The Magazine for the Royal College of MusicI Summer 2010

Widening horizons – RCM and its community

RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 2 21/06/2010 16:37 RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 2 21/06/2010 16:38 What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat… If you walk around the RCM and stop to talk to three random people, chances are you’ll hear three amazing stories. So we’ve decided to dedicate the next two Contents issues of Upbeat to celebrating the extraordinary RCM community. 4 In the news Our autumn issue will focus on RCM professors, but first we turn our attention Latest news from the RCM to RCM students. Every issue of Upbeat is full of stories about their many including BBC Young Musician success and a visit from the successes on the world’s stages and concert platforms. But in this special issue Prince of Wales we’re celebrating the many ways in which they’re using their extraordinary musical skills to take music out into the wider world, and sharing their love 11 Celebrating the RCM of music with people from every possible background. On pages 11 to 19 you community... can read about education projects in the UK and much further afield, unusual A celebration of our students’ performances in pubs and clubs, brand new ensembles and orchestras, TV and many and varied pursuits beyond the College walls radio appearances, and a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe. If you have in your head the stereotypical image of a lazy student shuffling bleary-eyed from bed to bar, 20 Meeting the supporters… prepare to think again! U pbeat meets Graham Bamford of the Royal Garden Hotel As usual, the rest of Upbeat is packed with news from around the College. So if you want to find out why ten RCM harpists performed with a leading rapper, 21 With thanks to… or what RCM organists got up to in Amsterdam when the ash cloud left them Th e College expresses its gratitude stranded, then read on! to recent supporters

We’re always keen to hear from students past and present, so if you have 22 Student notes… anything you’d like us to feature in the next issue of Upbeat, send your news Mor e news from our student body and pictures to [email protected] by 20 September 2010. 24 Staff notes NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that we Updates from our professorial, reserve the right to edit submissions. academic and admin staff

25 Alumni notes L atest developments from RCM graduates

26 Births, marriages and obituaries Photograph: Sheila Burnett Sheila Photograph: Photograph: Sheila Burnett Sheila Photograph:

RCM Sparks Summer Music

Front cover – Photograph by Jess Pearce Inside front cover – A selection of images from Handel’s Il Pastor Fido, a collaboration between the London Handel Festival and the RCM International Opera School

Inside back cover – Images from the RCM’s recent festival Piano Fever!, celebrating piano music in RCM Sparks Summer Music a variety of ways

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 3 21/06/2010 16:38 In the news... Museum turns 40 On 23 April, the RCM’s world-famous Museum of Instruments marked its 40th birthday with a special exhibition, performances on treasured instruments from the collection, and a reception attended by honoured guests from the musical world. The collection is based on that given by Sir George Donaldson in 1894, together with instruments given by other donors, including the Rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore who gave a collection of Indian instruments to the RCM in 1883. As a result, the College has benefited Over the years the collection grew but from further individual donations and was dispersed around the College and collections. There are now over 1,000 suffered as a result. When Elizabeth instruments and accessories in the Wells was asked to catalogue the collection and the high proportion of instruments in 1964, it was evident that exhibits of outstanding importance fumigation and rehousing were urgently places it amongst the world’s major needed. The College appealed for funds collections. Besides contributing to the education of students, the Museum and gained support from the Leche provides tours and research facilities, Trust, in association with the late Mr undertakes research projects and Angus Acworth, the Chase Charity and hosts international conferences. The the Pilgrim Trust. With their generous Museum is run by a small team of aid, and that of other donors, the expert curatorial staff and benefits current Museum was built and was greatly from volunteers who help with opened by H M Queen Elizabeth The invigilating, cataloguing and other areas Queen Mother in 1970. of the Museum’s work. Elizabeth Wells with RCM Chairman Lord Winston

Grove comes home RCM at “A slight token of our affection and esteem”: these words end a most the Brits extraordinary document recently and On 16 February, ten harpists from fortuitously acquired by the Library. It the Royal College of Music is neither slight nor a token, but a richly performed at this year’s Brit Awards decorated book presented to Sir George you with an address, and marble bust of ceremony, alongside two of the year’s Grove, the first Director of the College, biggest acts. on his retirement in 1895. It contains not yourself as a slight token of our affection only a beautifully illustrated tribute to and esteem. Easter Term 1895.” The harpists accompanied Dizzee him, but also the signatures of many who The volume came to light in an auction Rascal and Florence Welch studied and taught at the College job lot and was acquired by a dealer who (of Florence and the Machine) in in those early days, amongst them most kindly brought it to the Library You Got the Dirtee Love, a mash-up of Clara Butt, Arnold Dolmetsch, Ralph before offering it elsewhere. We are Dirtee Cash and You Got the Love. The Vaughan Williams, William Hurlstone delighted that such an important part of ceremony was held at the Earls Court and Gustav Holst. the College’s history has come home. Arena in London and was broadcast live on ITV1. The text reads:“We, the undersigned, past and present pupils of the Royal College The booking was arranged by the of Music, being anxious to express to RCM’s Professional Engagements you our deep regret at your resignation service, which every year gives of the Directorship and our heartfelt thousands of performance gratitude for the ever ready sympathy and opportunities to RCM students and assistance you yourself have so freely given recent graduates. to us, take this opportunity of presenting

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 4 21/06/2010 16:48 to develop a unique and rich holding of RCM Library international importance; the progress The King James made with cataloguing and associated receives award for fundraising; its extensive engagement Bible Composition with staff and students and its overall excellence service to external researchers and in Awards The RCM Library has recently been outreach activities. In 2011, a brand new awarded one of the first ever Excellence Congratulations to all the Library staff composition prize will Awards for music libraries in the UK and who have worked hard to ensure that the celebrate the 400th Ireland by the International Association Library provides an excellent service and anniversary of one of Music Libraries. Pam Thompson, Chief will continue to do so! of the world’s most Librarian, received the award on the influential books, and Library’s behalf on 11 April at the Annual bring together some Study Weekend of IAML (UK & Ireland) of the UK’s most in Nottingham. important composers, educational An independent panel of library experts institutions and and musicians, chaired by Professor performers. John Tyrrell (authority on Janáček and editor of The New Grove Dictionary of The King James Bible, known as the Music and Musicians), commended the Authorised Version, was published in RCM Library for the depth and breadth 1611. Now its 400th anniversary is being of its collections; its acquisition of marked with a series of events and donated materials which has allowed it initiatives arranged by The 2011 Trust. Among those is the King James Bible Composition Awards, a competition for young composers. Young Musician The competition has two categories, both of which invite young composers of the Year to submit new works for church RCM Junior Department student Lara performance, selecting and setting Ömeroglu has been crowned BBC texts from the King James Bible (AV). Young Musician 2010. The competition will be open to all composers aged 30 and under and has Lara was presented with the award at a closing date of 31 January 2011. Up to a gala concert in Cardiff on Sunday 16 four shortlisted entries in each category May, after a stupendous performance will be performed by the RCM Chamber of Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto no 2 with Choir at a Concert and Reception at Vasily Petrenko and the BBC National Temple Church, London on 17 May 2011, Orchestra of Wales. when the two winning entries will be announced. The winner in each category Lara attends RCMJD on Saturdays, Junior Department students. Fellow will receive prize money of £2,000. The where she is taught by Emily Jeffrey. JD student Lucy Landymore, who winning work in category B will also be RCMJD Director, Peter Hewitt, is taught by Cameron Sinclair, won performed at a service at Westminster who attended the final in support the percussion section final. She only Abbey in November 2011 which forms of Lara, commented: “Lara was a narrowly missed joining former JD the climax of The 2011 Trust’s series of deserving winner after an outstanding student Callum Smart (violin) in the celebratory events, running throughout performance in which she really final. Also competing in the section the year. inhabited the music. It was a risk to finals were JD studentsJames Larter tackle such an enormous piece, but The 2011 Trust gratefully acknowledges (percussion), Finlay Bain (horn), the generosity of the Dean and Chapter she displayed tremendous focus and a John Hewitt-Jones (viola), and Katy of Westminster for their support of the fantastic command of her instrument, Smith (violin) – the total contingent King James Bible Composition Awards. and communicated wonderfully well of six students being the largest of any Full details of the competition can be with the audience. I’m thrilled for her, other junior conservatoire. And to top found at www.2011trust.org her family and her teacher. This win is a it all, even BBC television presenter tribute to all her hard work, and to the Clemency Burton-Hill is an alumna of Running alongside the competition, support she’s received.” the Junior Department! the RCM will hold a series of public masterclasses for composers in autumn Lara’s success caps a tremendous Congratulations to Lara, and all these 2010, exploring writing for voices, and year in the competition for RCM other supremely talented JD students. contemporary music in worship today.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 5 21/06/2010 16:48 In the news...

The purpose of Rob’s stupendous Rob the Iron Man undertaking is to raise money for A Seat by the the Nic Branston Foundation. Nic RCM alumnus Rob Wallace is Branston was a supremely talented Window undertaking an extraordinary physical horn player, and a close friend and challenge in order to raise money for an colleague of Rob. The two of them were A very special project involving RCM RCM scholarship fund. flatmates in July 2008 when Nic was musicians came to a grand conclusion tragically killed in a car accident, just with a world première at Cadogan Rob, who now works as a freelance a few weeks after graduating from the Hall on 23 March. professional trumpeter, is entering the RCM. Nic’s parents Paul and Rachel notorious UK Ironman Triathlon, held established the Nic Branston Award in The song cycleA Seat by the Window in Bolton on 1 August. The Ironman his memory, to enable other talented was created by people with dementia Triathlon is a long distance triathlon musicians to study at the RCM. and their carers, with the help of comprising a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile composer Rachel Leach, Tim Yealland bike ride and 26.2 mile run (marathon If you would like to sponsor Rob, you can either find him on Facebook or call (English Touring Opera) and six distance). Rob will be setting off at 6am, students from the Royal College of and hoping to complete the course by the RCM Development Department on 020 7591 4320. Music. The song cycle takes us on 9pm, some 15 hours later! an extraordinary journey from one Good luck to Rob from all at the RCM! tea-time in September to a brief encounter with a boxer and a tragedy at sea. The song cycle was the result of “Turtle Song”, the third annual collaboration between Turtle Key Arts, RCM Sparks (the Royal College of Music’s groundbreaking Learning and Participation programme) and English Touring Opera. For more information, and to see videos of previous collaborations, visit www.rcm.ac.uk/sparks

fascinating context to the season’s music two performances by Andrew Kennedy, RCM and the and artists. The range of events includes an opening night appearance from Malin a literary festival, a series of composer Christensson, and a return for 2009’s BBC Proms portraits, a number of enlightening pre- Last Night star Sarah Connolly. concert talks, and a whole host of events We are delighted to announce that for for all the family. For full details of Proms We hope you’ll join us for a busy summer the third year in a row, we are heavily Plus events see www.bbc.co.uk/proms of music-making! involved in the BBC Proms. Alongside this, we will once again be As in 2009, Proms Plus events will take running the extremely popular RCM place in our Amaryllis Fleming Concert Sparks Summer Music, a series of events Hall. There are more than 70 events linked into BBC Prom concerts. Whether in the Proms Plus series, providing a it’s playing, composing or uncovering

treasures in the Museum or Library, RCM Burnett Sheila Photograph: Sparks is providing opportunities for everyone to engage in musical activities this summer. For more information see www.rcm.ac.uk/summermusic

