The Magazine for the Royal College of MusicI Spring 2015

Technology at the RCM Recreating the past, redefining the future

What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat...

The RCM is dedicated to providing its students with an inspirational and supportive environment, and in this issue of Upbeat we look at the ways that Contents technology is helping to achieve this goal. The cover of this issue shows RCM musicians making use of the fantastic recording facilities available in the RCM 4 In the news Studios, and you can find out more about recent technological advances from Updating you on recent RCM Senior Recording Engineer Matt Parkin on page 12. activities including a record- Technology can also help us to learn more about the past, as RCM Research breaking Soirée d’Or, the RCM’s Associate Aleks Kollowski explains on page 10. In an interview with Upbeat, he tells research being announced as us about an ambitious recording project involving RCM students re-enacting the world-leading in the Research 1913 recording of Beethoven’s Symphony no 5. Excellence Framework, and RCM musicians performing at Whether it is exploring the music of the past, analysing how music affects our Buckingham Palace for HRH health in the present or using technology to improve performance skills, the RCM The Prince of Wales… Research community is producing world-leading outputs. In fact, the RCM has been named as the London conservatoire with the highest percentage of world- 8 Back to Wax leading research in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). See page 5 for RCM students have re-enacted more information on this prestigious result. the first complete recording of As usual, Upbeat brings you all the news from around the RCM, including our Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Find latest record-breaking Soirée d’Or and the RCM’s involvement in two Sky Arts out how… programmes: Portrait Artist of the Year and The Great Culture Quiz. 12 The Future of Music We’re always keen to hear from students past and present so if you have anything The RCM is revolutionising you’d like us to feature in the next issue of Upbeat, please send your news and teaching with a variety of pictures to [email protected] by Monday 27 April. technological advances. RCM NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that Senior Recording Engineer Matt we reserve the right to edit submissions. Parkin explains how...

14 Meeting the supporters Upbeat meets RCM Friend Ken Goodwin...

16 Student notes… Current student success stories

18 Staff notes… News from professorial, academic and administrative staff

20 Alumni notes… Updates from RCM graduates

22 Obituaries and births

RCM Composition for Screen students’ recording session. See pages 8-13 for more information on recording projects at the RCM Upbeat online Upbeat is available online at www.rcm.ac.uk/upbeat Front cover – RCM musicians recording in the RCM Studios Please help us to reduce our carbon Inside front cover – The RCM International Opera School’s 2014 production of Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’. footprint and receive Upbeat by email. Inside back cover – Brett Dean conducting the RCM Symphony Orchestra during his recent residency at Contact us at [email protected] and the RCM in November 2014. we’ll send you an email notification All photography © Chris Christodoulou when Upbeat is published.

3 In the news...

musicians. Six harpists, directed by harp Support for the evening was provided by Record-breaking professor Ieuan Jones, serenaded guests sponsorship from Campus Living Villages, in the entrance to the Medieval and developers of the RCM’s new hall of Soirée d’Or Renaissance Galleries with Ieuan’s residence, their partners Balfour Beatty arrangement of Poulenc’s L’embarquement and M&G, and donations from The RCM’s annual fundraising gala, Soirée pour Cythère. Styled for the occasion by GlaxoSmithKline. The RCM is also grateful d’Or, has raised a record-breaking royal dress designer Anna Valentine, the to Taittinger for continuing to support the £280,000 in aid of scholarships for harpists dazzled in Grecian style black and event, generously providing free talented RCM students. gold gowns. RCM pianist and BBC Young champagne for all guests. Musician winner This year’s event was so popular that wowed the audience with his spirited Instrumental to the event’s success is the tickets sold out six months in advance. playing of Liszt’s Liebestraum, the third Soirée d’Or Committee, an external group Held at the V&A Museum on Wednesday movement from Prokofiev’s Sonata no 7 of donors led by Lady Carr, who dedicate 3 December the evening included a live and Moszkowski’s exciting Étincelles. endless hours of their time throughout auction, conducted by RCM Junior Soprano Natasha Day, resplendent in the year to selling tables, securing Department alumna Helena Newman, gold organza, and tenor Gyula Rab also sponsorship and attracting items for the Co-Head of Impressionist & Modern Art charmed and delighted guests with arias auction. We are very grateful to them for Worldwide at Sotheby’s. The five lots drew from La traviata, La rondine, La bohème all they do for the RCM. £60,000 in bids, while the 30 items listed and The Merry Widow. To close the in the silent auction raised a further evening, the RCM Chamber Choir If you would like information about the £40,000. performed Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of next Soirée d’Or, please contact Mary The Shepherd’s Carol, before leading the Cosgrave at [email protected] The highlight of the evening was the audience in enthusiastic renditions of four involvement of exceptional RCM popular carols.

Natasha Day Photos © Steven Morris © Steven Photos

4 class centre for music research, Alumni Reunions RCM Recognised and demonstrate the institution’s strong commitment to research and Following the hugely successful RCM for World-leading innovation across both theory and alumni reunions in 2013 and 2014, practice. there will be two in 2015! Research Professor Colin Lawson, Director The first is planned for Tuesday 31 The has been of the RCM, said ‘I am delighted that March from 11.30am to 3.30pm and named as the London conservatoire the results of the Research Excellence is open to alumni who studied at with the highest percentage of world- Framework have confirmed our position the RCM between 1930 and 1955. leading research in the 2014 Research as the No. 1 Conservatoire in London for The special event will include a short Excellence Framework (REF). research. Not only was the quality of concert by current RCM students, our research rated more highly than any a light ‘finger buffet’ lunch, and the The REF panel – which assesses the other London conservatoire, but so was opportunity to tour the RCM. quality of research in UK higher the strength of its impact on the wider To book your place, please contact education institutions – judged community. The REF result serves to the RCM Friends & Alumni team 34% of the overall quality of the confirm the RCM’s position as a natural on 020 7591 4331 or email RCM’s research to be world-leading, first choice for talented music students [email protected]. Tickets cost £20 significantly higher than any other from around the world.’ and booking closes on 20 March. conservatoire in London. In addition, the percentage of RCM research RCM Director of Research Richard The second reunion will be on Sunday outputs classed as world-leading is the Wistreich told us ‘This extremely strong 20 September for alumni who studied highest of all UK conservatoires. result for the RCM provides us with the at the RCM between 1956 and 1965. confidence and direction for the future If you are in touch with fellow The RCM also ranked highly for the development of our research strategy. students who have not heard from impact of its research, with 90% of I am particularly encouraged by the RCM in recent years then we its activity rated as world-leading the large number of our research probably do not have their current in this area. As a sector, UK music outputs that have been recognised as contact details so please ask them to conservatoires scored very strongly world leading, and also the very high evaluation we received for the beneficial email [email protected] or call 020 in this new category, highlighting the impact of our research. The RCM has 7591 4331 to avoid missing out. Look significance of their research for the wider world beyond academia. taken its mission to serve society as a out for further details of this event in whole very seriously since its foundation future editions of Upbeat. These results consolidate the in 1882, and this sits at the heart of our reputation of the RCM as a world- approach to research.’ RCM Named One of Top Ten International Music Schools The Royal College of Music has been named as one of the top ten music schools in the world by The Hollywood Reporter. Listed 10th in the Top 25 Music Schools, the RCM was ranked ahead of all other non-US institutions. The RCM was particularly praised for having professors from top London orchestras and offering masterclasses with internationally-acclaimed artists such as Hans Zimmer and soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. The magazine ranks music institutions based on a survey of dozens of industry and academic insiders as well as an anonymous ranking system by the schools themselves.

