YMS Newsletter Autumn 2019.Indd
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ISSUE #74 Newsletter The International Music School founded by Yehudi Menuhin Autumn 2019 Registered Charity 312010 Prior to his current role, he was Head musicologist, Professor Looking ahead of the Faculty of Performing Arts at Robert Levin, has Churcher’s College, and then Director agreed to become We are delighted to announce that of Music at Dauntsey’s School. a Musical Patron. significant appointments have been During a recent visit, made as The Yehudi Menuhin School Ashley has a wonderful career Professor Levin gave a Ben Gudgeon starts a new decade. as a pianist, both as a performer series of inspirational talks and recording artist, and in music and coaching sessions Ben Gudgeon will take up the Headship education. He was Professor of Piano in which he perfectly of the School and Ashley Wass will at the Royal College of Music for ten put into words the begin the role of Director of Music at years before becoming Deputy Head challenge ahead: the start of the Summer term. David of Keyboard at the Royal Northern Buckley, Chair of Governors said, “We College of Music, which included “The School is the living Ashley Wass look forward to a strong partnership as pastoral care and staff management. monument to Yehudi’s they begin leading the School together, He was also Senior Professor of wisdom and vision, and all working closely with the staff, and Piano at Bristol University and involved in its daily life nurturing and developing those special Artistic Director of the Lincolnshire are constantly inspired musical, creative and collaborative International Chamber Music Festival. and challenged by qualities that lie at the heart of YMS.” his abiding spiritual Tasmin Little OBE has been our presence. We must Tasmin Little Ben is currently Senior Deputy Head Musical Patron for many years and we keep all of this in mind… (Pastoral) at Sherborne Girls in Dorset. are delighted that she has accepted preserving and deepening He leads the pastoral provision of the role of Co-President. Tasmin is his legacy, putting the the school, before which he oversaw very busy in her valedictory year of future of the School staff development, the co-curricular performance, and will be performing before any sense programme and the day-to-day in The Menuhin Hall on 11 June. As an of self, drawing the running of the school. He read Music alumna of the School she has always gifted students into the Robert Levin and French at Bristol University and been a strong supporter, and we look magical aura of artistic at the Sorbonne, in Paris. Following forward to her continued involvement aspiration, and give them the formation this, he undertook graduate studies in the life of YMS. that will enable them to persevere in in vocal performance, conducting the enthralling and unpredictable path and piano where he also taught We are also deeply honoured that to becoming their fulfilled selves.” undergraduate music theory and piano. renowned pianist, conductor and WWW.MENUHINSCHOOL.CO.UK 1 SCHOOL LIFE SCHOOL LIFE 2 Competitions It was a busy and successful term ALUMNI 12 for our pupils who took part in many competitions around the world. STAFF 13 Claire won Second Prize in Piano MENUHIN HALL 14 Category I of the Antonio Vivaldi International Piano and Strings DEVELOPMENT 16 Competition in Vienna. FRIENDS 18 Coco was awarded the Carl Flesch Prize at the Carl Flesch Academy. Darwin reached the Finals in both Follow us! the Kloster Schöntal and Ysaÿe Violin Competitions. At the Kloster Schöntal If you are active on social media (or he was also awarded the Bach would like to be) please have a look at our Prize for the best interpretation of a various channels. Baroque piece. Please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and First Prize in their respective age Instagram for news, events and images, Duru won First Prize in the Young groups and Benedetta won Second but best of all is our YouTube channel Pianist of the North Competition in Prize in hers. which we keep updated with awe-inspiring videos of our pupils playing Schubert, Newcastle in November. Poulenc, Vaughan Williams, Howells and Pendo reached the Finals of the more. Through this channel you can watch Emili reached the Finals of the National Youth Music Competition in and listen to our pupils in the comfort of International Louis Spohr Competition South Africa. your own home whenever you like. for Young Violinists in Germany. Follow us on Twitter Claire has been selected to participate @menuhinschool At the Ilona Fehér Competition in in the Menuhin Competition in Hungary, Mariam and Yume both won Richmond, VA in 2020. Find us on Facebook @yehudimenuhinschool Subscribe to our YouTube channel by searching for The Yehudi Menuhin School We also update the news section of our website regularly, so please visit www.menuhinschool.co.uk/news to see what we are up to. CONTACT US The Yehudi Menuhin School