The Team
Who We Are
Roy Thornton
Managing Trustee
Panos Karan
Founder & Trustee
Panos Karan is a pianist, conductor and humanitarian whose ideas are fast shaping the understanding of classical music in the 21st century. Born in Greece and educated at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Panos has taken music from the world’s top concert halls into the Amazon jungle, to the most impoverished districts of Kolkata, to prisons of war-torn Sierra Leone, and to the evacuation centers of post-tsunami Japan. Most recent performances include four solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, New York, Symphony Hall, Boston, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Sydney Opera House and Tokyo Opera City, at the presence of Empress Michiko of Japan. Panos Karan has visited more than 130 countries, has lived in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Athens, Tokyo and currently resides in London. He speaks seven languages.
Ansel Mullins
Trustee
Ansel is originally from Alabama but has had the advantage of global experiences. He grew up in Japan and during his career has lived in major US cities, London and Bahrain. Ansel is retired from a career in the financial markets. He has extensive experience in the hedge fund industry, investing in hedge funds on behalf of institutional investors.
Ansel has a BS from the University of Alabama, completed coursework for a PhD at the University of Chicago, Oriental Institute in Assyriology and MBA from the University of Chicago. He was formerly on the board of the North Carolina Opera. Ansel loves dogs and is an avid reader particularly enjoying poetry.
Fumiko Tanaka
Project Manager
Fumiko Tanaka is a driven individual who has dedicated her career to humanitarian work and international development. With a Master's Degree in International Development, Fumiko has worked around the world as an emergency aid worker in countries such as Iraq, Haiti, and Japan. Fumiko is currently working with Keys of Change as a Project Manager, helping to coordinate music projects and events with the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta in Japan. She has also traveled with Keys of Change to countries such as India, Russia, Greece, Ecuador, Nepal, Ghana, and Mexico, working as a photographer and coordinator for the organisation's various projects around the world. Fumiko's passion for helping others and making a difference in the world is truly admirable.
Pedro Gómez
Project Manager & Music Mentor
Pedro learned the violin and viola with the Venezuelan orchestras El Sistema, Núcleo Paraguaná and the Conservatorio Musical del Estado Falcón, and held positions as principal of the second violins and viola sections in orchestras such as the Sinfónica de Paraguaná and Juvenil Regional del Estado Falcón. In 2013, he became head of viola studies at the Mozarteum Caracas School of Music and was also appointed as a violin and viola teacher at the Conservatorio Musical del Estado Falcón, before becoming the viola teacher for El Sistema. In 2015, he continues his teaching work at the Núcleo San Francisco of El Sistema in Maracaibo. Pedro performs both as a chamber musician and a soloist with the Capilla Musical Ricercare. Since joined Keys of Change in February 2020, and since August 2020 he is a fellow of the ¨Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation¨, benefiting from mentoring, viola classes, conferences, and masterclasses.
Renzo Carranza
Project Manager & Music Mentor
Renzo has a master’s degree in Classical Guitar Interpretation from the University of Alicante (2018) and a first degree in Direction and Musical Interpretation with a specialty in guitar from San Martin de Porres University, Peru (2014).
He currently works as a guitar soloist and concert guitarist in the “Lima trio”, as well as being professor of classical guitar and conductor of the String Instrument Ensemble of the Art Institute of the San Martín de Porres University. He has performed at concerts in Spain, Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina and throughout Peru. He has been a soloist with the BRITÁNICO Symphony Orchestra (Peru), the Red Musical Orchestra (Peru) and the Berisso School Orchestra (Argentina). He also formed part of the jury for the International Guitar Competition of Peru in 2016-17.
Lucy French
Music Mentor
Lucy is a cellist from Leamington Spa, United Kingdom. Since graduating from her masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London in 2017, she has traveled widely as both contemporary performer and teacher. She tours with the Hofesh Shechter Dance Company, (Grand Finale, Political Mother and In Your Rooms) and has performed in shows for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Longborourgh Festival Opera. Lucy has played with Chineke! Orchestra, Ixion Ensemble and the Orchestra for the Earth, and as also a soloist for the Gamelan Composers Forum in SOAS and the Carice Singers. She collaborates as a cross-genre artist, most notably co-producing an immersive art and sound installation in Góis, Portugal. Lucy is currently a a cello teacher in the Escuela de Iniciación Musical, ‘Santa Cecilia’, Vicente Guerrero, Zaachila and gives classes online in Kinder Paradise, Pram Pram, Ghana, both for Keys of Change.