5 In the news... The RCM at Buckingham Palace The Big Give Photo © Paul Burns © Paul Photo RCM musicians and members of Opera Other talented young members of Australia have given a special joint Opera Australia also featured as In December the Royal College of performance at Buckingham Palace soloists: soprano Kiandra Howarth Music participated in the 2014 Big hosted by His Royal Highness The and tenor Samuel Sakker (both also Give Christmas Challenge to raise Prince of Wales. Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young essential funds for our scholarship Artists) and renowned Australian programme. The Prince of Wales has been President soprano and cellist Taryn Fiebig. of the RCM for over two decades, and We’re delighted to report that this event on Thursday 22 January A highlight of the evening was a thanks to the profound generosity celebrated his long-standing support of performance by Taryn on a cello once of our donors we have surpassed last both the RCM and of Australian opera. owned and played by The Prince year’s total and our target, raising an of Wales – an instrument which is impressive £167,764. Thank you to The concert took place in the historic currently part of the RCM’s collections. all those who contributed to the Big ballroom of Buckingham Palace and Give, your donation will go towards featured performances of operatic His Royal Highness said of the evening: transforming the lives of talented extracts by Bizet, Puccini and Léhar ‘I promise you, nothing could give me young musicians. by an orchestra of more than 40 RCM greater pleasure than to (support) this musicians, conducted by RCM Director because I am one of those people who so of Opera Michael Rosewell. admires the talent of young people’. High Impact Award for RCM ‘Arts in Harmony’: Woodhouse Centre Musical Heritage The RCM Woodhouse Centre for In summer 2015 the RCM Museum of Professional Development has received Music will celebrate the centenary of the a High Impact Award for its involvement Ben Uri Gallery and Museum, one of the in Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). world’s most significant collections of work by artists of Jewish descent. GEW is the world’s largest campaign to promote entrepreneurship, and took TheArts in Harmony exhibition, running place from 17–23 November 2014. RCM from 28 April–28 August, will display Woodhouse Centre events involved: recently discovered archival material a fundraising workshop with online and selected artworks telling the unique crowd funding company Zequs; a tax story of how Ben Uri also supported and finance talk with Trevor Ford; and a music, particularly émigré and emerging presentation by composer Eric Whitacre, musicians, throughout the 20th century. who gave insights into his successful An accompanying exhibition – Art career and advice about networking and Identity Migration: 100 years of Ben Uri social media. in London 1915-2015 – will take place at Somerset House from 1 July–13 These events – the last in a special series December 2015. celebrating the Woodhouse Centre’s 15th birthday in 2014 – fulfilled at least The RCM Museum of Music is open four out of six of the GEW’s High Impact Tuesday to Friday (11.30am to 4.30pm) Criteria, and were subsequently selected and is free to visit. For more information to receive a High Impact ‘Badge of The Blind Fiddler by Isaac Lichtenstein visit www.rcm.ac.uk/museum Honour’ from the campaign.

6 RCM Supporters RCM Features on Sky Arts Programmes Receive New Year’s Honours Two long-standing supporters of the RCM have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list. Dasha Shenkman was appointed OBE for her Services to Philanthropy and the Arts. Dasha is a devoted supporter of the arts and has been involved in several RCM initiatives since 1998. She is a member of the RCM Chairman’s Circle and also funds the Dasha Shenkman Scholarship. She supports an innovative recital series in memory of her mother at the as well as a high- profile masterclass series at the RCM. Philip Carne was appointed MBE for Services to Philanthropy. As members of the RCM Chairman’s Circle and through the Richard Carne Scholarships, which support four scholars every year, Philip and his wife Christine have made a transformative impact on the RCM, and their generosity makes a tangible difference to the success of many students. We extend our congratulations to them and to all those honoured for their achievements.

The RCM has commissioned a portrait Colin Lawson, Director of Opera of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as part of Michael Rosewell and presenter Joan the Sky Arts TV series Portrait Artist Bakewell at the National Portrait of the Year. Legendary soprano Dame Gallery. Dame Kiri was thrilled with the Kiri Te Kanawa is a close friend of the Dasha Shenkman results, declaring the painting to be RCM, and regularly works with RCM ‘very special’. The portrait will hang in singers as Visiting Professor. She also the foyer of the Britten Theatre, the offers vital financial and mentoring home of the RCM International Opera support to talented RCM singers School. through her Foundation. The RCM also took part in Sky Arts 1’s The final episode of the series (broadcast on 23 December 2014) The Great Culture Quiz. RCM staff shows Dame Kiri performing in the members Gabbi Freemantle, Britten Theatre, before being painted by Christopher Middleton and Bex artist Laura Quinn, one of three finalists Gibson went head to head with a team in the competition. from Nottingham Playhouse on the programme, in which teams from UK The finished portrait was unveiled to arts organisations competed in several Philip Carne Dame Kiri by RCM Director Professor rounds of cultural knowledge questions.

7 In the news...

instruments. Head of Brass Nigel Black Vanessa Latarche New Visiting said Matthias is ‘a truly inspirational teacher and one of the greatest brass in China Professors Join players of our time’. the RCM Adam Walker is principal flute with the London Symphony Orchestra and was The RCM is delighted to announce named by Classic FM as ‘one of the top the appointment of two new Visiting five international flautists’. He received Professors: world-renowned trumpet the Outstanding Young Artist Award virtuoso Matthias Höfs and celebrated at MIDEM Classique in Cannes, a flautistAdam Walker. Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Award A key member of German Brass since and he was shortlisted for the Royal 1985, Matthias Höfs was solo trumpet Philharmonic Society Outstanding with the Hamburg Philharmonic for 16 Young Artist Award. Simon Channing, years. He has performed with numerous Head of Woodwind, described Adam distinguished German orchestras and as ‘undoubtedly one of the most at venues around the world as a soloist outstanding musicians of his generation, and chamber musician and he also a wonderfully charismatic player and lectures and designs many of his own teacher’.

Professor Vanessa Latarche, Head of Keyboard at the RCM, has participated in the first Lang Lang Shenzhen Futian International Piano Festival in Shenzhen, China. Matthias Höfs Adam Walker Vanessa was one of eight well-known pianists and educators that were invited to take part by the world- famous pianist. She gave a number Museum Images of recitals, lectures and masterclasses as part of the festival, including a Available Online performance of works for four hands by Rachmaninov and Arensky with Highlights of the RCM’s collections of RCM alumna Meng Yang Pan. She paintings, photographs, sculptures, was also on the jury of the festival’s and prints, are now being licensed piano competition, which saw entries online in partnership with ArenaPAL from more than 200 young pianists (www.arenapal.com). This will allow from around the world. more people to access and utilise the images in the collections. The RCM already enjoys a close relationship with Lang Lang, with ArenaPAL is the UK’s largest specialist Vanessa having been appointed image library for the performing arts, Vice Chairman of Lang Lang Music offering editorial, media or commercial World (his school for gifted pianists) rights for digital or print use of images. in 2013. Lang Lang has also visited A number of portraits are now available the RCM in recent years for three through the service, and additional immensely popular masterclasses, and images will become available as the RCM he received an Honorary Doctorate Museum of Music continues to digitise Joseph Haydn by Thomas Hardy: one of the many in 2011. its collections. RCM portraits available online

8 Sir Nicholas Winton Visits the RCM British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton visited the Royal College of Music on Friday 21 November. A keen opera lover, he attended the dress rehearsal of the RCM International Opera School’s autumn production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Having organised the rescue of 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the nine months before war broke out in 1939, his admirable achievement was unknown until 1988, when it featured on BBC TV’s That’s Life. Sir Nicholas was knighted for Services to Humanity by Her Majesty The Queen in 2003. Sir Nicholas, who recently celebrated his 105th birthday, also attended a reception after the performance and met some of the opera’s star performers. Left to right: Sir Nicholas Winton, Amy Williamson, Rose Setten and Natasha Day

First Students on New Artist Diploma in Chamber Music The RCM is delighted to announce that encourages the development of violist Asher Zaccardelli and cellist the Ruisi Quartet has become the first ensemble skills and repertoire knowledge Max Ruisi – has quickly established a ensemble on the RCM’s brand new through a variety of different disciplines, reputation as an exciting, expressive Artist Diploma programme for Chamber and will bring the quartet into contact ensemble, delivering performances that Music. with some of the world’s leading are ‘strikingly immediate, committed and chamber music teachers. direct’ (Chichester Observer). Thanks to a The new Artist Diploma offers the legacy from the late Albert and Eugenie opportunity for a pre-formed chamber Formed in London in 2012, the Ruisi Frost, the Ruisi Quartet’s place has been ensemble to engage in one year of Quartet – comprising violinists made available to them free of charge. concentrated study. The programme Alessandro Ruisi and Guy Button,

