Crescendo March 2019
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Crescendo The Oficial Magazine of The Purcell School for Young Musicians March 2019 INSIDE PURCELL: SUMMER TERM CADOGAN HALL LET’S TALK KEYS EVENTS GUIDE SYMPHONIC DANCES We sat down for an interview Don’t miss out on our Jane to add three with William Fong, Head of fantastic concerts and events! lines of text as an intro Keyboard here at Purcell Download (ADD LINK) for article Invited to China, supported by his taste of music, a few of the ‘foodie’ and claims to make Arts Council England, William artists and inspirations that “the best roast potatoes has performed and given came to mind included Big and Yorkshire puddings you master classes in Shanghai, Joe Turner, Stevie Wonder, have ever tasted”! Having he has also performed in George Michael, Frank Sinatra been raised in a household Australia at the invitation of the and Ella Fitzgerald. “There with both French and Chinese Chair of the Australian Piano shouldn’t be any boundaries culture, William enjoys creating Pedagogy Conference and was to someone’s appreciation of recipes blending the two the keynote speaker, giving good music”. together as well as bringing a recital and master classes, influences from British cuisine. at the Institute of Registered Outside of music, William is We look forward to putting his Music Teachers of New Zealand an avid cyclist. Almost every culinary skills to the test and conference in Auckland. year he takes part in the seeing if he can perform in the L’Étape du Tour, an event that kitchen as well as he does on As a musician of wide interests, allows amateur cyclists to stage! William has performed with race over the same route as ensembles such as the one of the stages of the Tour At present, William maintains Brodsky Quartet and members de France. Around 10,000 a busy schedule of recitals, of Guildhall Strings. He has riders participate each year master classes, teaching and also collaborated with with William usually placing lecturing both in the UK and singers Steve Davislim and in the top third! William abroad, as well as regular James Rutherford and has participates in the race on commitments to some of the INSIDE PURCELL: LET’S TALK KEYS recorded some fascinating behalf of Centrepoint; the UK’s finest international piano and little known repertoire leading youth homeless charity summer schools. We sat down with William Fong, Head of Keyboard, and discussed in the chamber music field. providing accommodation and everything from his favourite music, to life at Purcell, to his favourite show William has performed at all support to homeless people When discussing The Purcell on Netflix! of London’s major venues with aged 16-25. It is thanks to School, William expressed concerts being broadcast on individuals such as William, “we are just the right size to With over 15 specialist The Tyne Theatre and Opera Trust and the Martin Musical BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, and that the charity is able support do things imaginatively and instrumental teachers, the House in Newcastle, watching Scholarship Fund. BBC television. more than 10,000 homeless creatively and to be able to Keyboard Department is the many great performances young people each year! look afer our students the largest in the School. Driving of Mozart operas but William’s international career What might seem surprising, best we can, we are able the department since 2002 unfortunately would usually was launched in 1984 when is that William is a fan of many When he isn’t cycling through to encourage independent is none other than soloist, fall asleep before Don Giovanni he won the First Prize, gold genres of music outside of the mountains of France, thinking and teach students recitalist and chamber got dragged to hell! medal and Rosa Sabater Prize classical. When asked about William is a self-proclaimed to be single-minded for their musician; William Fong. at the Concurso Internacional William was later awarded de Piano in Jaén, Spain. His William began playing piano at scholarships to study piano concerto début at St. John’s only 4 years of age, a passion and composition at Chetham’s Smith Square with the that was predominantly School of Music, where he Philharmonia Orchestra sparked by the influence of furthered his studies with the followed soon afer. his father. However, regarding Polish pianist, Ryszard Bakst. his reasons for continuing He was then accepted to the He subsequently added with music and forging a Royal Northern College of successes in the Busoni, (successful) career as a Music, where he also won Cleveland, Iturbi, and Scottish pianist, he said “music has several scholarships. International Competitions. always been such a powerful Under the auspices of the motivator for me, in my Afer graduating with honours, Sviatoslav Richter Foundation, mind, music says everything