Stoke d’Abernon, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3QQ 01932 864739 www.menuhinschool.co.uk 2 NEWSLETTER / AUTUMN 2019 SCHOOL LIFE Out and about Much of the music-making in the Autumn was given over to private events, but among the public events in November were lunchtime recitals at the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, London, and at the Wimbledon International Music Festival. The Foundling Museum always ask for a programme that includes a connection either to children or to their founders, one of whom was Handel; accordingly, the programme included a violin sonata by Handel and five pieces by Shostakovich arranged for two received this work in particular with Dorking Chamber Orchestra as part violins and piano which were played cheers. One listener was the much- of the Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival, by three of the younger pupils. The loved actress Patricia Routledge, who and Caterina travelled to Wiltshire Shostakovich pieces also made allowed us to take a photo of her with for a performance of Schumann’s an appearance at the Wimbledon the performers. Cello Concerto with the Marlborough Festival, alongside works by Concert Orchestra. Coco played Schumann and Prokofiev. Several students Beethoven’s Violin Concerto performed with the Medico Orchestra It was a joy to return to Champs Hill concertos under the baton of YMS for a full-length recital, for which with various General Music Teacher we were able to offer a programme orchestras. Matthew Taylor, of music by Bach, Beethoven and Evie played and Ezo performed Brahms including a performance Mozart’s Brahms’ Double of Beethoven’s Quartet Op 59 No 3 Violin Concerto Concerto with alumnus (Razumovsky). The capacity audience No 3 with the Joe Pritchard. The Menuhin Festival, Gstaad One of the highlights of the concert performance by Joe Koyama. SongHa diary is the school’s biennial visit to and Tianyou were the soloists for the the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad. ever-popular Concerto for Two Violins in D minor by Bach, and Can jumped This year’s visit was enhanced by the from harpsichord in the Bach to Piano addition of an Erhu – a traditional Obbligato in Bloch’s Concerto Grosso Chinese instrument which is No 1. The programme was completed sometimes referred to as a Chinese by Schönberg’s Verklarte Nacht in a cello. Renowned musician Peng breathtakingly intense performance, Fang played three pieces with the which was very well received by orchestra, from a suite written by the audience. Shion Kanata and arranged for this WWW.MENUHINSCHOOL.CO.UK 3 SCHOOL LIFE The Yehudi Menuhin School China In September the School was proud to current and future pupils, and UK International School outside of the UK, announce that we are setting up our staff will visit regularly to carry out and to establish a strategic presence first international music school, to be inspections to make certain that the for the School in China. Together located in Qingdao, China. We will work new school is adhering to the ideals of with our partners, the Qingdao Urban with the Qingdao Urban Construction its British parent school. Construction Group, we plan to Group (QUCG) to bring our unique replicate the unique model for music model for music education to the A city of 10 million people, Qingdao is education that Yehudi Menuhin created Far East. The opening is planned for ideally located between Beijing and to attract the highest levels of talent 2022-23. Shanghai, just across the water from in the region and to develop new both South Korea and Japan, thus opportunities for cultural exchange YMS will enabling The Yehudi Menuhin between our two countries.” contribute School China to attract the The Yehudi highest level of talent Zamira Menuhin Benthall said: “I Menuhin from the region. It has vividly recall how my father talked of School a flourishing economy his deep love and admiration for China, name and both as a port city and a which he visited several times, having expertise in tourist destination, and is always been fascinated by its culture. setting up fast developing its cultural My father was always a passionate and running activities with support from advocate for music as a universal a specialist major private institutions language, overriding differences of music school within such as the Qingdao Urban nationality and politics. We are most a holistic academic Construction Group. QUCG’s long- grateful to Mr Kong Shaowu, who environment. Key appointments, standing Chairman, Kong Shaowu, is a shares my father’s commitment to including the Head, Director of Music former musician and architect. the importance of educating musically and Bursar, will be controlled by YMS gifted young people to bring out their to ensure that Yehudi Menuhin’s vision David Buckley, Chair of Governors full human potential, as well as their and ethos will run through every area said: “The announcement of our technical skills.