The Ruisi Quartet

9 Back to Wax Today’s musician entering a recording studio is faced with a How did you find the correct positions for the musicians? multitude of microphones which are capable of picking up We had to arrange the RCM students an extraordinary range of sounds. But back-track 100 years in various ways so they could all direct the sounds of their instruments directly and the situation was very different. RCM Research Associate into the mouth of the recording horn. Aleks Kollowski tells Upbeat about an extraordinary project, It’s comparable to bringing a subject into frame when using a camera; if the involving 32 RCM students, to re-enact the first complete musicians were even slightly outside recording of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, made more than the horn’s range, then they would be inaudible. 100 years ago. This meant that the entire orchestra, with the exception of the timpani, had He spent many months working on How did the project come about? to be packed very close together, with The idea to re-enact the 1913 recording finding a suitable formula; one that the cellos and basses right in front of the of Beethoven’s Fifth by Arthur Nikisch would produce the least amount of horn. The woodwinds played across the and the Berlin Philharmonic came surface noise compared to the recorded mouth of the horn on a raised platform about through conversations with signal. He also hand-built the recording while the brass were placed at the back Duncan Miller, the project’s acoustic lathe and sound-boxes, a shaving on a higher level with the French horns sound engineer. Duncan is a leading machine for achieving a mirror-finish directed at the recording horn so the authority on the techniques of acoustic on the blank discs and for reusing them, players faced backwards and had to use recording and we would never have as well as a warming cabinet for the a mirror to see the conductor. We spent been able to record in such a way onto blank wax discs. The temperature of much of our first day of recording finding wax discs without his practical expertise these discs when recording is extremely correct positions for the RCM students in and considerable experience. With order to get a fuller and more balanced important; if used when cold, they offer the support of the RCM’s Research sound on the wax recordings. Committee and a group of willing too much resistance to the cutting stylus RCM students, the stage for the project as it ploughs through the wax, creating Did you have to make any musical was set. additional surface noise. We had to heat compromises? the room up to a very high temperature One extraordinary feature of the original What challenges did you face in so that the discs wouldn’t cool down 1913 recording is that, as far as we setting up the recording? when taken out of the warming cabinet. can tell from listening to the records, Initially, the main problem was finding information about the original recording and how it was made. Although there’s quite a lot in the EMI Archive about recording set-ups for small ensembles and the positioning of musicians around recording horns, there is nothing that tells us how a large group of musicians could have been recorded acoustically. The 1913 Nikisch/Berlin Philharmonic recording is significant because it was the very first successful attempt to record a complete symphony by full orchestra in the history of sound recording, but all we have to go on are contemporary photographs taken in the studios. One photograph in particular became a template for how we arranged the musicians; it was of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alfred Hertz from September 1913. Although a posed portrait, the image showed the positioning of musicians in relation to the horn, and that, although almost hidden away from view, mechanically amplified Stroh violins were being used. Duncan Miller, however, faced the biggest challenge, and that was making the wax discs for our recordings. RCM students recording Beethoven’s Symphony no 5, 2014

10 they didn’t substitute or reinforce the How does your recording compare After the sessions, Duncan was actually harder-to-record instruments, such to Nikisch’s? able to produce moulded resin copies as using bassoons instead of cellos as We were struggling to get the level of our from some of the wax masters, playable was standard practice throughout the sound recordings on our wax discs to on a gramophone, so we were able to acoustic era. But as the lower strings match that of the original Nikisch ones, see the whole record-making process, now took up most of the room in front so our results were somewhat fainter and from recording a wax master to making a of the recording horn, the violins and noisier. However, we were transcribing duplicate copy, right through to the end. violas were clustered together further our wax discs while they were still warm back. We used two Stroh violins and a (out of necessity as we had no time to The RCM Studios took a recording viola to bolster the upper string sections using ‘modern’ techniques. How do and these hybrid instruments with their allow them to cool), which affected the playback quality and we were comparing they compare? characteristic aluminium horns and We set up microphones directly above loud directional sound, proved to be them to shellac pressings which were the horn so we could record the sound absolutely essential. much harder and louder than the original wax masters would have been. from its ‘point of hearing’. This was done These unusual instruments were in order to make comparisons and to universally used in the early studios, Another factor was the size of the room; hear what the horn was capturing and, before electrical recording, either the Berlin studio of 1913 was about half indeed, missing. to reinforce the violins and violas the size of the RCM’s Recital Hall and or substitute them altogether. so much more of the orchestral sound It would be unfair to compare the two However, I wouldn’t call their use would have been reflected off the walls methods of recording qualitatively as a musical compromise, since they and into the horn. they are essentially different; the older are played exactly the same way as acoustic process gives you an impression their conventional counterparts and In acoustic recording, factors such as of the orchestra rather than a vividly can hardly be told apart in the final room size, warmth of the recording real representation achieved through recordings. media, types of recording diaphragm and modern digital recording, assisted by cutting styli all contribute incrementally electrical amplification. But the former The only major compromise was in the to the success of any recording. Had still captures the energy and essence of interpretation of dynamics, especially in we had more time, we might have the performance and interpretation, the slow movement, as the orchestra had increased the volume of the recorded even though fine details and timbral to play the softer passages considerably sound on the records. Nevertheless, I qualities that we are now so used to louder than indicated on the score, believe we did very well indeed under hearing are lost. in order for them to be heard on the the circumstances and we captured the recordings. sound of the orchestra quite successfully. As RCM conductor Robin O’Neill remarked, it’s a strikingly ‘honest and natural’ form of recording, with only the acoustic power of the instruments funneled through a horn and against a small diaphragm forcing it to vibrate. These vibrations in turn modulate an attached stylus that etches an undulating spiral sound groove onto a wax surface.

Photo © courtesy of Robert Baumbach © courtesy Photo What impact do you hope this recording experiment will have? It is our hope that these materials will contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of recordings from the acoustic era. There is plenty more research to do in this field and perhaps our project can help initiate and inform further early recording re-enactments. Aleks Kollowski is a Research Associate for the Science Museum’s ‘Music, Noise and Silence’ project, in which the RCM is a collaborative partner.

Find out more Further details about the project are available on the RCM website at How Recordings were made in the early 1920s’. Rosario Bourdon conducting the Victor Salon Orchestra c. 1920 www.rcm.ac.uk/beethovenproject

11 The Future of Music

RCM musicians recording in the RCM Studios

Microsoft co-founder Bill ‘Everything we try to do with technology students with’ explains Matt. ‘Particularly is about giving students an enhanced when there are only a couple of students Gates once said: ‘Technology learning experience.’ Senior Recording learning a particular instrument, the fact Engineer Matt Parkin tells Upbeat. that they can connect with other students is just a tool. In terms of ‘Starting at the most basic level, we and professors around the world also getting the kids working regularly film student performances learning these instruments is so useful.’ so they can watch themselves back on together and motivating screen with their professors. They learn ‘One of the most interesting projects them, the teacher is most something very different when they can we’ve done was a live link up with the watch themselves perform.’ Royal Danish Academy. It enabled us important.’ to sing carols in the Amaryllis Fleming The RCM Studios were first established Concert Hall accompanied by their in 1969 by electroacoustic composer organ in Copenhagen, relayed here One-to-one teaching by inspirational Tristram Cary, and just over three years through speakers. We did this using professors has always been at the heart ago they first started using LOLA: a low LOLA. This technology really is a game of the RCM. For more than a century, latency, audio and videoconferencing students have aspired to achieve changer because it allows you to play technology which enables real-time, their musical goals, supported and together without any delay over the motivated by their professors at Prince simultaneous, live musical performances internet. The sound is better than on a Consort Road. However, in recent years across long distances. As a result CD and the video quality is also very this traditional image of learning has RCM students are now linking up fast, so performers can easily pick up been revolutionised by technological with conservatoires across the globe on conductor’s movements and even advances, and now the RCM is making for masterclasses, lessons and even musician’s nods and winks.’ performances. the most of the tools offered by new The technology is still only used by a technology and digital thinking, from ‘What these advances in technology handful of places across Europe and distance learning to multimedia are allowing us to do is to link to places America. But with improvements in performances and live streaming. around the world where there are internet speed it’s hoped it will become professors with specific expertise or niche more accessible and available to other specialisms who we want to connect our networks in the future.

