The Magazine for the Royal College of MusicI Spring 2014 Composing about Architecture Collaborative projects at the RCM What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat... The cover of this issue shows just one of six enthralling exhibits from the Royal Academy of Arts’ latest exhibition – Sensing Spaces. This exciting show, which Contents brings together some of the most creative architectural minds from around the world, has been the source of inspiration for RCM composers in the latest of 4 In the news their cross-art collaborations. Turn to page 12 to find out more. Updating you on recent RCM Collaborations is the theme for this issue of Upbeat. Artistic Director Stephen activities Johns highlights the many partnerships the RCM has with professional groups in London and gives away just a few details about the next exciting 10 Performance Platforms collaboration with the Philharmonia. RCM violinist Joo Yeon Sir also shares her From community centres to experiences of performing in a remarkable range of venues and how they’ve Wigmore Hall, RCM violinist shaped her as a musician. Joo Yeon Sir tells Upbeat about the diverse spaces she’s had the Elsewhere, the new Listening Experience Database, which aims to create a mass opportunity to perform in record of people’s experiences of listening to music, is inviting members of the public to input their own musical experiences. Turn to page 6 to find how. 11 Orchestral Collaborations We’re always keen to hear from students past and present, so if you have Artistic Director Stephen Johns anything you would like us to feature in next issue of Upbeat, send your news tells Upbeat about the RCM’s and pictures to [email protected] by Monday 28 April. latest exciting orchestral project with the Philharmonia NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that we reserve the right to edit submissions. 12 Sensing Spaces Find out about a series of innovative composition Upbeat online projects devised by the RCM Did you know that Upbeat is available to read online at www.rcm.ac.uk/upbeat in collaboration with partner If you’d prefer to read it in this way, do contact us at [email protected] and we’ll institutions across London stop sending you a paper copy. If you’d like us to send you an email notification when Upbeat is published, let us know your email address too. 14 Meeting the supporters Upbeat meets long standing supporter John Ward 16 Student notes… Current student success stories 18 Staff notes… News from professorial, academic and administrative staff 20 Alumni notes… Updates from RCM graduates 22 Obituaries Roger Norrington conducts the RCM Symphony Orchestra Front cover – Sensing Spaces © Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2014. Photography James Harris Inside front cover – RCM International Opera School’s production of Ravel’s L’heure espagnole and L’enfant et les sortilèges © Chris Christodoulou Inside back cover – RCM Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Junior Department Treble Choir perform Britten’s Spring Symphony conducted by David Hill © Chris Christodoulou 3 In the news... a close with a sublime performance of The RCM is very fortunate to have the Soirée d’Or 2013 Oh Holy Night arranged by RCM Artistic support of a hard working external Director Stephen Johns. Finally, the committee for this event. Led by Lady The RCM’s annual fundraising gala, audience was invited to join in with a Carr, this group works throughout the Soirée d’Or, has raised a record-breaking stirring selection of popular Christmas year to secure table sales, sponsorships £210,000 in aid of scholarships for carols. and donations for the event. We are talented RCM students. very grateful to all individuals on this The evening included two auctions and Held at the V&A Museum on committee who generously give their raised a total of £98,000. Adrian Biddell time voluntarily. Our thanks also to Sir Wednesday 4 December, the event of Sotheby’s presented the Live Auction, was attended by almost 400 guests. Roger Carr for presenting a wonderful raising £14,000, which included a private appeal speech. The evening opened in the Medieval performance by violinist Aisha Syed. and Renaissance Gallery with music The Silent Auction was run through The evening was tinged with sadness as provided by a jazz quartet and a an electronic bidding system with the committee paid tribute to their dear Taittinger champagne reception. Dinner enthusiastic guests bidding for a range friend and committee member, Emma followed in the impressive Raphael of 25 items via electronic tablets. Prizes Rose (see page 22), who died tragically Gallery interspersed with music by RCM included a recording session in the in a diving accident in November. Both musicians including the RCM Drumline RCM Studios, a walk-on part in one of Emma’s husband and her brother were