Photograph: Sheila Burnett Sheila Photograph: At the Royal Albert Hall itself, RCM alumni are as well represented as ever. A new Violin Concerto by RCM alumnus Huw Watkins will be premièred on 17 August by fellow former student Alina Ibragimova; RCM alumnus John Wilson will be conducting a celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein on 22 August; and as usual there will be appearances from several graduates from the RCM’s RCM Sparks Summer International Opera School, including

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 6 21/06/2010 16:48 and wonderful programmes. The China comes to camaraderie we had is obvious – one The RCM lends can walk down the corridor on the South Kensington second floor and hear laughter and a hand to the Earlier this year, we were delighted to endless chatter, tinkling notes spilling British Library welcome students for the first ever out from the practice rooms on a daily RCM International Piano Course for basis! We’ve picked up so many new Chinese students. skills, ideas and insights… We would like to extend our deepest appreciation and From 25 March to 1 April, young gratitude to the Royal College of Music.” pianists from China, Singapore and Malaysia participated in a busy week of lessons, lectures, masterclasses (with John Lill and Dmitri Alexeev), performances and cultural excursions, including trips to the Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall. The week ended with a gala concert given by the students in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, when they were presented with certificates by RCM Director, Professor Colin Lawson. Speaking on behalf of all the A plaster cast of Chopin’s left hand participants, Lynn Tan said “This Lynn Tan with Professor Colin Lawson The Royal College of Music made has been one of the most enriching an important contribution to a major new exhibition at the British Library this spring. Chopin: The Romantic Refugee, marked the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, and shed new light on the composer’s life, from his birthplace in Poland to his years spent in Britain.

The exhibition examined the ways in which Chopin’s music displays his Polish patriotism in the context of the political sympathies for Poland that were current in France and England during his lifetime. It included original music manuscripts, portraits, historic recordings, as well as two special items on loan from the Royal College of Music: Chopin’s death mask and a RCM welcomed Chinese students for the International Piano Course plaster cast of his left hand.

which Peter Mills had commissioned for Williams Foundation lives on with 2010 Rod Williams all recipients of the award. the objective of supporting music and young musicians. Memorial Concert Peter Mills established the Mills Williams award on the death of his The College was pleased to welcome life-long partner, Rod Williams, in 1995, Nigel Woolner and Jeremy Pickering, with the aim of supporting music and representatives of the Mills Williams young musicians. To date, the award Foundation, to a concert by the RCM has endowed 14 Mills Williams Junior Symphony Orchestra on 4 March Fellowships and continues to fund an 2010. The current Mills Williams Junior annual concert at the Royal College of Fellow, pianist Konstantin Lapshin, was Music in memory of Rod Williams. Sadly, delighted to attend the event and to be Peter died in 2006 after a long battle Nigel Woolner, Konstantin Lapshin presented with his Mills Williams Medal against cancer. Happily, the Mills and Jeremy Pickering

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 7 21/06/2010 16:39 In the news... Philip Langridge CBE FRCM RCM on The RCM was His versatility was underpinned The One Show saddened to hear by extraordinary musicianship, a of the death of wonderfully expressive voice and a On Wednesday 21 April, the Royal Philip Langridge capacity to get right inside the drama of College of Music’s Triumph Brass CBE in March this any piece and project it to an audience. Quintet (Christian Barraclough, Shane year. Known and Brennan, Adam Howcroft, Dave Clark loved on opera and A man of great warmth, intelligence and William Roberts) made a special concert platforms and wit, Philip was a compelling appearance on BBC1’s primetime worldwide, Philip presence in any situation; as performer, television show The One Show. was Prince Consort Professor at the teacher, friend, or simply the man The quintet performed live at London RCM. Despite his busy schedule, in front of you in the coffee queue, City Airport to welcome the first he visited the College regularly for which is how many of us at the RCM groups of travellers back into the more than two decades. His eagerly- will remember him with particular country after volcano ash caused anticipated classes allowed him to bring affection. He chatted freely with widespread closures to UK airports. his unparalleled experience across a everyone, ensuring that he won friends range of musical genres for the benefit wherever he travelled. His classes at the of generations of RCM singers. We are RCM were always a highlight, attracting profoundly grateful for the influence he a devoted following of members of the has had on so many of our students. public who realised what a privilege it was to see such a man at work. Music Widely acclaimed for his operatic has lost a towering influence, and we interpretations, most notably perhaps have lost a friend. Our thoughts are those of Britten and Janáček, Philip was with his wife Ann Murray and the rest also at home on the recital platform. of his family.

Janet was given a grand send-off in Janet Hilton has continued to develop the Janet Hilton February, after conducting the RCM reputation of the RCM Woodwind Faculty Wind Orchestra in pieces by Mozart as a natural first choice for students Earlier this year, much-loved figure and RCM alumna Helen Grime. worldwide. Her own musicianship has Janet Hilton stepped down as Head of Numerous illustrious former students been inspirational, and her generosity Woodwind. Janet spoke to Upbeat about and colleagues attended a reception in of spirit has transformed the lives and her decision: the Parry Rooms, and witnessed RCM careers of generations of students at “Being Head of Woodwind at the RCM Director Colin Lawson present Janet with the College.” a photograph of her with the RCM Wind for the past 12 years has been a most Happily, Janet is staying on at the RCM as Orchestra. He told Upbeat: rewarding part of my career. The post Clarinet professor, balancing her teaching uniquely combines helping young “For more than a decade the with an increasing number of recording musicians to achieve their potential with internationally renowned clarinettist and concert-giving activities. playing an important role in areas such as academic excellence. It’s been great to work with so many distinguished professors. I have attended nearly all the masterclasses which I have organised, which has been a terrific opportunity for me – I have more time for practice now, and find that my playing and teaching have benefited from all the ideas that these classes have thrown up! The standard of today’s RCM woodwind students is world class, and I often meet former RCM woodwind students who are flourishing in the profession. I am happy to be handing over to Simon Channing who will sustain and develop this excellence. He is a fine, perceptive musician who will lead the department with a clear vision Director Colin Lawson presents Janet with a photograph of the RCM Wind Orchestra for the future.”

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 8 21/06/2010 16:39 Piano Fever Rhythm for Life online The RCM has recently been awarded a major two-year grant by the Esmée On 7 March, the RCM entered a brand Fairbairn Foundation to pioneer new new era when our piano day Poles wellbeing initiatives for older adults. Apart, celebrating the music of Chopin Rhythm for Life aims to enhance and other Polish composers, was wellbeing among older adults in broadcast live on the internet. the Royal Borough of Kensington More than 1,200 people tuned into and Chelsea, a borough that has one of this experiment, which allowed RCM the largest disparities of wealth in the performers to be heard around the UK and sizeable areas of deprivation. world. One visitor wrote. “Viewed and listened to the performances Over the next two years, participants from Canada. Thoroughly enjoyed the will be offered opportunities to learn program, since both of my parents came and make music in individual from Krakow. Look forward to next year’s and small-group lessons, delivered theme and performances. Great Idea!” by RCM students. The first phase of the project is already up and running, Look out for more live broadcasts in with eight specially-trained students coming months at www.rcm.ac.uk/live leading lessons for approximately 30 participants, aged from 50 to 86 years old. The second phase of the project will begin in September with a range of Although our return was delayed by the free creative music workshops. Organs in volcanic ash cloud, we all certainly made Amsterdam the most of our extra time, enjoying The RCM’s Centre for Performance the very best of what Amsterdam has Science will be monitoring the effects to offer. This included visits to the local A recent organ study trip to the on the participants’ health, wellbeing, bars, where we encountered a group of Netherlands was definitely a visit to and social engagement throughout stranded American pilots and a rather remember. The trip, which was made the project. delightful Dutch folk group, allowing for by several RCM staff and students, a different kind of musical experience! provided an opportunity to see and As the project progresses, further We finally made it back to England’s information will be available at play some of the finest instruments green and pleasant lands by ferry - what www.rcm.ac.uk/RhythmForLife in Europe. Masters student Jonathan a palaver!” Bunney tells us a little about what they got up to: Many thanks to David Graham and Nick Prozzillo for organising a truly “The instrument in St Bavokerk in memorable trip. Haarlem was inspirational to listen to and stunning to look at; the organ music of Bach, Reubke and Rheinberger sounded incredible. We were fortunate to be tutored there by the great Jacques van Oortmerssen. Other visits included St Michaelskerk in Zwolle, where we met the composer Toon Hagen who demonstrated some of his minimalist compositions, which were highly effective on the organ. One of the main highlights was our visit to St Laurenskerk, Alkmaar where Pieter van Dijk demonstrated two stunning organs before we all got to play one of the most famous organs in the world. We even got to visit the Flentrop Organ factory with much for us to see and learn. Sint-Janskathedraal was another gem (where we heard Véronique van den Engh give a fantastic performance of some Reger). The instrument in St Bavokerk