12 Matt believes the opportunities for the including masterclasses with violinists RCM are significant:‘It has the potential RCM Live Nicola Benedetti and Ida Haendel, to greatly enhance students’ learning pianist Lang Lang and RCM vocal experiences by connecting them with peers The RCM regularly streams live alumni Gerald Finley, Sir and professors around the world. Given broadcasts of concerts and and Sarah Connolly. that the RCM has always had an ambition masterclasses through our website. to reach out and provide musical Many of these are now available to Here is a selection of our latest education beyond its walls, I’d love to see watch again on our YouTube channel recordings available to watch on our the technology taking RCM music-making (www.youtube.com/rcmlondon), YouTube channel. to an even wider audience, particularly to regions where it’s difficult to get access to the high-level education we offer.’ The RCM Philharmonic performed Prokofiev’sRomeo and Juliet in January Distance learning is just one of a 2015 in the stunning Amaryllis Fleming multitude of areas the RCM Studios Concert Hall. You can watch the are involved in, from traditional CD complete performance online. and DVD production to the provision of high-end computer composition @RCMLatest Superb Prokofiev and production workstations for – live streaming to our living RCM composers. The studio team room: RCM strings stunning as always also plays a major role in supporting #rcmstrings events, from recording and streaming orchestral concerts to supporting @RCMLatest Loving the live broadcast more experimental artistic projects. this evening! One of this year’s most adventurous collaborations, connected to the RCM’s Great Exhibitionists series, is The Infinite Bridge: an experimental, student-led project combining live orchestra, dance, animation and several link ups with A special celebration of the music of institutions around the world. Steve Reich took place in October ‘Working with students to realise their 2014. You can watch a performance creative ideas is incredibly exciting’ says of his award winning ‘Double Matt. ‘One of the things students tell me Sextet’ performed by the RCM New they appreciate most about the RCM Perspectives ensemble in the Britten Studios is that we like challenges and we’re Theatre, conducted by Tim Lines. up for helping them turn their ideas into Loving the #Reich double sextet reality. In the case of The Infinite Bridge coming from @RCMLatest project, the students have come up with thanks to the wonders of the internet. an incredibly strong theatrical concept and narrative that actually embeds live Terrific performances of Steve Reich by participation from around the world in RCM musicians tonight. @RCMLatest a theatre show with specially composed music. ‘There will be lots of visual effects that incorporate live links with institutions across Europe and potentially beyond. RCM composers and singers joined As far as we know, it’s the first time that forces to celebrate Hogarth’s life, work someone’s tried to integrate live music, and legacy by creating five brand dancers, actors, and narrative as well as new 15 minute operas. Each opera these remote contributions seamlessly in responded to Hogarth’s witty and one performance. It’s a very ambitious bitingly acute social commentaries by project but also very exciting and offering its own unique take on modern innovative. That’s exactly the kind of thing society and you can watch them all we like to support here at the RCM.’ online. You can find out more aboutThe Infinite Amazing evening Bridge project at www.rcm.ac.uk/ #HogarthsStages @RCMLatest infinitebridge. The unique performance Extraordinarily talented composers, will take place on Monday 5 May in the librettists and performers. Congrats RCM’s Britten Theatre and tickets are to all. available from the RCM Box Office.

13 Meeting the supporters...

And when did you become an everybody greets you. Maxine [on RCM Friend? reception] greets me as I walk in, and I joined a few months later when Chinese Jo [in the canteen], she’s got my coffee ready for me and when I go down there pianist Lang Lang visited the RCM. I she always gets me my dinner. I just love joined just in time to get in and see him. the students and it makes you feel young I was an RCM Friend for two years and again. then I became a Best Friend. Do you feel that being an RCM Have you always been interested Friend has opened up a world of in music? music to you? I used to love singing at school. When I do. When I tell people where I live and I was at one school, I played truant for they say ‘well I wouldn’t come all that three days because I wanted to sing. way’ but I don’t mind. It’s worth it. It pulls When my mother found out she nearly me here because I just love it. This is my had a fit! life now, coming here. I never used to like violins. But one day I turned on the television and they said For more information on becoming there’s Andre Rieu coming on, and of an RCM Friend, visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ course he came on playing a violin! support or contact Rachel Bowden, That was what made me fall in love with Friends and Alumni Relations Assistant, the violin. on 020 7591 4331 or email [email protected] What events do you like coming to? I do love the masterclasses. I’ll be quite Ken Goodwin honest, I’m completed exhausted by the end of the afternoon, because I take it all Welcome to Ken Goodwin is a familiar face to in. I enjoy all the vocal events too – I’ve new Friends and many around the RCM. Since got all of them booked for this season. discovering the College in 2011, I think the percussion students are Supporters particularly marvellous too. he’s attended more than 350 We are delighted to welcome the events! His continuing support And you attend the RCM Friends’ following people who have recently and friendly nature have touched events as well, what do you like made their first donation to the RCM many students and staff over the about them? Mr Graham Bamford HonRCM Ms Jessica Benson years, and here he tells Upbeat I think they’re great. I’m getting in with people, I’m speaking to them and they’re Mr Hugh Bucknill about why he chooses to support speaking to me. To be quite honest, I feel Ms Julie Butler Mr David Curtis the RCM. proud walking through that door. Mr Thomas Daykin Ms Lisa Eckes How did you first hear about When my wife died I wanted to go to all the colleges to have a look to see what I Mr Ian Fergus the RCM? missed when I was a youngster. You win Mr Michael & Mrs Susan Finlay I was dancing down at Kensington Palace scholarships now, but in our day you had Ms Monica Garibaldi Mrs Julia Hellings and there was some baroque dancing to be really up in the world to pay. going on but I didn’t know what it Mr Bruce Hodgkinson was – to be quite honest I couldn’t say Do you support the RCM in Mrs Krishna Kartha Professor Barry Kay ‘baroque’ until a student told me how! other ways? I said ‘Where does the musician come Revd Neil Kelley I like giving a little bit to the [RCM from?’ and the dance leader said ‘He Dr Alexander Knapp Hardship Fund] because I think there teaches’ at the Royal College of Music.’ Ms Rebecca Lawrence are things I wanted to do when I was a Mr Richard Lay CBE A couple of weeks after, I came for a tour youngster and I couldn’t do them. I’d Mrs Tessa Lydekker round the and I looked hate to think someone had got up so Mr John Macrory & Mrs Martina Ward over the road and thought ‘Oh, that’s the far and then couldn’t afford to continue Ms Sue McCrossan Royal College of Music. I wonder if they’ll studying anymore. If a little bit of money Mr Geoffrey & Mrs Ritsuko Mills let me go in.’ So, I came in and asked ‘Do helps, I’m happy to support them. Mr Douglas Murray Ms Stella Olden you do tours?’ This gentleman showed Mrs Katherine Peeters me round. Well, I heard some singing, I Do you get the chance to speak to the students? Mr Donald Pelmear can’t think what they were singing now Dr Kathrin Peters but I thought ‘This is music.’ Oh yes, lots of students come to speak to me. You don’t realise that they’re Miss Isabelle Tawil And that is how I found the Royal College pleased to see you there, too [when Mrs Jill Ware of Music. That was February 2011. they perform]. It’s like a family because Dr Robin Wormell