Enis Estaba
Music Mentor
Ens is a Venezuelan violinist and singer whose deep passion for teaching and learning shines every day. Her musical journey began at the age of seven in a small music school in her hometown, where she mastered various instruments, including the violin, recorder, piano, and the cuatro, a traditional Venezuelan instrument. As her love for music deepened, Enis pursued a degree in Musicology, moving to a new city to further refine her craft. There, she performed with orchestras under the prestigious El Sistema in Venezuela and sang with the esteemed Cantat Vocal Chamber Choir, led by maestro Juan Carlos Bersague. Driven by a commitment to teach music to children from all backgrounds, Enis has shared her expertise at Kinder Paradise in Ghana, a place she describes as beautiful, meaningful, and peaceful. This opportunity, allowed her to bring the transformative power of music to another culture, nurturing the talents of young musicians in Ghana. Today, Enis is devoted to shaping the next generation, not just as musicians but as compassionate, well-rounded individuals. Through the universal language of music, she is on a mission to inspire and cultivate great human beings.
Georgiana Hughes
Music Mentor
Georgiana holds a Master of Music in Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a First-Class Honours from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, during which she studied with Katherine Bryan, Ruth Morley, Richard Blake, Jonathan Rimmer, Marie Christine-Zupancic, Janet Richardson and Andrew Lane. She was generously supported in her studies by The Clemence Charitable Trust, Arts Council Wales, The James Pantyfedwen Foundation, The Aspinwall Educational Trust, Coats Foundation, Womens Career's Foundation and was awarded the David Nicholson Flute Award for Travel and Study from the RCS upon graduating. Whilst undertaking her studies, Georgiana took part in side-by-side schemes with CBSO, RSNO, Scottish Opera and Red Note Ensemble and performed in a number of public masterclasses including Michael Cox, Adam Walker, Sir James Galway, Patricia Morris and Trevor Wye.
Masanori Taniguchi
Music Mentor
Masanori Taniguchi is an accomplished cellist, music educator and entrepreneur. He has a Master of Music (MM) and a Graduate Performance Diploma (GPD) in Cello Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Masanori began to play the piano at the age of four and the cello from 18 when he joined Kyoto University Symphony Orchestra. While studying in the USA, he received many honours and also performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York. He has appeared in many well-known orchestras including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. He co-founded the Boston String Quartet and, in 2017, the Reinheit Kammermusik Akademie, a chamber music academy in Tokyo. As well as performing, Masanori works as a teacher, introducing live music to local schools in Japan, training the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta and teaching at the Korea Philharmonic Research Institute.
Vov Dylan
Music Mentor
Vov has been a full time professional solo violinist and leader for over 20 years. For many years he has run his own orchestra, and his shows frequently tour to sold-out houses in theatres and clubs throughout the East Coast of Australia. He was nominated for Australian Instrumental Entertainer of the Year in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Vov boasts a performing repertoire that covers classical through to jazz and contemporary. His wide experience includes a classical recital at the Sydney Opera House with Panos Karan through to performing as a cabaret artist on boutique international cruise ships. He has also worked as a teacher since 1999 and has conducted masterclasses in Hong Kong, and virtually in Belgium, the UK and Ghana. His passion is to help students understand the beauty of the violin and to become confident enough to play any piece they desire.
Manuel Jose Jose
Music Mentor
Meet our talented musician who began his musical journey in the philharmonic band of Buenavista Loxicha. He studied Alto Saxophone at the Center for Musical Training and Development of the Mixe Culture (CECAM) and has since participated in various music courses across Mexico. When it comes to teaching music, he's involved with several educational institutions, including the Santa Cecilia School of Musical Initiation (EIMSC) and the School of Musical Initiation San Agustín, where he directs official and intermediate band, and serves as an academic coordinator. He's also making an impact in the digital world, collaborating remotely with students from Cerrito de Chillanes, Ecuador with Saxophone Ensemble, and various municipal youth musical institutions in the state of Oaxaca. Manuel has participated in different courses and music festivals in Mexico, such as Ibero-American Jazz Course, Classical Music, Jalisco Jazz Festival Course, Chamber Music, Contemporary Music, Oaxaca Instrumentation, and Initiation Course to the repair of Wind Instrument (Luthier). His dedication to music and education is inspiring and has touched the lives of many. We're proud to have him as part of the Keys of Change family.