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 9 21/06/2010 16:39 In the news... The President’s Visit On Tuesday 11 May, HRH The Prince of Wales made his annual visit to the College. In his role as President of the RCM, His Royal Highness conferred Honorary Doctorates in Music (DMus) upon former RCM Director Michael Gough Matthews and German composer Hans Werner Henze, whose Sonatina 1947 was performed at the ceremony by RCM student Antoine Françoise. Fellowship of the Royal College of Music (FRCM) was conferred upon eight outstanding musicians: horn player (and RCM Head of Brass) Nigel Black, clarinettist Michael Collins, pianist Gordon Fergus-Thompson, cellist Natalia Gutman, composer Helmut Lachenmann, pianist (and RCM Head of Keyboard) Vanessa Latarche, conductor and organist Wayne Marshall and conductor Wing-sie Yip. Honorary Membership of the Royal College of Music (HonRCM) was presented to seven notable individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to music and to the RCM: Chair of the Soirée d’Or committee Stephanie Carr, dedicated philanthropist, , RCM Student Services Geoff Richards – towering musical personalities – each, in Manager Lynnette Easterbrook, solicitor And an extraordinary Postscript… their very different musical voices, a true and former RCM Council member John musical visionary for our age. Together Hall, educator and composer Johannes The Prince’s visit occasioned an they represent the energy, diversity, Johansson (President of the Association extraordinary moment in music history. inventiveness and creativity of music of European Conservatoires), RCM Junior Arguments between Hans Werner Henze today – both for me personally and for Department Performance Manager John our students and young composers. It was Mitchell, and finally much loved teacher and Helmut Lachenmann, acclaimed as the two greatest living German a privilege for me to be able to bring them Joan Hale, who taught at the RCM Junior together here at the Royal College of Music Department for some 54 years. composers, have been raging since an infamous occasion in 1978, when they and to witness perhaps the beginning of His Royal Highness also presented the engaged in a very public confrontation the healing of a too long open wound.” Tagore Gold Medal to two students who at the Stuttgart Hochschule. Since then, graduated last year – violinist Dunya they have challenged each other in print Lavrova and horn player Nicolas Fleury on a number of occasions. – and the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Rosebowl to pianist Konstantin There was therefore some trepidation Lapshin. These three came together to about their both appearing at the RCM entertain a packed Britten Theatre with together. However in an extraordinary the finale from the BrahmsTrio op 40 for and profoundly moving scene in the violin, horn and piano. Britten Theatre foyer, the two composers finally embraced and put aside their After the ceremony, His Royal Highness differences. RCM Head of Composition was treated to a special performance Bill Mival, whose controversial idea it was by six harpists from the RCM Junior to invite both composers to the RCM on Department, and he met young children the same day, commented: on the RCM Sparks Juniors scheme, our brand new programme that allows “The acrimonious artistic dispute a wider range of children to access the between Hans Werner Henze and Helmut RCM Junior Department’s inspirational Lachenmann has been a running sore for Henze and Lachenmann learning experience. far too long. They are both heroes of mine

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 10 21/06/2010 16:39 Celebrating the RCM community

In addition to their studies, RCM a flute player at the RCM, and the rest of things through, and writing them down, students contribute to the wider world them are Icelandic. I’ve written a piece and from that might come an article, or of music in all sorts of unusual ways. specially for them, which they’re learning a piece for radio. The composition comes Read on to discover what just some of at the moment. I went to Iceland a year out of my opinions and ideas about them are up to… or two ago and it was amazing – it really music in general, and vice versa. gave me a thrill. The landscape is barren but also so alive at the same time. I Tell us about your radio show… Ben MacDougall haven’t been over on a professional level Simply Classics is on BBC Radio Cumbria, yet as it’s a fledgling project, but the idea every Sunday evening – no holidays at is that I will go over there soon. all! I’ve been doing it since October, and it’s great fun. And you’re also working on a choral project? How do you decide what to play? Yes I’ve written a Kyrie for the Levens Sometimes I just stick a whole load of Choir, directed by Ian Jones, which they stuff on my iPhone, I listen to it and will be performing later in the year. I’m if I think “oh that sounds good”, I’ll toying with the idea of writing the rest of stick it on a playlist that syncs back the mass. to the computer. By the end of the week I’ll have six or seven pieces that With all these projects, I’m sort of I’ve randomly chosen, which could be standing at the edge of the cliff. It’s all old crackly classical recordings or the suddenly going to get incredibly busy! Transformers soundtrack. And next year I’m going to do the Composition for Screen course here at Alternatively, shows can have themes. For College, which is going to be amazing. example we might go on a tour around Europe, so start in Spain with Albéniz, How does composing compare to work up to France, Italy, Germany and performing? so on. It’s a completely different mindset from performance, as you do all the work I have complete licence over what I’m Ben MacDougall’s website describes him beforehand and you’re removed from the playing. It’s got to be fundamentally as “Flautist, composer, broadcaster”. He’s performance process, unless of course classical, but, for example, Nigel Kennedy active in all three of these different fields… you’re playing your own piece – which has just brought a CD called Shhh! with I find quite hard, by the way, because Boy George, and that is verging on the What have you got coming up as a everything’s about you! When you’re pop/jazz side of things, but it still counts! flautist? performing someone else’s piece, then People can have this cold, removed idea I’ve got a concert on 28 August as part of you’re saying something about yourself of classical music, but it’s just not an the Best of Eden Festival. It’s a “Music for through that music. But when you’re isolated thing in itself, it’s a starting point a Summer’s Evening – Ben MacDougall performing your own piece, it’s all about from which lots of things have grown. and Friends” kind of malarkey, so flute you in a rather daunting kind of way. The idea of the show is to show that and guitar, flute and voice, and so on. classical music isn’t a heartless, old thing You could describe the repertoire as Does your performing career influence – it’s just as alive and organic as every lightweight, but not frivolous – or your composition? other kind of music. I aim to show that, tedious! It will be fun, but there will be Yes, I think the composition comes out not through an in your face “classical some meat there. It won’t all be encore of the performance. My music is very music is cool – yeah!” kind of thing, pieces, basically. tune-orientated, which I think comes because that would be the wrong way from the flute. I’ll sit at a desk, writing, to do it. But just by treating music fairly, …and as a composer? and I’ll compose with my flute in the I think. It’s manic! In June and July I’m going same way that a ‘normal’ composer to be in America to work with Lorin might use a piano, which I think does You have an excellent website. Is Maazel. I’m going with an orchestral make my music melodically based. Now promoting yourself important? version of piece I’ve written, which will I’m learning more about orchestration I think that self-promotion is important. be performed – I presume with Maazel and arrangement from Ken Hesketh It’s by no means the be all and end all, conducting – and I think that is also here at College, so that I can compose and it’s a very dangerous topic to talk going to be a starting point for new from the ground up, as well as from the about without appearing either vain or work. I’ve been asked to take some clouds down! big-headed! But it’s a good thing to have chamber pieces too. We’re still discussing a website in such a media-consuming the details of it. Do those relate to your broadcasting? world – and in the arts it’s especially How do your three musical lives important. We can practise as much as You’re also working with Icelandic combine? we want, but if nobody comes to our group the Elektra Ensemble? I think they’re wonderfully concerts, and no-one knows what we’re Well that’s slowed a bit since the volcano! complementary, they’re completely doing, then what’s the point? But that’s an ongoing relationship where seamless. I’ll start off by playing my flute. I’m writing pieces for them to play. The From that I might come up with an idea www.benmacdougall.com ensemble is Emilia Sigfursdottir, who was for a piece. From that, I’ll be thinking

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 11 21/06/2010 16:39 Celebrating the RCM community

Delhi Music Society with Hannah Gill, Alvaro Corral a student from Guildhall who is now a trustee of the foundation, and we also Matute did a concert in the Polish Embassy in Delhi to open the Chopin Bicentenary.

What age people were you working with? Anything really, from the age of six to mature students. We had a wide range of people, and the point of the collective teacher does, and being able to read lessons – which I think were the most confidently is more important than important things we did – was not only observing how your teacher moves for the students to be taught a specific their fingers on the keys. This can be piece, but for everyone else to see what very useful, but you can’t learn, say, they can learn from that. Chopin’s Fourth Ballade by listening and imitating! I think that would actually be Some teachers came to the the most important issue that we tried masterclasses as students, which to improve. I thought was very nice of them. Whatever problem we saw in the What was the response? students, we would inform the The response we got from students, teacher in order for him to correct parents and teachers was very good, it, not only for the student to be very enthusiastic. We felt quite sort of corrected, but for the teacher to have In July 2009, pianist Alvaro Corral embarrassedly praised! Most teachers a different perspective. Matute headed to India to take part in a seemed very happy with what we had groundbreaking teaching project… done, so much so that in fact this year What kind of issues did you the scheme is expanding to more cities. come across? How did you get involved in We tackled certain problems that the project? How was the cultural experience Back in December 2008 Vanessa had arisen not because the teachers for you? Latarche sent round an email from were not able enough, but because Culturally it was a very different the Worldwide Appreciation of Music the teachers hadn’t actually had good experience, very enriching. Three of us Foundation about a pilot scheme for training behind them. were living in a flat rather than a hotel, students teaching in India. From those which was very nice, but there were One issue was that students do things that were quite hard to see. We that applied they chose seven of us. I the same three exam pieces, from went to Gurgaon – an industrial suburb had to commute to our schools in a standardised syllabi like Trinity Guildhall cab or a rickshaw because Gurgaon about 15 miles outside Delhi – for two and ABRSM, and teachers won’t dare months, from 1 July to 1 September. has no public transport system. You do anything else. So we tackled the fact would pass through the slum quarters, Were you given any preparation? that students need to do other things and particularly during the first days I Yes, we did have a training week, which outside their exams. was quite shocked, because that was a was lots of fun! Nadia Lasserson taught reality I had never come to terms with I also gave theory lessons, as they us, and we did a lot of improvisation and so closely before. had very little stylistic awareness. For multi-hand games. We also had a talk example, there was a teacher who about the musical issues that we were Has this experience benefited you? played some Bach, and since there were likely to encounter, and health talks and Absolutely, I did learn a lot from no indications written on the score he logistical information about actually teaching. You have to start thinking in living in the country. actually played it like that. Of course very different terms; you have to take you had to tell him that the lack of what, to a conservatoire student, has What did you do? indications is simply a historic fact, but become second nature after so many I took classes on a one-to-one basis, and you have the responsibility to choose years, and you have to turn it into words I also held a series of piano workshops the indications yourself. that a 10 year old can understand. The and masterclasses, both at the Delhi sort of process that you go through to Music Society and the Gurgaon School Generally speaking, I would say in India tidy your thoughts in order to teach of Music. Not that I deserved to be they have tried to apply to classical is also useful to tidy your thoughts in named as the leader of a masterclass! western music the same method of order to practice. You become your own But essentially, I was teaching somebody teaching that they apply to classical teacher, and that is really useful from the while everybody else was listening. Indian music, which is the teacher plays, point of view of musicianship. the student repeats, and so on. With Apart from that we also gave concerts. western classical music, the score is To find out more visit I played a couple of concerts in the much more important than what your www.wamfoundation.org.uk