14 Supporting the future of music...

Music has the power to transform lives. Thanks The Robin Ritzema Scholarship Lorna and Christopher Bown to the generosity of our supporters, generations The Howard and Abbey Milstein Foundation Mrs Lorraine Buckland of gifted students from around the world have David Laing Foundation Scholarship Mr Kenneth and Mrs Lillemor Gardener been guided and inspired at the RCM. We would The Greenbank Scholarship Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM and Lady Cleaver like to thank in particular those who have made Independent Opera Artist Scholarship Anonymous donations of £1,000 or more in the last 12 South Square Trust Mary Godwin months. Gifts are listed in descending order. The Tait Trust Scholarship Carol J Hagh The Radcliffe Trust Supporters of named scholarships, bursaries and Ms Greta Hemus Sir Peter and Lady Walters John and Sue Heywood Junior Fellowships Rev Lyndon van der Pump FRCM and The Basil Coleman Bequest Barbara Simmonds Edward Brooks FRCM Betty Sutherland The Estate of Ivor Charles Treby Edgar Tom and Hilda May Cook Estate of Fiona Searle Louisa Treger The Rothschild Foundation Dr Yvonne Winkler ABRSM Douglas and Kyra Downie Soirée d’Or Scholarships Mr Victor and Mrs Lilian Hochhauser FRCM Knights of the Round Table Sir Peter and Lady Gershon Leverhulme Trust Mark Loveday Scholarship Anonymous Mr James Lancaster and Mrs Margaret Lancaster Music Talks Scholarship Mrs Yannick Mango Future of Russia Foundation Miss Ianthe Williams Award Philip Loubser Foundation Sir David Lees Arthur Wilson Trombone Award Sir Richard and Lady Sykes The John and Marjorie Coultate Scholarship Else and Leonard Cross Charitable Trust Estate of Roselyn Ann Clifton Parker Mr David Mildon Award Robin Hambro The Big Give Trust Bell Percussion Laurie Barry and the John Barry Scholarship for Charles and Domonique Lubar Kirby Laing Foundation Helen Chung-Halpern and Abel Halpern Film Composition The Bliss Trust Estate of Dr John Birch FRCM Mrs Marcella Rossi Peter Granger MarieNoelle and Mathias Gislev The Wolfson Foundation Norman Reintamm H R Taylor Trust Corporate Supporters H F Music Awards Supporters of RCM Sparks Campus Living Villages The Richard Carne Charitable Trust Royal Albert Hall M&G Investments Andrew and Karen Sunnucks John Lyon’s Charity GlaxoSmithKline John Lewis Partnership Scholarships Universal Music Royal Garden Hotel Jennifer Coumbe John Lewis Partnership RLM Finsbury Charles Napper Award The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust BAE Systems Lydia Napper Award Anonymous Hatch Mansfield Hester Laverne Award The Oldhurst Trust Little Greene Croucher Hong Kong Charitable Trust Members of the RCM Chairman’s Circle The Tsukanov Family Foundation Other generous donors Philip Carne MBE, HonRCM and Christine Carne* Georg and Emily von Opel Foundation+ Richard and Rosemary Millar Michael and Ruth West* The Worshipful Company of Musicians Geoffrey RichardsHonRCM Linda and Tony Hill Mr Paul Brewer Humphrey Searle Scholarship Denis and Meredith Coleman*+ The Polonsky Foundation Bob and Sarah Wigley John and Catherine Armitage* The Henry Wood Trust The Michael Bishop Foundation Jane Barker CBE* Richard Beck Gylla Godwin Award Dasha Shenkman OBE, HonRCM* The Reed Foundation Sir Roger and Lady Carr HonRCM* The Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity The Hon Ros Kelly Karina and Dhairya Choudhrie*+ The Amaryllis Fleming Foundation Opperby Stokowski Collection Trust Guy Dawson and Sam Horscroft+ The Mirfield Trust The Lee Abbey Award Gisela Gledhill* Karen Cook Stephen Catto Memorial Scholarship Terry Hitchcock* Guy Dawson The Worshipful Company of Drapers James and Clare Kirkman* Jon Symonds The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers Dr Mark Levesley and Christina Hoseason* The Hon Richard Lyttelton The Estate of Mr Charles Knoll John Nickson and Simon Rew* Heritage Lottery Fund Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Sylvia and Clive Richards* The Rothschild Foundation Sir Gordon Palmer Scholarship Quentin Williams* The Seary Charitable Trust Ian Stoutzker CBE, FRCM Victoria Robey OBE* St Marylebone Educational Foundation Ian and Meriel Tegner Alethea Siow and Jeremy Furniss* John Hosier Music Trust Linda Beeley Roland Rudd Emma Rose Scholarship Members of the RCM Director’s Circle The Sharp Foundation Williams Rose Scholarship Daniel Chapchal Christopher Saul The Charles Stewart Richardson Scholarship Sir Peter and Lady Middleton FRCM Sian Westerman for Composition Judy and Terence Mowschenson Natalie Livingstone The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation Vivien McLean The Leche Trust The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation UK Tania Chislett Ofenheim Charitable Trust Henri Cowell Soirée d’Or Scholarship Charles and Kaaren Hale Ann Driver Trust The Boltini Trust Scholarship The Vernon Ellis Foundation Fidelio Trust Gilbert and Eileen Edgar Junior Fellowship Metherell Family Dorothy Sayers Phoebe Benham Junior Fellowship Richard and Sue Price Clore Duffield Foundation The Mills Williams Foundation Peter and Dimity Spiller Richard Everard The Derek Butler Trust Joanna Kaye+ Sir David Tang The Charles Peel Charitable Trust Sir Sydney and Lady Lipworth Stephen Von Bismarck The Ackroyd Trust Anne Wadsworth+ Mitie The Wall Trust Sir Robert and Lady Wilson Mr Douglas Flint Midori Nishiura Scholarship Members of the RCM Patrons’ Circle Anonymous The Richard Toeman/Weinberger Opera Scholarship John Ward The Derek Hill Foundation The Wyseliot Charitable Trust Russell Race* Professor Colin Lawson FRCM The Stanley Picker Scholarship Jane Wilson Edward Mandel/Jaques Samuel Pianos Bursary Professor Lord Winston Mrs Piffa Schroder Friends of the National Libraries Lark Insurance Scholarship Ellen Moloney Fiona and Douglas Flint Soirée d’Or Scholarship Rhoddy Voremberg * also support a named award Steinway & Sons Dimity and Kerry Rubie + also support RCM Sparks Mason Scholarship Mrs Victoria Moore-Gillon For more information about supporting the RCM, The Gary & Eleanor Brass Scholarship David and Sue Lewis visit www.rcm.ac.uk/supportus Betty Brenner Scholarship Mrs Isla Baring* Alternatively, contact Fiona Rose on 020 7591 4321 The JMC Award Halina and John Bennett or [email protected]