Joaquin Juarez
Music Mentor
Joaquin started pursuing his passion for music at 13 when he began his studies at the Santa Cecilia School of Musical Initiation. He went on to study at the Center for Musical Training and Development of Mixe Culture and is currently a student at the Faculty of Music (FaM) of the Autonomous University of Mexico. Throughout his career, he's studied with renowned teachers such as Roger Bobo, Faustino Diaz, Marcia Medrano, Ian Hunter, and Oscar Diaz. He's had the honour of showcasing his skills in prestigious venues like the theater of Bellas Artes with the Amalia Hernandez Ballet, the Blass Galindo Hall with the Air France choir, and the Nezahualcóyotl Hall with the Symphonic Band of the FaM. Joaquin's talent shines even brighter as a member of the faculty's Trombone Ensemble, where he's played at the Xochipilli Hall of the FAM UNAM. We're thrilled to have such a talented musician on board with Keys of Change.
Andres Vargas
Music Mentor
Meet Andrés Sóstenes Vargas Díaz, our talented trumpet player whose passion for music began in the local music school of his community in Tlahuitoltepec, Mixes, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. He progressed further in the music school CECAM, where he honed his skills alongside talented musicians from across the region. Andrés garnered his Bachelor’s degree in Music at the Veracruz University in Xalapa, graduating with a speciality in Trumpet in 2016. Since then, he's played in the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, the Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra of the Arts, the Mazatlan Camerata, and various other musical groups spanning multiple genres. In 2017, Andrés led the Symphonic Band of Tlahuitoltepec, his hometown, as its musical director. Currently, he's a member of the teacher's team at Formento Musical, a national system of music education in Mexico. He's also lending his expertise to young trumpet players in Cerritos, Ecuador, as a professor for Keys of Change. We're excited to have such a talented musician and experienced music educator as part of our team at Keys of Change.
Maribel Vargas
Music Mentor
Maribel is a gifted clarinetist from the indigenous community of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, Mixe, Oaxaca. She began her musical journey as a member of the Municipal Philharmonic Band of Tlahuitoltepec at age 16, later joining the Philharmonic Band of the School of Music, CECAM. Between 2009-2018, Maribel studied Orchestral Performance at the Superior Institute of Music of the State of Veracruz. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the Universidad Veracruzana. She's been a member of the Symphonic Band of the Superior Institute of Music of the State of Veracruz, the Symphonic Band of the Faculty of Music, and the Symphonic Band of the State of Veracruz. She's participated in several festivals and competitions, including the UNAM Clarinet Festival, International Clarinet Festival "MusicAdemia," and Clarinetfest 2018 Ostend, Belgium. Maribel is a music teacher at the 'Santa Cecilia' music school in Oaxaca, and a member of the all-female band in Tlahui, Kaux. She's also a clarinet teacher to young people from the community of Cerritos, Ecuador, working with Keys of Change. Maribel's experience, talent, and passion for music make her a valuable addition to our team at Keys of Change.
Alexandra Karanikolou
Logistics
Alexandra is a vital member of the Keys of Change team, offering her expertise in translation and editing to help facilitate the organisation's social and cultural impact. As a retired Chemistry teacher with a passion for classical music, Alex has been following Panos's career since his very first piano lesson at the age of 7. With years of experience in language and communication, she brings a sharp eye for detail and strong editing skills to every project. Her support and logistical contributions are invaluable, enabling Keys of Change to reach new audiences and engage with communities across the globe.
Our Partners
Keys of Change CIO
The Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta
The Condor Trust for Education
Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta
La Banda de Musica, Oaxaca
Kinder Paradise Ghana
Supported by
Club Europe Concert Tours
US Japan Council
Consul General of Japan in Boston
Japan Greece Society (Tokyo)
Japan British Society (Tokyo)
The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
El Britanico (Lima)
Photos by
Eloise Campbell
Miklos Csepely-Knorr
Fumiko Tanaka
Tariq Zaidi