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 12 21/06/2010 16:39 The orchestra is largely made up on J: We’re now an official fundraising James Maltby and RCM students – how did you persuade group for CLIC Sargent and we’re the them to get involved? first independent group to achieve Will Kunhardt W: We’re proud that every English music that, which I think demonstrates how college has been represented in the seriously they now view us. orchestra, but the bulk of our players do come from the RCM and everyone How much have you raised so far? has given their time freely for the charity W: Between £500 and £2000 from each which is really quite amazing. We’ve even concert depending on the scale of each had quite a few RCM alumni, including one. We’re still very new though so several with professional orchestral some of the income gets swallowed up careers, who have still made the time to on investments for the orchestra. We’ve come and work with us. managed to launch a new website and start a newsletter in the last couple of J: Initially we began by recruiting our months, but we’d still like to be able to Will Kunhardt conducting the orchestra friends and just about managed to pull buy our own stands so that we can take together a 70-strong orchestra, but after that cost out of future gigs for example. Clarinettist James Maltby and violinist our first concert players were contacting Sponsorship is really important – The Will Kunhardt co-founded the CLIC us to say that they’d love to be involved. Rotary Club last night agreed to pay Sargent Symphony Orchestra in July last our venue fees for two concerts – and year. The orchestra raises funds for CLIC W: We’ve spent a lot of time making it without it costs often have to come from Sargent, the UK’s leading children’s cancer a good and enjoyable place to play, and either the concert income or from us. charity. have even secured sponsorship from a catering company to provide everyone J: Will personally funded the rehearsal So how did the orchestra come about? with free food. I also think that players venues for the second concert himself for J: One of my friends was diagnosed with find it gives them a certain amount of example… leukaemia, and I used to visit her in freedom – the CLIC Orchestra gives us hospital and got to see the amazing work and them an opportunity to be more W: I was eating beans on toast for most that CLIC Sargent were doing. I wanted experimental. of March! to help in some way and my initial thought was to donate bone marrow, How do you cover all the costs? What has the experience given you which I will do at some point, but in the J: Every gig is a real battle. We raise a personally? end I thought why not use music, given bit of capital from each concert to help W: Immense satisfaction. It’s been that it’s my biggest strength? I was living with the costs of the next one, and quite life-changing for me as I’ve always opposite Will in halls at the time, and we’ve negotiated special rates with some wanted to be a conductor, and a lot we initially planned to organise a single suppliers, but it is tough and it’s generally of people have to wait a long time for concert, but the plans grew and we’ve what we worry about the most. We think their first opportunity, and I’m now now performed three concerts, played in we have a very strong message – young getting those opportunities through front of audiences of over 800, and raised people working for a young people’s the orchestra. It’s given me valuable thousands of pounds for the charity. charity – and we are always looking for experience and has really given me a sponsors who are willing to help us with chance to start building my career. Running the orchestra is a huge what we are doing. undertaking… J: I guess for me it just puts everything W: It’s a joint venture, and we share How much involvement do CLIC in perspective. It’s very easy to have everything depending on our strengths Sargent have? tunnel vision on say, a technical exam and other commitments. We both have J: It was quite hard when we initially for example, and it’s good to be able College careers that aren’t connected approached them, but we invited them to see the bigger picture. It’s definitely specifically to managing an orchestra, so to the first concert and they were blown improved me as a musician, more so it’s usually just a case of working out who away. Since then they’ve helped us than years of private practice and I’m can take on what around those. secure Sir James Galway and Julian Lloyd humbled to be supporting such a Webber as patrons, and they occasionally worthy cause. J: We basically manage everything help us with printing, or by giving pre- between the two of us – from booking concert talks. www.clicsargentsymphony.com the players to spending hours putting leaflets through doors. We’re doing W: It’s such a large charity that the some outreach work in schools at the relationship has been something we had moment to try and get some schoolkids to earn, and that will continue to grow involved in our next concert. in the future. Music is a strong part of It can often mean long days trying to what they do and there are ongoing talks fit everything in. about how we can be a part of some of their other activities, and about how their other musical patrons might get involved with some of our concerts.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 13 21/06/2010 16:39 Celebrating the RCM community

Where is your career heading? Bryan Kelly When I finish my studies at the RCM this summer, I plan to go back to my native Canada for master’s study at McGill University, a music college in Canada well known for contemporary music. Promoting Canadian music is something I am keen to do, and this will be strengthened by my European training and my time in London, both of which have been culturally and artistically enriching. Canadian music is too little known in Europe. There is a great range of styles and I look forward to digging into the repertoire, including concertos, in readiness for both solo and chamber Pavia, Italy music performances. In my final recital here at the RCM I included a substantial You are quite an entrepreneur... work by Canadian Alexina Louie, Scenes That may have something to do with from a Jade Terrace, which worked my business background. I completed Bryan Kelly, a fourth year undergraduate very well. a degree in business and mathematics studying piano with Andrew Ball, was and by the time I started at the RCM had inspired by a festival last summer to I see this trio project as a stepping stone nearly five years of experience working create his own rather unusual, and into a career of which contemporary as an accountant. Although I continued increasingly successful, trio. music plays an important role. It gives to work part-time while at the College, the three of us experience organising I was lucky to have a manager who So what happened at this festival? a concert tour, managing logistics, It is a contemporary music festival appreciated the time I needed to practise raising funds, making repertoire choices, and study. Had I started at the RCM in Pavia, Italy, called SoundSCAPE. It rehearsing under tight timelines and in focuses on the collaboration between when I was 18, I may not have been ready self-promotion – all important skills in to get the most out of it. Those extra performers and composers and gives transitioning from college life to career. world premières of new works by years gave me time to develop and refine We’ve even engaged a composer in a my focus and commitment. participating composers. I have always commission to write for our trio. been interested in new music and I was Advice for other pianists? given the score of a work for violin, guitar Does new music feature in your plans? Think ahead to life beyond College and and piano by a participating composer Definitely. My experience at how you can be flexible with your talent. that really took my attention. Along SoundSCAPE had me working alongside I seized the piano-violin-guitar trio as with a guitarist from Manchester and composers as part of the creative a way to branch out into something violinist from Baltimore, USA, whom I process. Collaborating with composers - different and am building on to that met at the festival, I’ve been exploring being part of the unfolding evolution of in a way that is increasing my network this instrumentation over the past a work - is fascinating, and has deepened of contacts and stimulating me as an six months to assemble repertoire for my understanding of the process of artist. Also, standard piano repertoire concert programmes. composing. In turn, I believe it can be is so massive that it’s easy to overlook enlightening and helpful to composers to We are preparing for a short UK tour in new music. That’s a pity, since one of its have instrumentalists involved alongside most interesting aspects is that it has no June and July, for this instrumentation. them. I see it as an opportunity for me We’re currently fundraising and so far weight of history behind it – it’s more to put my stamp on the development of open, and full of possibilities. we’ve raised nearly £2000 and secured music in the 21st century. three confirmed concert dates, including More information about the SoundSCAPE one at the Whitworth Art Gallery How will you remember your time music festival can be found at in Manchester. in London? www.soundscapefestival.org Lots of ways. Great lessons, lots of Isn’t this rather an unusual performance opportunities and, with combination of instruments? the trio and our forthcoming tour, the Maybe, but it works really well. It offers chance to experience all aspects of three different approaches to writing creating a project. I’ve had the chance to for stringed instruments – bowed, gain valuable performance experience plucked and struck – opening up a both within and outside the College that range of intriguing timbres and textural I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. possibilities.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 14 21/06/2010 16:40 What has been your most challenging is that you are given the time to excel Chris Green commission to date? and look at your music in a very detailed I suppose the biggest creative challenge way. You can spend a lot of time on one was for a series of National Geographic single musical cue until every smallest documentaries, all paid for by a Sultan nuance is just the way you want. In the in Saudi Arabia. They’d already made professional world you get given very the documentaries for a Saudi audience short deadlines and have to create the and had used very traditional music, same quality of work in a much quicker but they wanted it rewritten for an time and to a client’s requirements. I find American audience. It had to combine this really makes you stand back from both an Arabic flavour and a western your work, see it as a whole and how it feel, and that was very difficult having integrates with the full creative project. I never written music of that type before. think if you want to make a living out of After a bit of research we came up with music you need the ability to see music three or four demos, but they all seemed as a job as well as something you love! a bit cheesy, so we began to experiment with using traditional instruments and Examples of Chris’ work can be found at combining them with more western www.blurrededge.co.uk melodies and harmonies, which was much more successful. Chris Green is in his second year of a Masters in Composition. He set up his own Is there a commission you particularly composition and sound design company, enjoyed? Blurred Edge, three years ago. Every commission or project has its own interests. I guess because I’m still starting Tell us about Blurred Edge… out I haven’t been typecast yet, and a I set the company up three years ago lot of the fun actually comes from facing after graduating from my undergrad something different each time. course. It was initially set up as a sound design company as a way of generating Do you have a dream job or client? funds for my time at the RCM. I soon The way the industry seems to work at realised I definitely wanted to make the moment is that you don’t get much composition more than a sideline time in an actual recording studio – you hobby, and began to take on small bits might record the odd solo instrument of composition work before eventually to make things sound more live – but I’d joining the RCM to study it properly. love to get a budget that allowed me to At the end of my first year here we take a piece I’d created on a computer were visited by someone from the BBC and give it to an orchestrator to record who seemed impressed with my work, live in a studio. Anything with a budget and put me in touch with some of her that big would be great! industry contacts. That’s when I really started to get work coming in. How do you juggle your studies and your commercial work? How do you go about getting There is definitely a conflict of interest commissions? Do you pitch for work or sometimes. At the moment for example do clients approach you directly? I’m working on my dissertation, so I’m When it comes to adverts it usually all hoping that perfect job doesn’t come comes through an agency – they put you in because I’d probably have to turn forward for jobs and you have to pitch it down! My principal studies teacher to the clients for the work. They set very has been very flexible about the type tight deadlines though, and you normally of work I put into my portfolio though, have about two sleepless days in which as I was worried they wouldn’t be keen to write the music! on commercial idents and music for advertising. Lots of RCM composition As far as film and TV goes, it’s a case alumni go on to compose Hollywood of getting lucky. You might get an scores, but short idents and electronic opportunity to work on something music is a much less common route which is very rushed, but then you build to take, so it’s great that they are being up a rapport with someone and it leads so supportive. to other work. I recently just finished a computer game project for a new client What has the experience of running which involved composing 12 minutes your own company given you? of music in three days. I got no sleep, but I feel that it has given me a good hopefully it will lead to other things with view of the industry, which is really better timescales! important. The way academic life works

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 15 21/06/2010 16:40 Celebrating the RCM community

be to have a full orchestra to play with, Laura Ritchie and hopefully that will happen. Annabel Mountford

Much of the music seems to be inspired by fairy tales – is it true that you used to rehearse in a tree house? The studio where the album was recorded is called Tree House and was built one storey up in the midst of huge pine trees, so yes!