15 Student notes notes

Violinist Alix Lagasse has been selected been announced as Cambridge Young String successes for the London Symphony Orchestra Composer of the Year 2014/15 for his String Experience Scheme 2014/2015, composition The Bell Tower of Poveglia… rehearsing and performing as part of the Bertram Wee has been announced as orchestra and working with conductors the winner of the 2014 BASCA British such as Xian Zhang, Gianandrea Noseda, Composer Awards Student Competition. Daniel Harding and Marin Alsop… His winning piece, Sonicalia for tuba and Violinist Naoka Aoki has won the tenor trombone, was performed at the Second Great Prize-Prince Louis de Awards ceremony in December. Polignac Foundation and the Special Prize Prince Albert II of Monaco (for the best interpretation of the concerto) at the Thibaud Violin Contest in Paris. She has also won Second Prize at the Chinese International Violin Competition in Qingdao… Rosanna Rolton has won the Fourth International Harp Contest ‘Suoni D’Arpa’ in Milan. Her prize includes a number of engagements in Italy and a CD recording… Laure Chan Joo Yeon Sir has performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Youth Sinfonia, a newly formed orchestra comprising Constant and Kit Lambert Junior Fellow young musicians from conservatoires, Joo Yeon Sir has triumphed at The Arts universities and music schools, including Club Karl Jenkins Classical Music Award, violist Joanna Patrick as leader of the winning £4,000 and the chance to record viola section. Bertram Wee accepting his award a piece written specially by Karl Jenkins Allan © Mark Photo for broadcast on Classic FM... Violinist Clara Danchin has won Second Prize at Composition Richard Miller’s piece Phlebas has the 45th Cziffra Foundation Competition been selected for workshop and in Senlis, France… Jian Ren has been congratulations performance by the Bournemouth awarded Second Prize and the Audience Symphony Orchestra as part of the Prize at the Third Mirecourt International Dani Howard’s piece Blue Pavilion BSO’s Composers’ Day in February. The Violin Competition in France (no First has been chosen for submission to workshop was led by . Prize was awarded). Leon Keuffer the International Jury for the 2015 received Fourth Prize… Violinist Olivia ISCM World Music Days. She is also a Francis has been awarded an AMP finalist in the A Rendano Composition Vocal achievements National Scholarship of $10,000NZD Competition and has been awarded (approximately £5,000). One of 11 Third Prize in the ChengDu Sun River Soprano Rowan Pierce has won the recipients shortlisted from 2,200 Composition Competition. Her octet for Schubert Society of Britain’s Lieder applicants, Olivia will use the scholarship, percussion, What Lies Beneath Rings, has Prize. Her award includes a Schubert which is awarded to New Zealanders of also been performed by RCM ensemble Society recital, £500 and a specially any age or field who want to ‘do their PERC’M with She-e Wu on a UK tour… commissioned bronze sculpture by thing’, to fund her RCM studies. Arne Gieshoff has received a prestigious Gloria Loring. commission from Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer school, to write a new work to mark the opening of the Tanglewood Music Center’s 75th Anniversary Season… Nick Morrish Rarity has won the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize, and will write a chamber piece for the 2015 Cheltenham Festival… Benjamin Woodgates has been awarded the ASCAP Foundation Michelle and Dean Kay Award. The award was established to support aspiring songwriters who have participated in ASCAP workshops in Los Angeles… Nicola Monopoli’s work for tape, 3 Stanzas, has been selected for the Open Circuit Festival at the University of Liverpool… RCM Junior Olivia Francis Rowan Pierce Department composer Joe Reynolds has

16 Countertenor Timothy Morgan has won the Society Annual Spotlight on… over 50 applicants for the three-year Bursary for Young Singers. He sang ‘Dove position, which he began in January sei’ from Rodelinda, ‘Der Lindenbaum’ 2015. from and Tippett’s Songs The Scottish composer’s first opera, for Ariel in the first round, followed Now, written in collaboration with by songs by Handel, Schubert and RCM alumna Laura Attridge, was Howells in the second round... Soprano premiered in May 2014 as part of the Josephine Goddard has won a Miriam RCM’s Hogarth’s Stages in association Licette Award in the Maggie Teyte with Tête à Tête Opera, and is Competition... Baritone Timothy Nelson available to watch at has won the Singer’s Prize in the 2014 www.youtube.com/rcmlondon Gerald Moore Awards… Soprano Laure Poissonnier has been awarded a place at The Glyndebourne Young Composer L’Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra national de in Residence scheme offers an Paris for 2015/16. Lewis Murphy has been announced as emerging composer under the age of Glyndebourne’s new Young Composer 30 the chance to spend three years in Residence. immersed in the work of the company. Keyboard During that time they are able to Lewis is an RCM Scholar, supported by observe the creation of new opera, accomplishments a Miss Ianthe Williams Award and a involve themselves in Glyndebourne’s Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Award, broader artistic, learning and audience Pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has performed and currently studies with Mark- development activities and create their Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no 3 with Anthony Turnage. He was chosen from own new work. the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vassily Sinaisky at the Royal Festival Hall, and with Maria-João Pires at Wigmore Luka Okrostsvaridze has won First Prize Hall. He will be making his New York at the Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Woodwind debut at Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall in Piano Competition which was held at March, with a recital including works Wigmore Hall. Luka’s prize includes triumphs by Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann and a Wigmore Hall recital and a CD Scriabin. recording… Pianist Dinara Klinton has Victoria Soames Samek will give the performed at the Purcell Room as an London premiere of ’s award winner of the Martin Musical bass clarinet concerto, Autumn Sonata, Scholarship Fund. Her recital programme at a concert with St Paul’s Sinfonia at in November included works by Chopin St Stephen’s Church, Lewisham, on and Schubert… Martin James Bartlett 20 March. has performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto no 20 with the Worthing Symphony Orchestra as part of an afternoon of Research New Year celebrations at Worthing Assembly Hall… Claire Harris has won endeavours the Accompanist’s Prize in the 2015 Doctoral student and countertenor Maggie Teyte Competition… RCM Junior Randall Scotting has presented a paper Department pianists Tomoka Kan based on his research on the opera and Isaac Ettedgui have recorded the Eumene at the British Society for 18th new grade 1 piano pieces for ABRSM, Century Studies’ annual conference in to accompany the books of selected Oxford. He has also presented concerts pieces which are used by piano students worldwide. Recorded at the Menuhin at the National Gallery and Handel Hall, the CD also features performances House Museum in London. by Head of Keyboard Professor Vanessa Latarche. Georgina Sherriff

Organist Georgina Sherriff has taken part in a cycle ride from Land’s End to London to raise money for the Merryn Thomas Discretionary Trust. Merryn suffered paralysis after successfully auditioning for the RCM and was unable to take up her place. Georgina and her brother cycled 400 miles in 6 days and raised over £2,000. Isaac Ettedgui Randall Scotting

17 Staff notes

Composition professor Mark-Anthony Composition professor Simon Holt’s Turnage has won the Orchestral Award Third String Quartet has received its at the BASCA British Composer Awards world premiere by the JACK Quartet at for his Beethoven inspired piece Frieze, Wigmore Hall in January. which was premiered last year at the BBC Proms by the National Orchestra Revolutionary Drawing Room, of which of Great Britain. Several of his works violin professor Adrian Butterfield is a have also received premieres recently, member, has released a new recording including Contusion, performed by the in time for its 25th anniversary in 2015. Belcea Quartet in London, and the US Released on the Omnibus Classics label, premiere of his Piano Concerto by the A Viennese Quartet Party is a recreation Philadelphia Orchestra and Marc-André of the time in 1784 when Mozart, Haydn, Hamelin. Vanhal and Dittersdorf played quartets together in Vienna. Deputy Librarian Dr Peter Horton has Francis Shaw contributed to a documentary entitled Elizabeth Maconchy – A Girl Composer’s Triumph. The programme was broadcast Composition professor Francis Shaw as part of The Lyric Feature series on RTÉ has conducted a recording of both of his Lyric FM and asked why Maconchy, a piano concertos with the Slovak National student at the RCM in the 1920s, has Orchestra and Martin Jones as pianist. been all but forgotten. Peter has also The first concerto received its premiere raised £160 for the Parkinson’s Society in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 1987 by walking 22.5 miles along the Capital but was not recorded, while the second, Ring footpath. after being originally commissioned in 1996 by the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, was completed in 2013. Janis Kelly Composition professor Jonathan Cole’s recent work Menhir for saxophone quartet was premiered by the Fukio Vocal professor Janis Kelly has recorded Ensemble at a re:sound event last Rufus Wainwright’s opera Prima Donna year, with further performances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for at the Huddersfield International . The opera will Contemporary Music Festival and St also be broadcast on the BBC. Leonard’s Shoreditch. Museum Assistant Erin McHugh will be speaking at the Visually Impaired Musicians’ Lives Conference, hosted by the Institute of Education at the University of London, on 11 March. She will discuss the RCM Museum of Music’s workshops for blind and partially sighted Composition professor Joseph musicians. The first workshop of the ’s music has been released Horovitz series, held on 3 November, explored on two recent CDs. Victoria Soames Baroque music through performance performs his chamber music Samek and composition, with workshop leader for clarinet on Joseph Horovitz: Hannah Conway. The Essential Collection(Clarinet & Saxophone Classics), and David Childs’ Madeleine Mitchell The Symphonic Euphonium features Horovitz’s Euphonium Concerto – the first written for the instrument. Joseph Violin professor Madeleine Mitchell has also been featured on Bayerischer will give a recital at Wigmore Hall on Rundfunk Klassik and Los Angeles-based 19 March with piano professor Nigel radio station Classical KUSC. Clayton. Their programme of British music includes Elgar’s Violin Sonata and Guitar professor Carlos Bonell has MacMillan’s Kiss on Wood (written for performed his new programme The and recorded by Mitchell). This follows Classical Tour at Bolivar Hall in London Madeleine’s return to Russia in February and All Saints’ Church, Marlow. The to perform Elgar’s Violin Concerto and concerts included his own arrangements British chamber music with colleagues at of music by Queen and , as RCM Museum of Music workshops for blind and partially sighted musicians

