East London School of Music, Fiona Pacquette isn't chasing grandeur but building it quietly, one note at a time. A musician’s musician, Fiona doesn’t merely teach; she cultivates. Her work in piano, theory, and choral conducting isn’t flash and dazzle—it’s persistence, craft, and a deep belief that music, done well, can unlock something vital in the soul.
Born the youngest of three, Fiona Dwanell Pacquette’s path began not in concert halls or conservatoires, but in a modest East London home filled with the sound of hymns.
Her earliest mentor was her mother, Leone R. Pacquette, whose hands guided Fiona’s over piano keys before formal training ever began.
It wasn't until her early teens, at Central Foundation Girls’ School, that piano lessons became structured. But the seeds were already deep in the soil.
At fifteen, Fiona was playing cello for the London Schools Concert Orchestra and the London Schools Strings Orchestra—experiences that offered not only the thrill of performance, but a taste of the communal magic only orchestras can conjure. She stayed with both ensembles for two formative years.
The real shift came when her father, recognising her growing seriousness, bought her first upright grand piano for her nineteenth birthday.
That gesture opened the next chapter: Fiona enrolled at Colchester Institute School of Music, where she studied under Professor William Tamblyn. There, she earned her BA in Music, along with an MA in Liturgical Music and a Special Honours Study in composition.
These years were not about accolades but immersion—absorbing technique, theory, and the art of shaping musical ideas into something that speaks.
Her teaching journey began the way many meaningful things do—quietly and in community. As an apprentice to Mr John Prince at Hampstead Seventh-day Adventist Church, Fiona began instructing students in piano and music theory. She would go on to manage the John N Prince Music School for over two decades—an experience that became a bedrock for her style: generous, structured, and deeply student-focused.
In 2015, she stepped into her current role as Music Director of the East London School of Music (ELSOM). More than just a post, ELSOM is a platform—Fiona’s way of giving others what she once received. The school, open to learners from age five to adulthood, is rooted in accessibility, high standards, and the simple yet powerful belief that anyone can learn music if given the right tools.
Fiona also directs the HACS Philharmonia Chorus and HACS Philharmonic Orchestra, continuing her mission of shaping ensembles where all feel they belong and all are expected to strive.
Though accolades and recognition come, they’re not what moves her. What matters is watching someone pick up an instrument for the first time, and then, slowly, begin to speak fluently in the language of music.
“I like to give others the same opportunities I had,” she says. “Playing an instrument and writing music are very useful skills to have.”
In Fiona Pacquette’s world, music is not a rarefied art—it’s a calling, a craft, and sometimes, simply a hand held out in encouragement.
Fiona Pacquette's Fantasy Cultural year + This or That game
In the interview above Mark created Fiona's Fantasy Cultural Year from the answers to a few simple questions. There are no wrong answers ;-)
Their conversation was filled with humour, anecdotes, and playful challenges.
Mark proposed a year-long global tour for Fiona to save organ pipe organs, which would involve a Ted Talk, a TV series, a university lecture tour, and a book deal.
Fiona agreed to start the tour in France.
Mark also suggested that Fiona's musical listening be limited to Baroque music during the tour. Fiona agreed to this and Mark proposed that she be based in a loft apartment in Paris, with a view of the Sacre Coeur.
Fiona chose to enjoy a range of cultural activities in this trip, including:
A Diversity dance group performance
Michelin-starred plant-based Chinese restaurant
The world athletics championships in Paris
A Van Gogh digital gallery
Beyonce or Bob Marley concert
A Shakespeare play, likely "Much Ado About Nothing"
Fiona had the opportunity to invite anyone, living or not, to have lunch with her in Paris. She chose Ludovico Einaudi, a contemporary pianist and composer, and suggested that Mark invite Rachmaninoff, a famous composer and pianist.
In the This or That game Mark presented Fiona with a series of options and she had to choose one quickly. Options included still or sparkling, mac or pc, car or motorcycle, tea or coffee, library or museum.
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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Chief Culture Vulture
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