You performed on the Jools Holland Show last year – what was that like? It was thrilling and daunting at the same time. It was fantastic to be playing on the same show as such well established artists as Carole King, The Specials, and Franz Ferdinand. We were told to be Laura Ritchie is in her second year of a ready to play at any time as the order of DMus in Psychology of Music at the RCM. performances might be decided on the She is also a member of indie band The spot. Mummers. Do your studies and your involvement Tell us a little about The Mummers… with The Mummers inform one The Mummers have been together for a another, and how do you balance the Soprano Annabel Mountford is in couple of years now. The group formed two? her second year of a Masters in Vocal when Raissa Khan-Panni, who is really at They certainly do. My research is Performance. For the past seven months the heart of it, and Paul Sandrone, the focused on self-efficacy - a person’s she has been performing the role of guitarist, took the skeleton of a song to self-belief in his ability to do something Musetta in an Opera UpClose production Mark Horwood to orchestrate. He asked - and my specific areas are learning of Puccini’s La Bohème at the Cock Tavern me to play some cello and a couple of and performing music. Much of my Theatre, Kilburn. other people played as well. The group research has been with students, but grew from there as new songs were The Mummers have helped me to see Tell us a little about the production… written and instruments were added. what happens at the other end of the Opera UpClose is a new opera Thus the name ‘The Mummers’, meaning spectrum, in professional performances. company based at the Cock Tavern a group of medieval door-to-door actors The approach to learning and performing Theatre, Kilburn. The theatre’s Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, who put on plays, often singing and in popular music has become the basis trained as an opera singer in Australia mime, became appropriate. for a research project planned for before becoming an opera director. September involving students at the He wanted to break down the barriers The Mummers line-up has been RCM, the Academy of Contemporary described by The Guardian as ‘a between opera and the general public, Music in Guildford, and the University of to put opera on in people’s normal shifting, fluctuating, raggle-taggle Chichester. As for balance, I am hungry surroundings in English, so they can relax bunch of musician friends’ – how to learn and work hard... It goes back to and enjoy it. does this work and what challenges/ the topic of my thesis: if you believe you benefits does it present? can, then you most likely will. Acts 1, 3 and 4 of La Bohème take place There are always challenges with a large in the 80 seat theatre above the pub. group - we are nine regular musicians What has being a member of The However, in the cafe scene in Act 2 the who all come together in Brighton to Mummers given you? action moves downstairs into the pub rehearse. The music is very orchestral, Confidence and freedom of expression itself. I made my entrance with Alindoro and it is difficult to capture this with a - musically and physically - within my from the street. The chorus was spread slimmed down group. The dream would playing, and a great deal of happiness! amongst the pub’s patrons and at the appropriate moment sprang into song. Our director, Robin Norton-Hale, wrote the English translation, which has massively helped the production on its road to success. The libretto is often updated to reflect current events including references to Jedward and, when I performed Musetta last week, a reference to the election: “I’m rushing off to the palace....I am the new The Mummers Prime Minister”

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 16 21/06/2010 16:40 The production is a fairly What have you learnt from your How did you get involved? I‘d been unconventional one – what tempted involvement in the production? in his production of Solomon Pavey at you to get involved? When we started rehearsing La Bohème Willington School two years ago, so Through the RCM, I had worked with roughly seven months ago, none of us when Mr Taylor wrote this new play, Robin Norton-Hale at English Touring would ever have imagined the success I really wanted to be in it, because he Opera in their production of Ariodante, that the production has had. We didn’t is such a fantastic director. I was really as part of ETO’s Handelfest 2009. She do it for the money – it was a chance happy to get a good part, because phoned me up and asked me to audition to perform roles that we normally otherwise you sit around a lot during for the role of Musetta. The opportunity wouldn’t have the chance to perform rehearsals. I study voice with Ms. Maguire to perform La Bohème was very exciting. for many years to come. I honestly at JD, and she has helped me a lot with For a young cast to have the chance to believe part of its success comes from my solo performance skills, and I think perform these roles is very rare, and to our dedication and love for what we that’s why I got the part I did. be able to explore a role by performing do, and the opportunity to share it with it more than 20 times is unheard of in new audiences. I have learnt so much, What was first night like? conventional opera houses. from having the courage to perform in Well, it was pretty worrying, because front of an unpredictable audience to my voice was changing, and just before For me, the idea of setting La Bohème in gaining the stamina to perform over 20 the opening night, the Music Director a pub was a wonderful idea, merely for performances as Musetta. re-wrote my solos to make them easier Act 2 purposes. for me to sing. I wasn’t 100% sure I could La Bohème is transferring to the Soho remember it all! How did performing in a pub theatre Theatre in the West End from 27 July to 4 compare to more conventional September 2010. You’ll be taking the performance to settings? the Edinburgh Fringe this summer – Opera UpClose really does live up to are you excited? its name. Obviously being in such a I’ve never been there before, but it small space means there is a limited Andrew Terrafranca sounds amazing. I hope we have time to set, however, nowhere else will you find see other shows too, because there are an atmosphere like that at the Cock loads of new types of performances that Tavern. Anything can happen in this we can’t see in London. type of theatre, from locals getting into a fight, joining the cast on the stage, You’ll be competing with lots of other some ‘interesting’ heckling, and singing shows and performers – what would that strives hard to compete in volume you say to try and tempt people to see with the cast. I am happy to say that your show instead of something else? the locals lost! The incredible thing is Well, firstly I don’t think there are other that the singers and the pub patrons shows with only kids performing. And blend into the sound of a noisy tavern. Azincourt is based on one of the greatest The wonderful honky-tonk piano in the victories in history. I should warn you, corner and chorus members hidden in the battle scenes are realistic and it has a and amongst the audience added to the rather shocking ending that made some overall effect. girls cry… Do you think the venue and What do you think you’ve taken from translation helped attract a different the experience? type of audience? Well I used to think I wasn’t very good Absolutely, I think that the fact that the on stage, but this time I really enjoyed opera is presented in a witty, up-to- Andrew Terrafranca, 13, is a pupil at performing, and now I think singing date English translation increases its Willington School, Wimbledon, and a and acting is maybe even a career for impact. People in the audience were in student of trumpet and voice in the RCM me some day! For sure my experiences tears by the end. At the Cock Tavern Junior Department. He recently starred performing at RCMJD have built up my Theatre we are giving the general public in a school production of new children’s confidence and technique for preparing a cheap and easily-accessible insight into opera Azincourt and will be taking the for a performance like this. opera. I think many people are scared of performance to the Edinburgh Fringe Azincourt will be performed at the approaching places like the Royal Opera this summer. House or even English National Opera, Edinburgh Fringe from 15-20 August at the and the price of a ticket is a barrier to Tell us a little about the production… Edinburgh Academy. most people even trying it out. Many of The play is based on a true story of the the locals who happened to be in the boys who went to battle at Agincourt pub during Act 2 enjoyed it so much that with Henry V, to look after his luggage, they bought tickets for the whole show. to sing Mass and to help his Knights. It was written by Jeremy James Taylor OBE, from the National Youth Music Theatre. I get to play one of the older Pages, who is a great archer.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 17 21/06/2010 16:40 Celebrating the RCM community

How did you get involved? Frances Slack When MusicFirst@Highbury Grove Marianna Hay, began couple of years ago, Hayley Director of Music at Clements, the Learning & Participation MusicFirst says of the project: Manager in the Woodhouse Centre, was “What excites me most is seeing some involved in putting the school in contact of the most challenging young people with many of the instrumental tutors. Some of these original RCM students still we work with grow in confidence teach at the school today, and others, and self-esteem through their instru- myself included, have joined the project ment and doing things they never since. thought they could. I love seeing the look of delighted surprise on their face What’s special about the project? as they play the perfect B flat for the Those who choose to participate receive, first time or stand up in front of an completely free of charge, a weekly audience to perform their first solo. instrumental lesson, improvisation and theory classes, sectional and full The effect it has throughout the whole orchestra rehearsals and choir. The school is evident - music is now the orchestra is at the heart of each academy, ‘cool’ thing to be doing.” encouraging respect, co-operation and team-building. Each pupil gets to hear now doing well. Some of the pupils come and experience all of the orchestral from challenging backgrounds and a instruments in the first few weeks of number have Special Educational Needs. Year 7, and they then make their choices Also, because the neighbourhood is so which are carefully balanced to provide varied, many pupils journey to school an orchestra in each year group. through multi-million pound properties, while they themselves are growing up Many of the pupils have never seen or in areas of comparative deprivation. heard the majority of the instruments Frances Slack, in her second year of MusicFirst’s aims are aligned with those before, and even simple items we take Master’s study as an oboist, is involved of the Sistema Scotland Big Noise and for granted can cause much excitement- with a groundbreaking music project in a Lambeth In Harmony projects, both of ‘really cool’ is how I once had a music North London school. which work with primary age children. stand described to me! Imagine the MusicFirst@Highbury Grove is unique in reaction double basses, trombones and Which school and what’s the project? that it is a secondary age project which oboes receive! The school is Highbury Grove in brings with it a whole range of different Islington; on entry to the school, all challenges. pupils in Year 7 select a ‘specialist school’ Throughout the year, the pupils work towards ABRSM Exams and Music to attend – music, sports, catering and Has your experience at Highbury Medals, as well as giving regular science are just some of the choices Grove influenced your future career performances. In February, a concert in available. Those who choose music goals? the Union Chapel involved well over 200 become part of MusicFirst@Highbury Absolutely. It is fantastic to see the students, from all branches of MusicFirst, Grove, a scheme which runs through progression from a group of disaffected and was featured on BBC London News. years 7, 8 and 9. MusicFirst is inspired by pupils struggling to concentrate, to an Most recently, MusicFirst@Highbury El Sistema, the music education scheme orchestra which is alert and focused Grove gave their annual concert in the in Venezuela which aims to allow all on the conductor’s beat. It brings huge school, showcasing their work from young people to have instrumental satisfaction. At heart, many of the pupils throughout the year: featuring tuition and participate in performances. Crash are petrified of failure, so music helps , and Like El Sistema, MusicFirst aims to Bang Wallop Batman Samba to build their sense of confidence and to the Grieg and provide new skills and opportunities, Groove Piano Concerto self-worth. It’s as though the specialist Charpentier’s , the students are increase self-esteem, build confidence Te Deum ‘schools’ at Highbury Grove, including exposed to an extremely eclectic and and ultimately transform communities. the music project, give pupils a place to varied musical repertoire. MusicFirst involves hundreds of children belong. Teachers throughout the school in Highbury & Islington, and has three Why do you find this work so have commented that they have seen main elements: MusicFirst@Islington- rewarding? results they never imagined possible. I an afternoon project including string It’s about making a difference and shall certainly want to continue this sort group, jazz band and choirs. MusicFirst@ from this respect the project is hugely of work alongside everything else that I Highbury Quadrant- large group rewarding to be involved with. The do in music. instrumental and choir tuition in primary school is in a diverse borough, an area full For more information visit schools and MusicFirst@Highbury of contrasts. It has a very dynamic Head, www.musicfirst.org Grove- the part of the scheme with Truda White and Director of Music, which I am involved as an oboe tutor. Marianna Hay, who are very supportive of all the pupils. As a result, great progress has been made by the school in recent years and Highbury Grove is