he studied privately with performances in New York, you need to know about the Ronald Smith for which he Moscow, St Petersburg and human condition”. As a young received major awards from in Europe have drawn critical boy, growing up in Durham, he the Countess of Munster acclaim and enthusiastic would ofen enjoy attending Musical Trust, the Ludgate audiences. passion but not narrow- The high praise of teaching College of Music and most College of Music. He also went to students. Jun Kanno has Kotlyarevsky University minded in their outlook”. from staf old and new, comes recently signed a recording on to achieve international played with the Munich of Arts; one of the leading as no surprise considering the contract with Warner Classics attention in 2011 afer winning Symphony Orchestra, creative centres for musical William also spoke very highly many incredible musicians ahead of his debut album due the Franz Liszt International the Chamber Orchestra of and theatrical education in of his fellow members of the who have studied with the to be released in May this year! Piano Competiton in Berlin, the National Orchestra Ukraine. Keyboard Department; “I department. The list of Budapest. Most recently of Cracow, the Chamber am lucky to work with such achievements from Purcell Just before Martin’s time at Alexander made his debut with Orchestra of Salzburg, the Along with these incredible a fantastic faculty, all of Alumni is outstanding and Purcell we saw Teo Gheorghiu the Moscow State Symphony Chamber Orchestra of Prague, Masterclasses, the Keyboard whom have experience of even in recent years we study with William from 2001 Orchestra, Beijing’s NCPA the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Department has three teaching adult musicians at have seen students reach to 2010. Teo began playing Orchestra and the barcelona the Japan Philharmonic, and exciting upcoming concerts. conservatoire level and are tremendous success. piano at only 5 years old and Symphony Orchestra. the Korean National Orchestra. Former Purcell student and able to transpose that in the during his time at The Purcell Gabriel Kwok was born in winner of the prestigious most appropriate way to suit In 2010, pianist Martin James School, starred in ‘Vitus’ as the When thinking back on past Hong Kong and studied at the Cliburn International our students”. Bartlett joined The Purcell lead character; a young gifed students, William said “I Royal Academy of Music with Piano Competition; Alim School and whilst studying pianist. The film was released taught both Teo and Alex Guy Jonson and later with Beiseimbayev will be giving Newest members of the here, won the coveted BBC in 2006 under Sony Pictures personally at the same Louis Kentner in London. He a piano recital here at the department include William’s Young Musician of the Year. and earned Teo an Undine time. Both exceptional if has been Head of Keyboard School on Thursday 25th life-long friend and renowned Just a few short months afer Award in Baden, Austria for the very diferent students and Studies at The Hong Kong April. Also in April, five Purcell pianist Justas Dvarionas and leaving the School, Martin ‘Best Male Debut’ in 2007 with a great counterbalance to Academy for Performing Arts students will be performing one of Britain’s best known took part in the recording of the film picking up the ‘Best each other. The thing they since 1989. at the Southbank Centre as pianists; Stephen Coombs. the charity single ‘God Only Film’ Award at the Swiss Film both had in common was part of the ‘Freddy Morgan “Yustas is extremely well Knows’ for BBC Children in Awards in 2006. Since leaving a very perceptive and fast There are also three upcoming Piano Recital’ concert. Lastly, read, you can talk to him Need, collaborating with the School, Teo went on to intellect with an instinctive Piano Masterclasses in the on Thursday 20th June, about anything. He also Nicola Benedetti, Stevie study at the Curtis Institute understanding for the syntax Summer Term. The School will the School is hosting ‘First has an incredibly refreshing Wonder, Sam Smith, One of Music (USA) and the Royal of the musical language”. be playing host to John Rink Impressions: Composing for holistic view on life. Direction, Elton John, Jools College of Music. (Monday 14th May), Barbara Piano with Florian Mitrea’. Similarly, Stephen has an Holland, Brian May, and Dave William credits the success not Szcepanska (Thursday 23rd Romanian/British pianist encyclopaedic knowledge of Grohl. The oficial music video William also taught British only to the hard work of the May) and Anna Sagalova Florian Mitrea was the winner music, there is no question reached over 11 million views pianist Alexander Ullman students and staf but also all (Saturday 29th June). John of the 2018 Royal Overseas he can’t answer. Our on YouTube and acted as the from 2001 to 2009.