About Us
We're Rayfield Allied Publishing – the new venture from Rayfield Allied which brings a new model of music publishing, and a heightened level of support to several of the most exciting composers on the Rayfield Allied roster.
The publishing needs of composers has changed in recent years. With technologicial advances in score creation and digital music distribution many of the services provided by traditional publishing houses have become less important. We wanted to create a new streamlined model which better reflects a composer's needs, and gives them greater control over the works they have created.
We hope you will enjoy exploring the works of the Rayfield Allied Publishing composers!
The Team
Ben Rayfield was born in Yorkshire and educated at Leeds Grammar School. He was awarded a choral scholarship to study Mathematics and Philosophy at Magdalen College, Oxford University, where he sang in the choir under the direction of Bill Ives. After graduating in 1995, Ben was appointed as a lay-clerk in the choir of New College, Oxford, directed by Edward Higginbottom, regularly touring and recording with groups such as The King’s Consort and The Academy of Ancient Music.
On leaving Oxford in 1997, Ben embarked on a freelance career as a musician, and has enjoyed great success, having made over a hundred recordings in repertoire as diverse as medieval music on Hyperion, via grand opera on Opera Rara and Chandos, through to the Cannes Classical Award-winning recording of Arvo Pärt’s Passio on Naxos.
Particularly noted as an early music singer, Ben has regularly performed with consorts such as The Tallis Scholars, The Cardinall’s Musick and The Clerk’s Group, as well as the larger choirs of The Sixteen, The Gabrieli Consort and The English Concert.
In 2003, Ben moved into the field of artist management, firstly working closely with Sue Nicholls in the vocal department at Hazard Chase Ltd, before starting his own agency, Rayfield Artists, in 2005. In September 2011 Rayfield Artists merged with Allied Artists Agency to form Rayfield Allied, of which he is Managing Director. From 2011 to 2016 he was a Director of the International Artists’ Managers Association, and in 2018 he chaired IAMA's conference in London's King's Place.
Ben works with the following artists
Francesca Nunn read Modern Languages at Durham University, graduating with honours in 2016 from Josephine Butler College. During her studies, she completed internships in music management at Schneider+ in Berlin working on multi-disciplinary projects at Berghain and the Deutsche Oper Tischlerei, and IMG Artists vocal division in Paris, and further placements at the Southbank Centre, Decibel (now Quantone) and the London 2012 Olympics. Prior to joining Rayfield Allied in 2017, she continued to pursue a Masters degree in Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London focussing primarily on continental aesthetics, while working in events at Kensington Palace and as a runner for BBC Music Television.
In her spare time, Francesca enjoys reading, swimming in London's lidos, and rediscovering her Italian heritage. She frequently volunteers as a listener for the Samaritans, and is an erstwhile pianist and novice baker.
Francesca works with the following artists
Ralph Blackbourn read Music at the University of York, initially as a pianist and later switching to composition, which he studied with Nicola Lefanu and Roger Marsh. His resulting interest in contemporary music led him to an internship at the London Sinfonietta and subsequently to join Allied Artists in April 2000, whose clients at that time included Birtwistle, Reich, Berio, Stockhausen and Ligeti. He now manages a broad roster of artists that encompasses music from the Renaissance onwards and includes composers, conductors, instrumentalists and singers.
In his spare time he retains an interest in composition and continues to perform locally on the piano. He also enjoys running long distances.
Ralph works with the following artists
Katie Smart read Music with Spanish at Royal Holloway, University of London and graduated in 2017. Her dissertation centred on film music and she focused her performance on her primary instrument of the piano, whilst also performing in choirs and orchestras and working behind the scenes. Following internships with the London Mozart Players and IMG Artists, Katie joined Rayfield Allied in September 2017.
Katie also enjoys badminton, choral singing and sewing.
Katie works with the following artists