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 18 21/06/2010 16:40 The Mercury Quartet Vlad Maistorovici (violin), Harry Cameron-Penny (clarinet), Corentin Chassard (cello) and Antoine Françoise (piano) formed the Mercury Quartet at the RCM. In 2008 they won a major competition to discover new talent run by the Non-Classical record label, and will release their debut album of improvisations in September. So you’re heading to the Dartington Summer School? HCP: We’ve been contracted by Dartington to visit as professors. We’ll be teaching a student ensemble to play Pierrot Lunaire, and performing the piece ourselves with Linda Hirst. And it’s set How do you go about improvising? How do pub audiences react to repertoire for the conducting students, Do you have a starting point? Rules? complex notated music? so we’ll be rehearsing with them too. HCP: When we’ve tried to have a starting AF: Very well! We played a piece by Mark We’re also working closely with Julian point for an improvisation, it always ends Simpson in this bar, and I remember Anderson, whose composition class in an argument! So if someone says, “we I was introducing the next piece and students will be writing pieces for us. should start with a big noise”, someone this guy interrupted me and bawled We’ll be playing a couple of his pieces, else will say “No, that’s a bad idea!” As out “What was the name of the and Messiaen, and we’ll probably do a we’ve played more and more we’ve composer before?” And I said “Mark late night improvisation concert as well. honed our improvisational skills to make Simpson”, and he yelled back: “VERY So it’s going to be a busy week! it more interesting. GOOD!” Instant feedback! You’ve worked a lot with composers… AF: Vlad has invented a term for what we HCP: What I like about the improv scene HCP: We take every opportunity to work do – he calls it “live composition” rather is that it attracts all different kinds of with up and coming composers. than “improvisation”. And I really like the people who aren’t classical musicians term, because we know and react to each or artists, they’re just interested in AF: I feel that when we do this, other so well that it’s almost like we’re expanding their minds – or just going to everybody gains something. Sometimes writing pieces. a pub and looking alternative! we can be an inspiration to composers, and composers inspire us too. I can’t wait How did you make your CD recording? Would you encourage other classical for Dartington, working with composers HCP: At the beginning it was quite hard musicians to improvise? for a whole week. to sit down without an audience, in a AF: If people feel like doing very dry studio, and try to create these improvisation, they should just do it, How do you balance these written soundworlds and atmospheres. It took us and the more they do it, the more they’ll pieces with your improvisations? a while to really settle down and play. understand, and the more they’ll get the HCP: It used to be the case that we kept feel for it. But if someone’s not ready for our improvisations very much separate AF: Once we had a few tracks we listened it then they should not force themselves. from our performances of notated back to them and said “Now what’s works. But we tend to incorporate them missing?”, and tried to do something Some of the kids I teach sometimes, now into one concert programme, contrasting, to be sure that at the end aged 7 or 8, they say “I haven’t done my and we find that works very well. For we’d have enough material in different homework”, and I say “well, let’s do some example, we did a concert in Oxford characters that we could play around improvisation”. I try to train their ear, and when we played some Thomas Adès, with. not teach them improvisation, but teach then we did some free improv, and then them that there’s nothing wrong. A scale we played Pierrot. I was surprised by the What kind of venues do you is good, but a big cluster can be a good number of people who gave very positive perform in? thing as well, if it’s well played! I teach feedback on the improv, including AF: We’ve been playing in bars through them that anything, any sound, can be people you might not expect to like that Non-Classical – they have this residency good, if it’s well used. sort of thing. in pubs around Shoreditch. Playing in these different places is brilliant. For more information visit AF: People can be very moved. I think www.mercuryquartet.com it’s because it’s just us. There’s no HCP: We’ve just applied for funding for score, there’s no composer in between a big concert series in a variety of venues us and the audience – it’s direct – churches, art galleries, pubs – there are communication. lots of excellent places in London.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 19 21/06/2010 16:40 Meeting the supporters... Graham Bamford, Royal Garden Hotel Graham Bamford is General Manager of the Royal Garden Hotel. Both he and the hotel support RCM musicians in a variety of ways, as he explains…

Tell us a bit about your involvement with the Royal College of Music… Well, the Royal Garden Hotel reopened to the public in 1996 and we were approached by the College at that time to see if we could work together. The hotel is very supportive of music in general and we reached a solution quite quickly – the hotel would provide around 35 rooms a year for visiting conductors who are performing at the College – the next conductor to stay is Sir Roger Norrington – and reciprocally we would be able to hold receptions in the Donaldson Room, prior to RCM concerts. The life of the hotel is very much What are the benefits for a business of about relationships – with long-term working with the RCM? Well, I think the relationship with the customers, suppliers, local councillors, College is very much about networking, Kensington Palace and so on – and and being part of the wider community. through the receptions we’ve hopefully We’re very keen to help young people – been able to introduce a lot of people to we also sponsored the National Youth the College, many of whom have gone on Theatre for 10 years – and it’s great to see to become Friends of the RCM. people you’ve been involved with at an What about your friendship with early stage go on to achieve great careers. John Wilson? When you see talent such as you’ve I came across John Wilson just as he was got at the RCM it’s great, and the more leaving College. At that point he had an people we can tell about it, the better. orchestra of 16 players, and when I heard What about your own music it I decided I had to have them here at background? the hotel. So I spoke to John, and once I grew up in Lancashire and my sister occupants were happy for the piano to a month for about eight years he came was a graduate of the Royal Manchester remain as long as they could listen to Rubinstein practise! here to perform during our Manhattan College of Music. She is nine years older Nights. I think for John it was chance to than me and at the time we both played rehearse and fine tune the orchestra, and What are your own musical tastes? piano. One day she came home with Well it’s very hard to say. I heard Chloë it was great fun. a young clarinettist – none other than Hanslip play last night with the RPO, and RCM Professor Janet Hilton! – and on Is that how the relationship with the that was fantastic. I like all the classical hearing her play I decided to switch to ballets – Prokofiev, Rachmaninov – and RCM Big Band came about? the clarinet. I have to say that I no longer When we reached our 40th anniversary piano music is very much in my blood. continue my studies with the piano or three years ago, we wanted to do clarinet, but I am still very passionate I also love all the work John Wilson has something extra special. It was decided about music. done with restoring MGM musicals; that we’d host a light orchestral concert and I saw last night that he’s going to be at the hotel, and it would be nice if Earlier in my career I worked as a performing Singing in the Rain with the John Wilson could conduct it. It was management trainee at the Savoy, which Philharmonia Orchestra in November. a fabulous evening, very lavish, and it due to its location is very popular with When you’ve been involved through the gave the musicians a different acoustic musicians. I remember once Arthur RCM with a young musician like John, in which to play. Then the following Rubinstein came to stay, and Steinway who is of course now a great friend and year, the RCM Big Band performed in were due to deliver a piano to his suite. who I’ve watched grow over the years, the Palace Suite at the hotel. It was Unfortunately we also had another and you see the calibre of the orchestra very well received, and we repeated the Rubinstein staying in a very small single he has managed to pull together, and you arrangement again last year. Now room, and Steinway accidentally installed see them performing that type of music the challenge is – what do we do the piano in there instead! The hotel was in huge concert halls, you realise it’s great to top that?! fully booked that night, but luckily the for music, it’s great for diversity.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 20 21/06/2010 16:40 RCM Opera Circle

The RCM’s International Opera School has acquired Join the new RCM Opera Circle to worldwide renown for excellence and has an outstanding record of launching its graduates onto • support the RCM International Opera School and national and international stages. Former students its award-winning students include Sir Thomas Allen, Gerald Finley, Janis Kelly and Jonathan Lemalu, all of whom have singled out • enjoy a rewarding relationship and learn how each the outstanding quality of the teaching and care they individual singer is nurtured received at the College. One of the priorities for the Royal College of Music is to ensure that our Opera We are inviting opera-lovers to join as Patrons for a School maintains and builds on this reputation for minimum donation of £5,000. For a minimum donation excellence by continuing to attract the very best of £10,000 we would be delighted to create an opera students from around the world. scholarship in the name of your choosing. v v v Founder Patrons: Anonymous • Philip & Christine Carne • Matthew & Fiona Collins Vernon & Hazel Ellis • Gisela Gledhill • Linda & Tony Hill • Clare & James Kirkman Richard & Sue Price • Sir Peter and Lady Middleton • Richard & Victoria Sharp

For further information, please contact Sophie Hussey, Major Gifts Manager on 020 7591 4353 or [email protected] With thanks to...

We would like to express our gratitude The Wyseliot Charitable Trust Generations of gifted students from around for recent donations from the following: The Wall Trust the world have been guided and inspired Centenary Group Ltd to develop their musical potential within H R Taylor Trust Mr and Mrs Hamish Ritchie the Royal College of Music’s stimulating creative environment. In order to sustain Ms Megan Beynon Robert Mayer Trust for Youth and Music Mr Anthony Bolton the provision of the highest levels of Mr David Ross training and performance opportunities Mr Geoffrey Richards Sir Edward Lewis Foundation to our students - whatever their financial Mr Roland Rudd South Square Trust means - we rely heavily on the support of Worshipful Company of Musicians The Ann Driver Trust individuals, companies and charitable trusts. Mr Thom Napper Mr Rodolphe Olard and Dr Susan Sinclair There are many ways you can get involved The Drapers’ Company Chapman Charitable Trust and support our work. Every gift to the RCM helps to transform the lives of talented Dr Michael West Mr Rui de Sousa young musicians, and all supporters are Mrs Rosemary Millar Mr Mark Slaughter invited to see at first hand what a difference Ackroyd Trust Ms Janna Spark their support makes. Please join us.For Worshipful Company of Fishmongers Family and friends of Ronald Reah more information, visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ The David Laing Foundation Mr Dudley Winterbottom Support+Us or call 020 7591 4320. Welcome to new Friends We are delighted to welcome the following people who have joined the RCM Friends recently: Mrs Nissho Astridge Mr Gerard McDermott Founding members of the Patrons’ Circle Mr Alec Bowers Ms Remi Omotesho-Johnson Mr and Mrs David Andrews Dr Valerie Dias Mr Roland Saam Mrs Jane Barker Mr John Drysdale Miss Sarah Thurlow Mrs Halina Bennett Mr Paul Francis Mrs Marie-Louise Warner Mr John Cheng Mrs Barbara Ilias Mr and Mrs David Lewis

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 21 21/06/2010 16:40 Student notes