ensemble, BBC Young Musician the RCM International Opera School’s in attendance together with friends she marimba finalistLucy Landymore productions and a series of instrumental had invited. and violinist Aisha Syed. TheRCM and vocal lessons by RCM professors. Chamber Choir brought the evening to In its article, the THR states that the an interview with RCM alumnus Hooray for RCM “has trained greats from inside its Christopher Tin, winner of two South Kensington walls for more than 130 Grammys and composer of the opening Hollywood! years”, and includes quotes from note for Microsoft’s Surface tablet. The Hollywood Reporter (THR) has named the Royal College of Music as one of the industry’s top 10 music schools. The RCM is the only institution from outside the USA to be included in The Hollywood Reporter’s inaugural ranking of the industry’s top 10 music schools. The survey is based on academic and entertainment insiders, including composers, arrangers, music supervisors, editors and engineers from The Society of Composers and Lyricists. The other nine institutions on the list are located in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. The RCM Composition for Screen programme is internationally renowned as one of the world’s leading training programmes for film and TV composers. 4 CNBC Meets: Lang Lang Creative Learning Project The RCM has collaborated with the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Musical Performance as Creative Practice (CMPCP) for an investigation into how musicians find creative inspiration. Led by University of Cambridge Professor John Rink, with CMPCP associates including RCM Professor of Performance Science Aaron Williamon, the ‘Creative Learning’ project has shown that musicians may be at their most inspired when they step away from their instrument and think about music in different ways. It also identified four main ingredients needed for an artist to achieve creative expression in Students from the RCM Junior back to the piano community, rather practice and performance contexts alike: Department have featured in a new TV than just doing concerts for himself” and freedom, flexibility, a sense of being “in documentary about the world-famous praising him for “helping young people the moment”, and a commitment to pianist Lang Lang. out”. “giving” the music to an audience. CNBC Meets: Lang Lang included Lang Lang also spoke to CNBC Meets The researchers carried out some footage of Lang Lang’s piano about why teaching masterclasses is an of their fieldwork at the RCM, using masterclass in the RCM’s Britten important part of his life, saying that a combination of questionnaires, Theatre in November last year, when he feels all musicians with wonderful interviews, focus-group discussions, and he worked with pianists from the RCM careers have a duty to give back to observations of one-to-one lessons and Junior Department (RCMJD) and from society. practice sessions. RCM horn player Pablo Lang Lang Music World – his school for Urbina was one of the students selected gifted pianists in Shenzhen, China. The documentary is available to watch to take part in the project, which he said on the CNBC website (with footage of was “a great way for me to understand In the film RCMJD studentsAnthony the RCM from 07’16’’) at the processes I go through to familiarise Tat and Domnic Doutney talked about http://cnb.cx/1aRlXod. Complete myself with a piece. I’m sure it’s helped me the experience of working with Lang footage of the masterclass itself is also to communicate better when I am playing Lang, with Dominic commenting that available on the RCM YouTube channel and conducting”. “it’s great for a person like him to give at www.youtube.com/rcmlondon Further information about the project can be found on the University of RCM pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has Cambridge website at bit.ly/M30Qtu 5 Stars for Pavel received a 5-star review from The Kolesnikov Telegraph for his debut at London’s Wigmore Hall. A thank you The recital, which took place on Sunday big 12 January 2014, was described in the In December the Royal College of review as “one of the most memorable Music participated in the 2013 Big of such occasions London has witnessed Give Christmas Challenge to raise in a while”, with reviewer John Allison funds for our scholarship programme. praising the “spellbinding beauty” of Pavel’s playing. We’re delighted to report that thanks to the great generosity of our donors The Russian pianist is no stranger to we have surpassed last year’s total, success, having won the first prize at the raising an impressive £140,070. Thank highly prestigious Honens International you to all those who contributed to Piano Competition in 2012. the Big Give, which will go towards transforming the lives of talented Pavel can be seen performing as the young musicians.