Avi Taler
Avi starts as our new MD from September 2025.
Avi is an Israeli-born conductor, choral director, and educator with a strong passion for community music-making. He studied orchestral and choral conducting at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv and the Royal College of Music in London, where he worked with leading conductors and collaborated on opera and orchestral projects.
Avi has extensive experience working with amateur and youth ensembles, including serving as Music Director of the Ashdod and Ness-Ziona Youth Concert Bands, and conducting community and educational projects across Israel and the UK. He has led choirs of all levels and, in July 2023, made his debut at the Royal Albert Hall conducting over 1,100 young singers in a major event celebrating inclusion and diversity.
Passionate about fostering a love for singing, Avi brings warmth, energy, and musical insight to every rehearsal. He is delighted to join Oxshott Choral Society as its new Musical Director and looks forward to building on its proud tradition of joyful, inclusive music-making.
For more information see www.AviTaler.com
Valerie Beynon
Our E
meritus conductor is Valerie Beynon BEM ARCM DDMES.Valerie was born and brought up in Sheffield and enjoyed music - dancing, singing and piano from an early age. She furthered her musical studies at school in North Wales, Dartington College of Arts and Rolle College, Exmouth following a course for musical education in schools. She continued her singing studies and achieved her ARCM in singing teaching.
In 1970 she moved to Oxshott taking a teaching post at Danes Hill School and becoming involved in village life, she formed a village choir for children, the Oxshott Junior Singers, and took on the WI choir, whilst still enjoying her own choral singing with the Leatherhead Choral Society. Her involvement in the Leith Hill Musical Festival through her singing led her to re-found the Oxshott Choral Society in 1975, which immediately took part in the Festival.
Though Val has retired from Oxshott and Horsley Choral Societies she continues to be involved with music in Oxshott as Director of Music at St Andrew's Church.
David Harvey
Our accompanist David is from Surrey. He studied piano at the Royal College of Music before specializing in piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music. He has been involved with several training colleges and outreach organisations including the Royal College of Music, Central School of Ballet, Guildford School of Acting and performed with Lost Chord, a charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of those living with dementia.Theatre work includes: musical director and arranger at Brick Lane Music Hall where guests included Anita Harris and Roy Hudd, and played the role of Manny for Theatre Royal Bath's touring production of Master Class. He also worked on productions including: Lakmé (Opera Holland Park), An American in Paris (Dominion), Carousel (UK tour, Savoy Theatre), The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Company) and Thursford Christmas Spectacular.
David has enjoyed playing for Oxshott Choral Society since 2008 and previously worked with Valerie Beynon at Horsley Choral Society.