Last year’s YCAT winner Alexander Singing Romanovsky has just been signed by Hazard Chase. Future dates include sensations… concerti with Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and the Russian Mezzo-soprano Rosie Aldridge will National Orchestra conducted by be starring in Richard Jones’ Macbeth Pletnev... Nathan Tinker won First at Glyndebourne this season, and has Prize in the Richmond-upon-Thames also been selected for the Jerwood Performing Arts Festival Piano Concerto Trust Chorus Scheme for promising Class, and First Prize in Brighton & Hove young artists… Ross McInroy (bass), Youth Performing Arts Festival Under Jimmy Holliday (bass) and Tyler 25 Open Concerto Class, while Jooyeon Clarke (tenor) have all been awarded won Richmond-upon-Thames Young places at the National Opera Studio. Sir This intensive one-year course is Instrumentalist of the Year 2010, and offered to a limited number of young also received Second Prize at Brighton & and exceptionally talented singers and Hove Festival Concerto Competition… repetiteurs and helps bridge the gap Tong Wang and Dinu-Mihai Stephan between music college and the main UK claimed Second and Third Prize at Konstantin Lapshin … opera companies… Soprano Sarah- the Hastings Piano Competition Jane Brandon won Second Prize at the Kentaro Nagai won Second Prize in prestigious Veronica Dunne International the Christopher Duke Award… Pianist Singing Competition in Dublin, as well Keyboard Caterina Grewe won First Prize of as the Joan Sutherland Award for most €3.000 and a concert tour of France at promising newcomer. Sarah-Jane also accomplishments… the Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano reached the final of the Operalia Singing Competition (Concours International de Jonathan Hope has been appointed Lagny) in Paris. Competition, which was held at La Scala Organ Scholar at Southwark Cathedral, and conducted by Placido Domingo… London, where he will be working with Countertenor Christopher Lowrey Director of Music Peter Wright and String stars… won Second Prize in the Handel Singing Assistant Organist and RCM alumnus, Competition… Soprano Robyn Parton Stephen Disley... Alexey Chernov Violinist Matt Bain recently beat three won the intercollegiate Joaninha Trust took First Prize at the 13 Concours other finalists to win the Concerto Award, scooping a prize of £5,000… International de Musique, Jean Françaix Competition at the Edinburgh Festival Mezzo-soprano Emilie Alford won a in Vanves, France, winning a cash prize of Music, Speech and Dance. He Miriam Licette Scholarship of £1,500 in and a recording contract. Alexey was performed the Britten Violin Concerto auditions held at the Royal Opera House, also awarded Second Prize in the first with the Friends of the Festival Orchestra Covent Garden… Andrew Boushell Sussex International Piano Competition, and was awarded the Audrey Innes (tenor) and Peter Brathwaite (baritone) sponsored by Bluthner… Trophy. Matt has also recently won a have both been awarded places at Poom Prommachart and Konstantin place in the European Union Youth the Flemish Opera Studio in Ghent… Lapshin won First and Second Prize Orchestra… Viola player Ruth Gibson Soprano has been awarded Joohyun Lee respectively at the 5th Isidor Bajic won the Royal Over-Seas League String/ the Prix d’Honneur à l’Unanimité at the Internatonal Piano Competition in Serbia. Keyboard Ensemble Final with the Finzi Bellan International Singing Competition Poom also received the Audience Prize Quartet. TheHarpham Quartet and in Paris. and the title of Competition Laureate… Piatti Quartet, both of which include Jun Ishimura won Second Prize in the current RCM students, also reached the finals of the prestigious 2nd Takamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan, with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no 1. Jun was the youngest finalist and played four rounds of demanding repertoire to reach the grand final…Gamal Khamis won First Prize in Richmond’s Young Pianist of the Year Award, as well as Second Prize in the Sevenoaks Young Musician of the Year competition… Meng Yang Pan won First Prize at the Bromsgrove Festival’s International Young Musicians’ Platform, receiving £3,000 and the opportunity to give a recital at next year’s festival. She was also the only solo pianist to have gained a place in the finals of YCAT which took place in May at Peter Brathwaite Kentaro Nagai the Wigmore Hall…

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 22 21/06/2010 16:40 Shiva wins prize money of £1,000. Shiva’s TTKonzert - concerto for turntables and orchestra - had its world première at the Roundhouse in January, performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Hugh Brunt. She has also recently learned that she is to receive a commission for a new work for the London Sinfonietta... New works by Isa Khan were performed by The Harpham Quartet the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in May… Lauri Supponen’s work Orastus was final of the competition. Meanwhile, workshopped and performed at the cellist Jun Sasaki won the ROSL Strings Heidelberg Atelier in March. The Atelier Final… Violinist Galya Bisengalieva was led by Matthias Pintscher, with David Webb took part as Leader in the 8th Concert Magnus Lindberg in attendance… Mark Season of the Symphony Orchestra of Boden’s Trio for clarinet, cello and piano India at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, was awarded First Prize in the Friends Out and about… Mumbai, and also starred as soloist in of the Music of St Giles’ Cathedral a Chamber Music Concert at the Tata Composition Competition. Gemma Kost, cello, and Rebecca Breen, Theatre in February, 2010… theKallisto viola, have already spent 12 weeks of Quartet - Joshua Burke (violin), Agata this year travelling the USA, Canada Darashkaite (violin), Ilona Bondar Junior Department and Western Europe playing in the Star (viola) and Ben Havas (cello) - won achievements… Wars in Concert show with the Royal the Intercollegiate String Quartet Philharmonic Concert Orchestra… Tenor made his Spanish Competition at the Royal Academy Violinist Stephanie Childress recently David Webb of Music… Viola player Yan Beattie performed at a fundraising concert for debut at the Teatro Real in May, singing has recently successfully auditioned UK charity Young Virtuosi. The concert the role of Soldato in Il Coronazione for the London Symphony Orchestra was conducted by senior RCM student di Poppea… Eleanor Dennis, Martha String Experience Scheme, the Royal William Kunhardt… French horn and Jones and Edward Grint are among a number of RCM students performing Philharmonic Orchestra and the cello student Ben Goldscheider recently Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, won a place in the National Children’s in Woodhouse Opera’s production of Covent Garden. She will be performing Wind Orchestra and attended a 10- Cosí fan tutte this summer. Also starring with the Welsh National Opera day residential course at Queenswood will be RCM alumni Helen Jane Howells Orchestra at the 2010 BBC Proms. School, Hertfordshire… and Joe Ramadam in his conducting debut. The production will be set in Asagi Nakata, a Junior Department student of Ian Jones, won the Beethoven the beautiful grounds of Woodhouse Composer Piano Society of Europe Junior Copse, overlooking a lake, and will Intercollegiate Piano Competition. be a ‘promenade opera’, promising congratulations… Asagi won £200 and the opportunity direct interaction with the audience. Performances will take place on 2-5 to perform two recitals… Jake Brown Solfa Carlile has won the Jerome Hynes made it through to the final ten of September. For further details and Composers’ Competition, awarded by this year’s Young Drummer of the Year booking information please visit the National Concert Hall of Ireland, with competition, out of over 800 entries. Jake www.woodhousesounds.com an entry for voice and piano entitled was by far the youngest finalist. Sounds, set to the poem of the same name by Irish poet Brendan Kennelly. As well as securing a substantial cash prize New releases… of €1.500 Solfa had her piece performed in recital by the National Concert Hall Composition student Christopher ‘Rising Star 2010’ mezzo-soprano Tara Chong has recently scored music for Erraught… Enrica Sciandrone won a new video game Plain Sight. Visit First Prize in both the concert and www.plainsightgame.com for a film music sections of the Gofreddo listen… Soprano Susanna Hurrell has Petrassi International Composers’ recently performed on a recording of Competition. President of the jury 20th century English trumpet music was the distinguished Italian film and due out this summer. The CD features concert composer Ennio Morricone… music by Geoffrey Grey, Eric Ball, Nigel Shiva Feshareki won the Intercollegiate Clarke, Gordon Carr and a previously Theodore Holland Composition Prize. unrecorded piece by William Lloyd. The prize is administered by the RAM Susanna sings on a set of five pieces and invites single nominations from for trumpet, piano and soprano by each of the UK Royal Schools of Music. Gordon Carr.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 23 21/06/2010 16:40 Staff notes

Composer Jean-Philippe Calvin received which he formed on a previous visit. He Vocal Studies a French Lyric Academy Arts Award, has managed to obtained sponsorship Professor Justin an Orphée d’Or (Golden Orphée), in for instruments for these young players, Lavender May. The award was presented by Pierre and took with him a baroque cello to add recently travelled Bergé at the Bastille Opera in Paris, to violins and violas already purchased. to Denmark to in recognition for Calvin’s opera La Florilegium will also be making their sing Britten’s Cantatrice Chauve (The Bald Soprano). first appearance at the Edinburgh War Requiem His most recent work, operoratorio La International Festival this August. in a 65th Divina Commedia (text by Dante), will be anniversary premièred in August at the Grand Theatre Madeleine Mitchell recently won an concert de Limoges. award from the Great Britain Sasakawa commemorating Foundation for her collaboration with the signing of the armistice at the end of Junior Department trumpet professor Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa. They will the Second World War. The concert fell Torbjörn Hultmark will be performing be giving recitals at festivals throughout in the middle of recent closures to UK at the RSAMD in Glasgow this summer the summer, including Buxton and airspace, so Justin embarked on a long with the Headspace Ensemble (www. Aldeburgh, combining Franck and and difficult journey involving a car ferry headspaceensemble.co.uk). The Debussy sonatas with short pieces by from Harwich to Holland, and two days ensemble also includes RCM alumnus Takemitsu and Bridge. of driving through Holland and northern Clarence Adoo, who was a trumpet Germany to reach Aarhus, Denmark, player prior to a serious accident ten where the concert was taking place. years ago. Paralysed from the neck down, Clarence now plays the Headspace Fellow violin professor Yuri Zhislin is instrument (hSi) – a groundbreaking new currently preparing for a tour of South instrument designed specially for him by America with his string ensemble, The Rolf Gehlhaar. Russian Virtuosi of Europe. He will perform in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Lynette Stulting, piano professor for the Argentina and will be directing as well as Junior Department, has been regularly playing solo. opening her home in Oxfordshire for a series of monthly public concerts. The Bassoon Professor Martin Gatt has Ben Wiffen (right) with his band Lewis concerts are free of charge and enable Garland and the Kett Rebellion formed a new chamber ensemble with those who may find it difficult to get fellow RCM professor Sue Dent, RCM to larger city venues to hear quality live alumni Colin Parr and Margaret Lynn, music in more intimate surroundings. The Recording Engineer Ben Wiffen will be and Leslie Shiells and Jane Finch. Martin is concerts give young, upcoming artists performing with his band ‘Lewis Garland also one of a number of RCM professors an opportunity to perform in front of a and the Kett Rebellion’ at Glastonbury who will be teaching and performing at friendly audience, as well as established this year. Ben provides percussion, clarinet the Charterhouse International Music performers the chance to try out new and backing vocals for the band, who Festival this July. programmes for the first time. have been together since 2006. They released their debut album, Places We Simon Lepper has released a CD on Junior Department organ professor Neglect, last summer. the ECM label with violinist Carolin Daniel Moult has released two new Widmann, featuring works by Xenakis, DVDs. The Elusive English Organ traces John Crawford, Alexander Technique Schoenberg, Feldman and Zimmermann. the English organ and its music from instructor for the Junior Department, The recording was awarded a Diapason Tudor times through to Napoleon, a recently gave two performances of d’Or in December 2009. journey which took Daniel and the film Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, one crew around the UK to far-flung country conducted by JD colleague Lev Parikian Peter Savidge, vocal studies professor, has homes, chapels and even a trip to France. with the Camden Chamber Orchestra, just completed a busy year in opera which The second DVD is a concert of virtuosic another with the Forest Philharmonic. included the seven baritone roles in Yoshi 20th century organ music, from Schmidt Oida’s production of Britten’s Death in to Messiaen and beyond, from Bridlington Junior Department piano professor and Venice at the State Opera Prague; Don Priory, UK. alumna Ann Martin-Davis is about to Alfonso in David McVicar’s production embark on a series of recordings with of Cosí fan tutte at Scottish Opera; Albert Mark Messenger, Head of Strings, has fellow alumna, mezzo-soprano Susan in Tom Cairns’ production of Werther run his fifth London Marathon in support Legg. They will be performing the works at Opera North conducted by Richard of the Anthony Nolan Trust. Mark of long-lost RCM composer Peter Pope, Farnes; and Don Alfonso again at Opera completed the course in an impressive 3 after being gifted a box of his scores that National du Rhin, Strasbourg conducted hours, 38 minutes and 55 seconds and has were discovered in an attic. by Ottavio Dantone. to date raised over £2,500 for the charity. Adrian Levine, violin professor, recently Ashley Solomon, Head of Historical returned from the USA and Poland, where Performance, recently visited Bolivia he was performing in a series of concerts with RCM Ensemble in Association with music written by Krasa, Klein & Florilegium. In addition to working Ullman. The pieces were written in 1941 with the Florilegium players, Ashley in Terezín concentration camp, and the conducted local musicians and a choir, composers all perished later in Auschwitz.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 24 21/06/2010 16:40 Alumni notes