the Moscow Conservatory. well as other well-known guitar melodies. Holba © Emile Photo

18 RCM Ensemble in Association Florilegium, directed by Head of Spotlight on… Historical Performance Professor Ashley , has released its 25th recording on Channel Classics. The two-CD set of the complete Bach Brandenburg Concertos features RCM professors, alumni and students. The recording has been awarded ‘CD of the Week’ in The Netherlands and Classic FM’s ‘Featured Album’, and it was recently highly recommended by BBC Radio 3’s CD Review. Christopher Glynn

Pianist Christopher Glynn has recorded CDs with Roderick Williams, Dame Felicity Lott, Allan Clayton, Claire Booth and Julian Bliss. He has also recorded the piano soundtrack on the forthcoming filmAltamira , starring Antonio Banderas and Golshifteh Farahani. Head of Aural & Musicianship Pande Shahov will have his latest work, Symphony of Songs and Epitaphs for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, performed by the Choir and Orchestra of the Macedonian National Opera on 1 April. The concert will be held in the Grand Hall of the National Professor of Performance Science Percussion professor Ralph Salmins Opera in Skopje. Aaron Williamon, along with has been voted one of the ‘16 Best Pop research associates Daisy Fancourt The Exhibition Road Chamber Choir, and Lisa Aufegger, will host a series and Session Drummers in the World conducted by RCM Artistic Director Today’ in the Rhythm Magazine 2014 of events at this year’s Cheltenham Stephen Johns, will perform a lunchtime Music Festival. Readers’ Polls. concert of Renaissance polyphony in the Junior Department piano teacher V&A’s Raphael Gallery on 24 March. Organised in collaboration with Clara Rodriguez has announced several Imperial College’s Professor of RCM research associate Daisy Fancourt Signal Processing Danilo P Mandic performance dates in London during has been awarded a prestigious Young and Research Associate Valentin the spring. She will perform Gershwin’s Investigator Scholarship from the Goverdovsky, the events aim to Rhapsody in Blue at St Martin-in-the- American Psychosomatic Society. Daisy explore the benefits and stresses of Fields on 14 April and a programme of will speak at the Society’s international choir singing for those performing Spanish and Latin American music at conference and will receive mentoring the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room from a leading psychobiology researcher and for those in the audience. on 7 June. for the coming year. Working with internationally Assistant Librarian Michael Mullen’s Studio Administrator Rich Stephenson acclaimed composer Eric Whitacre new trio-sonata for recorder, viola has released his debut EP I AM RICH on and his choir, they will measure heart da gamba and harpsichord has been iTunes and Spotify. Partly recorded in the rate and stress-related hormones published by Peacock Press. Entitled RCM Studios, Richard has subsequently during a concert on 7 July at Dr Dee his Magick Square, it was toured London, New York and France Gloucester Cathedral. A roundtable commissioned by Andrew Collis for his promoting the album. One of the tracks discussion on 11 July will discuss group The Stanesby Players, and received also made the BBC Introducing on Radio their findings. its premiere in London in May 2014. Humberside ‘Best of 2014’ playlist. Established in 1945, Cheltenham Composition professor Kenneth Vocal professor Daniele Guerra has Music Festival is one of the most Hesketh has been announced as the directed Errollyn Wallen’s Cautionary prestigious music festivals in Music Director for Phoenix Dance Tales, a contemporary opera for children, the world. The 12 day festival Theatre’s Choreographers and at last year’s Latitude Festival. He has also features more than 60 events held Composers Lab in Leeds, in July. The two acted as revival director of La bohème in Cheltenham and the many week intensive course will concentrate at Opéra Bastille for Paris Opera, and as cathedrals, abbey and churches on the creative process of research and associate director for a reconstruction across the region. Find out more at experimentation with the emphasis on of the very first staging ofTosca at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com composition in music and dance. Rome Opera.

19 Alumni notes

Ensemble 4 Girls 4 Harps has founded Flautist Elisse Kleiner has worked with the British Harp Chamber Music composer/pianist David Paterson Competition. Open to UK residents, and percussionist Erica Rasmussen to the competition aims to inspire future devise a new event featuring specially generations of harpists and to act as a commissioned chamber music inspired platform to showcase the harp within by the taste of different wines.Tasting diverse ensembles. Notes was held at the Tarra Warra Estate in Australia and featured musicians from Composer and pianist Johan Hugosson the Melbourne Symphony. has performed a concert of his own works with the Belsize String Quartet at Charlotte Bray’s compositions have St James’s Piccadilly. been recorded by the Aldeburgh World Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder, Pianist Nicholas McCarthy has and by Birmingham Contemporary performed a recital at Conway Hall as Music Group conducted by Oliver part of Rhinegold LIVE’s series of free Knussen. Both recordings were reviewed rush hour concerts. The programme by The Times and Bray’s music was included pieces for left hand alone and described as attesting ‘a sharp ear and a transcriptions by Nicholas, and was vigorous imagination’. followed by a Q&A session. Alex Edmundson has been appointed Cape Town based composer Peter as third horn of the London Symphony Klatzow has been chosen as Composer Orchestra. in Residence for the 2015 Johannesburg International Mozart Festival. In this role, Following the death of RCM alumnus Peter provided programming expertise William Lewarne Harris in 2013, his and composed a new work. memoirs Knocking on a Bolted Door have been published to commemorate his Violinist Benjamin Baker has been life and work. A copy has been donated announced as a runner up in The Arts to the RCM Library and it can also be Club Karl Jenkins Classical Music Award. ordered from Lewarne Publishing. David Sutton-Anderson’s piece Reflections and Echoeshas received its world premiere at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. It was performed by the contemporary music group Sounds Positive in a programme which also included works by RCM alumni Mark- Anthony Turnage, Simon Desorgher and Avril Anderson.

Alex Edmundson

Photo © Phil Houlton © Phil Photo Tenor Ezra Williams has starred as Ivana Gavrić Turiddu in the Opera Seria production of Cavalleria rusticana and I Pagliacci in Manchester, alongside other RCM Pianist Ivana Gavrić’s third disc of alumni. This year he will perform Don piano works by Grieg has been awarded José (Carmen) and Cavaradossi (Tosca) Recording of the Year 2014 by the Grieg for the New London Opera Players, as Society. Ivana has also recently made well as Cassio (Otello) for Opera Seria. her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic conducted by Rafael Sounds Positive Jonathan Del Mar has completed his Payare and the Trondheim Soloists, and editions of the Beethoven concertos, performed an all-Grieg recital at the KKL published by Bärenreiter. Following Luzern in Switzerland. Soprano Soraya Mafihas been on from his ground-breaking edition announced as the latest winner of the of the symphonies, he has published TheLondon Soloists Philharmonia, of Peter Hulsen Orchestral Song Award, the Violin Concerto in both its violin which many members are RCM alumni, along with bass baritone Bozidar and piano arrangement versions, the has accompanied a performance of the Smiljanic. They will perform a concert of Triple Concerto, and the first four piano London Russian Ballet School at Cadogan solo songs accompanied by Southbank concertos. His edition of the Emperor Hall, conducted by Peter Limonov. Sinfonia at St Martin-in-the-Fields in June. Concerto will be released in March 2015.