Maria Marchant has been selected as a In December of last year, Opera School Latest news… young artist for Concordia Foundation graduate Saffron van Zwanenberg took and will be performing a lunchtime up the appointment of Artistic Director Composer Edmund Joliffe, with co- recital at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 2 at Jackdaws Music Trust. Andrew Wall, writer Julian Hamlin, recently finished July as part of the American Festival. Chairman, said ‘We are delighted to writing music for the documentary She was also recently selected as one of welcome someone of Saffron’s experience The Real Slumdogs, to be shown on the three artists for the Tillett Trust Young and passion to Jackdaws and are looking National Geographic and Channel 4. Artists’ Platform 2010, which provides forward to a bright and exciting future.’ They are also currently working on a young musicians with performance second series of The Hospital for opportunities in the UK’s Festivals. As a Channel 4. Tillett Trust Young Artist, she has been Past memories… RCM alumna Laurie Ashworth has won invited to give her Wigmore Hall debut on 27 September, as part of the Tillett We were recently contacted by alumna the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Song Prize, Muriel Fielder, who graduated from the one of the most prestigious international Trust Monday Platform Presentation Concert. College in 1932 and is now 100 years old. singing competitions. The result was Some of Muriel’s best memories were of announced at London’s Wigmore Hall on Also making her debut at Wigmore performing with Dr Malcolm Sargent, 23 April. Hall will be pianist Ivana Gavric, who acting in Hiawatha and Elijah at the Baritone James Rutherford will be will be performing there on 15 July. Royal Albert Hall with Peter Pears, and taking the role of Hans Sachs in a The programme will include works by attending lectures by Vaughan Williams, production of Die Meistersinger at the Schubert, Janáček, Rachmaninov Howells and Walford Davies. and Prokofiev. Bayreuth Festival and in Hamburg in To read more of Muriel’s memories, and August. The opera is Wagner’s only Composer Paolo Boggio’s work The those of others, visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ mature comedy, set in Nürnberg in the Angel of Loneliness (a homage to RW pastmemories If you are an alumnus of 16th century. Fassbinder) was chosen for the 2010 the Royal College of Music and have past concert series of the American North/ memories you’d like to share, send them South Chamber Orchestra and was to us at [email protected] premièred in New York in May. The work has already won First Prize at the Seinäjoki Chamber Music International Composition Contest. Spotlight on… Siblings Danae and Kimon Eleni have Former student released a new album entitled Love’s and RCM Piano Philosophy. The recording features Professor Colin classical love songs by Liszt, Chausson, Horsley OBE Brahms and work by 19th century celebrated his Greek composers. 90th birthday on St George’s Day. He received New appointments... greetings from Graham Ross, composer, conductor around the world Florian Uhlig and former RCM Junior Department and was joined by and Masters student, has been family, friends and former students. Colin studied at the RCM and went In March, pianist Florian Uhlig appointed Director of Music for Clare on to make his debut with the Hallé performed the world première College, Cambridge, aged just 24 years of Schumann’s Abegg Variations for old. This exciting new role combines Orchestra and Sir John Barbirolli. Sir piano and orchestra. Only an orchestral overseeing all music-making in the Lennox Berkeley wrote his two piano ‘Introduzione’ of this version has College with individual teaching and concerti for him, as well as a horn trio survived: a particello score of 40 bars directing the world-renowned Choir which Colin performed regularly with with specific hints for instrumentation, in regular evensongs and outside Dennis Brain. As well as performing which is missing in the known version engagements. Graham takes up the post all over the world as a soloist and at for piano solo and presents a new in autumn 2010. the Proms for 25 years, he collabo- discovery. The concert took place in rated with Max Rostal (violin) and the Zwickau, Schumann’s birthplace. Allegri, Amadeus, Amici and Griller string quartets. He was appointed Harry Fox, keyboard alumnus, has won OBE in 1963 and is an FRCM and an all expenses paid trip to Colorado to HonRAM. Colin was a Professor at the perform a concerto with the Lakewood RCM and RNCM for many years be- Symphony Orchestra in Easter 2011. fore retiring to the Isle of Man, where He also recently won the Derek Butler he has since taken an active role in London Prize after a final held at Harry Brown musical life. London’s Wigmore Hall.

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RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 25 21/06/2010 16:41 Births, marriages & obituaries

of his native Scotland, and was widely the Second World War she worked for Obituaries recognised for his interpretations of the British Red Cross Society, where in Burns’ love poems. addition to helping families and fire Kerry Camden, bassoonist, teacher, and watching, she also organised a number arranger, passed away earlier this year. Keyboard alumnus Surendran Reddy of fundraising concerts. She worked Born in 1936, Kerry studied bassoon at passed away aged 47 in Konstanz, closely with touring opera companies the RCM with his father Archie Camden. Germany. His friend and fellow alumnus throughout the 50s and 60s before His studies were interrupted by national Martin Feinstein writes: “I met Surendran returning to the RCM in 1972 as a piano service with the Irish Guards, but he in the foyer of the RCM on my first day. teacher for the Junior Department. She returned to the College as an Associate in He was only 15, thousands of miles continued to play and perform well 1957. He enjoyed a rich and varied career, from his home in South Africa, and into her 80s and in her last years was beginning as principal bassoonist with understandably wary of strangers. A greatly supported by the Musicians’ the BBC Concert Orchestra and going mutual love of Bach and books cemented Benevolent Fund. on to perform with all the major London our friendship. My most vivid memories orchestras. He was a well-known coach of of him involve us either playing through chamber music and a skilful arranger, and open scores of the Art of Fugue and the Births directed many music courses for young Musical Offering together, or having professionals and amateurs. In 1964 endless discussions about Dostoyevsky The College is pleased to announce the he was appointed principal bassoonist and P G Wodehouse. I owe Surendran a arrival of several new additions to the for the London Mozart Players, and in huge debt because, through our friendship, RCM community. Congratulations to: the same year returned to the RCM as I was given the chance to play through bassoon professor. He was admitted to Ceri Herd, Audience Development and discover vast amounts of repertoire, Fellowship of the College in 1992, and Officer, and Jonny Herd, on the arrival of from Dowland to Boulez. Surendran’s life continued to teach until 2000. He was Rhys James Herd on 27 April. was shaped by the fact that he hated highly respected by all who knew him performing. Many may feel that his huge and will be sadly missed. Hayley Clements, Learning and promise was not fulfilled, and certainly Participation Manager, and Alex Rosamund Strode died on 25 March as a concert pianist this is true. But there Redpath, RCM alumnus, on the birth of after a brief illness. She graduated is no question that his decision to devote their daughter Poppy Isabella Redpath from the College with an ARCM in himself to composition, and to his own on 18 February. 1948 having studied singing, viola particular brand of crossover jazz, gave and composition, and worked as a him enormous pleasure - something that Joana Witowski, Membership and postgraduate at Dartington with Imogen performing never did. I will remember Events Coordinator, and Jérôme Le Holst. Having helped out for a number him as the most able musician that I ever Crapper on the birth of their son LoÏc on of years she replaced Imogen as Britten’s played with and as an intelligent and 30 January. music assistant in 1964, working as his passionate lover of music.” Ailsa Molyneux, Front of House copyist, editor and archivist. Following Ronald Reah passed away earlier this Manager, on the birth of her son Hector his death she was the first archivist at the Bonaventure James Molyneux. Britten-Pears Library until her retirement year. Ronald had a love of music from an in 1992. Kind but firm and precise, she early age, but served in the army before will be remembered by many for her joining the RCM as a mature student in inexhaustible supply of insights into 1953, studying oboe, composition, piano Britten’s working methods, and by two and organ with Dr Osborne Peasgood. generations of artists and students who He funded his first year of studies she made feel at home in Aldeburgh. himself, but benefited from a scholarship in subsequent years, gaining an ARCM Classical tenor Kenneth McKellar died in Piano Teaching and a GRSM. He won Rhys James Herd in April, aged 82. Despite an obvious the Farrar Prize for composition in 1956. vocal talent, he initially studied forestry. Upon graduation he dedicated himself After just two years with the Forestry to music administration and education, Commission however, he decided to and was a Senior Lecturer in Music in switch careers and took up a Caird Leicester for over 20 years. He was also a Scholarship to study at the RCM. composer of theatre, choral and church Prompted by an operation on his tonsils music, and a songman for Leicester Bach and fears for his voice, Kenneth made Choir. Ronald was an RCM Friend of long a private recording at a booth in a standing and also a generous supporter Poppy Isabella Redpath HMV record shop and was immediately of the Restore a Score scheme. signed up by Parlophone. This led to a principal tenor role in the Carla Rosa Phyllis Norbrook died last year Opera Company, and a subsequent aged 96. Phyllis studied piano and and varied career in opera, recording, accompaniment at the RCM under television and scriptwriting, including Harry Stubbs in the 1930s and went on some revue sketches for Monty Python. to accompany performers including He was perhaps most famous for his sopranos June Wilson and Barbara performances of popular and folk songs Lane, and cellist Antonia Butler. During Hector Bonaventure James Molyneux

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