20 Dr Ian White’s PhD thesis on composition, involving late-20th Spotlight on… century analysis, particularly in relation to Gerhard’s Concerto for Orchestra, has been made available online at the instigation of British Library EThOS and University of Surrey SRI Open

Access services. Allan © Mark Photo Roger Sayer, Director of Music at Temple Church London, has featured as Michael Foyle and Maksim Štšura organist in Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar. Nolan explained he wanted ‘a feeling Violinist Michael Foyle and doctoral of religiosity’, which Sayer provided on student and pianist Maksim Štšura have Temple Church’s pipe organ. given their Purcell Room debut as part of the Park Lane Group’s New Year Series Pianist Christina Lawrie has performed 2015. Their performance of Penderecki’s solo, duo and chamber music repertoire Sonata no 1 for violin and piano was with members of the Fitzwilliam String described as the highlight by John Allison Quartet in Newfoundland, Canada, at of The Telegraph and received a four star the Wintertide Festival. Programme review from The Times. highlights included the Dvořák Piano Quintet and Franck’s Sonata for violin Pianist Kausikan Rajeshkumar has won and piano. the First Grand Prize of $25,000 at the recent VI Concurso Internacional de Piano (Parnassós) competition in Mexico. Simon Dobson at the British Composer Awards Sarah Connolly, Elizabeth Watts and Sophie Bevan have been named in the Several RCM alumni have been Evening Standard’s list of the 1,000 most successful at the recent BASCA influential music-makers in London. British Composer Awards. Soprano Ruby Hughes has appeared on Simon Dobson won the Wind or BBC Radio 3’s In Tune singing works by Brass Band category for the second Debussy and Ravel. She also performed time, with his Journey of the Lone music by Mozart and Rossini with Wolf written for the Black Dyke the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Band. Luke Bedford’s Renewal, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Helen Grime’s Near Midnight and Christina Lawrie Christopher Trapani’s Visions Soprano Joanne Marie D’Mello has and Revisions also all received been invited to sing in Berio’s Coro at the nominations. Lucerne Festival under the baton of Sir Alexander Shelley has conducted The Simon Rattle in August 2014. She also Marriage of Figaro with Opera North in The 12th British Composer Awards worked with conductors James Wood Leeds. The production marks his first took place on 2 December 2014 and Darius Battiwalla. time conducting opera in the UK. at Goldsmiths’ Hall, London, and were hosted by BBC Radio 3 Dominic John, former Chappell Gold presenters Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Medal winner and RCM Society Junior Andrew McGregor. The ceremony’s Fellow, has performed music from his guest speaker was Dame Evelyn latest album Wild About Transcription Glennie, and winner of the Student (Willowhayne Records) at an evening Competition, Bertram Wee, had his recital in Sonning-on-Thames. He has winning piece Sonicalia performed also performed Brahms’ Piano Concerto by Amos Miller and David Gordon- no 2 with the Kingston Philharmonia Shute from Onyx Brass. conducted by Alexander Walker. The British Composer Awards were Conductor Tim Murray has been created by the British Academy nominated in the ‘Newcomer’ category of Songwriters, Composers and at the International Opera Awards for Authors (BASCA) in 2003. They seek his conducting work in 2014, which to promote the art of composition, included Hogarth’s Stages at the RCM to recognise the creative talent of and appearances at Opéra National de composers and sound artists, and to Bordeaux, the Royal Opera House and bring their music to a wider audience. Joanne Marie D’Mello Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona.

21 Obituaries and births

Vivienne Price, RCM alumna and He taught at Wells Cathedral School, led founder of the National Children’s Tuning up! classes, worked as a tutor for Births Orchestra, died on 6 November 2014. Surrey Arts, taught residential courses, RCM Concert Manager Jess Pearce Born at Leigh-on-Sea in Essex on 9 and ran masterclasses and workshops welcomed daughter Mimi Sophie January 1931, her father died while she with adults and children of all ages. Pete Charlotte Cresswell on Friday 28 was a baby and she was raised by her had a positive effect on all those he met November, weighing 7lbs 6ozs. mother in Epsom, Surrey. She set up through his love of life, generosity of her first orchestra, rehearsing in the spirit and good sense of humour. family sitting room, while at school and won an exhibition scholarship to the RCM alumna Lesley Mary Talbot RCM to study violin (1947-1951). After died aged 66 on 29 November 2014, graduating, Vivienne taught the violin, following a lengthy illness. She was an co-founded the Fitznells School of Music, inspirational music teacher and musician and ran the orchestra in the junior from Kendal, best known for her work division at the Guildhall School of Music at Queen Katherine School Kendal as Head of Music from 1972 to 2006. She and Drama. She went on to form the achieved the ABRSM gold medal and NCO in 1978, followed by the Training highest mark in the country when she Orchestra in 1981. Her work with the took her grade 8 piano exam. She then NCO was acknowledged with an MBE in studied piano, oboe and composition at 1997 and she was awarded the HonRCM the RCM, graduating in 1970 with the in the same year. She was presented with Ellen Marie Curtis Prize. She married Mimi Cresswell a Lifetime Achievement Award at the her husband Robert in 1981 and they Music Teacher Awards for Excellence had two children, Anna and Chris, both in 2014 for her contribution to music accomplished musicians. In addition to RCM alumnus Ezra Williams is delighted education. her teaching career, Lesley played oboe to announce the birth of his son Eli Jacob for Lakeland Sinfonia (1970s-2000), Amos Williams, weighing 7lbs 13ozs, on 9 conducted Staveley Choral Society for August 2014. 10 years, and was chorus master for the Mary Wakefield Festival in the 1980s. RCM alumnus Michael Hinton has died after a prolonged period of ill health. Born in 1940, Michael was awarded a Foundation Scholarship in 1958 to study the trumpet at the RCM with Ernest Hall and Richard Walton. Upon graduation, he became principal trumpet with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and, later, with the Festival Ballet for the Royal Festival Hall season concerts. He played a prominent role in several West End musicals and was active as a freelance trumpeter before Peter Handley being appointed principal trumpet with English National Opera from 1976 until Vocal coach Norbert Meyn, his 1987. Michael was a dedicated trumpet wife Stefanie and daughter Marietta RCM alumnus Peter Handley died teacher and for several years taught on Saturday 1 November. Pete was a welcomed Julius Phillip Joachim Meyn on in the RCM Junior Department before 30 October 2014, weighing 9lbs. vibrant, passionate student with a huge taking up an appointment as one of the dedication and enthusiasm for his art. He Heads of Brass for the then Inner London studied with David Hockings and Sam Education Authority. Unfortunately, ill Walton, and graduated in July 2012 with health forced Michael to retire in 2011. first class honours. He was involved in a He was married to RCM alumna Pamela variety of projects throughout his time Mogford, and their daughter Claire also as a student, and continued to represent studied at the RCM. the RCM after he graduated through his work with the Woodhouse Professional RCM alumna Barbara Marian Yates Development Centre. In 2010, Pete (née Greenwood) GRSM, ARCM, died founded and ran the RCM Redhocks, aged 72 on 26 December 2014. Born on 9 the first drumline in London, for which August 1942, Barbara studied at the RCM he wrote and performed. He later went between 1960 and 1963. A gifted pianist on to establish his own professional and contralto singer, Barbara was also a ensemble – Box 9 Drum Line – and was dedicated and inspirational teacher, who also a member of the Cantaloupe Trio. leaves her husband Roger and son Simon. Julius Meyn

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