The International Music School founded by Yehudi Menuhin www.yehudimenuhinschool.co.uk — Registered Charity 312010 — Newsletter 57 — Spring 2014 — The Tempest roars through Cobham One of our Friends Tim Albert writes. The Tempest: Shakespeare’s final comedy, set on an isolated island where love, greed, freedom and power figure greatly. But in this version, the first production at the Yehudi Menuhin School by Simon Larter-Evans, it is slashed to an hour. The setting (built by Brian Harris) is a boarding school bedroom (somewhere in Surrey?). The central figure is converted into headmaster Dr Prosper, not allowed on stage, and given only one speech which comes, Big-Brother-like, distorted through speakers. The Cast (No prizes for who plays that part). Without him the action centres on three sassy women, each There’s an original use of film by Sam Staples and Leo looking for freedom. Rosie Bennet exudes quiet authority as a Plashinov-Johnson, using such exotic locations as the quintessential English rose dressed in an Alice in Wonderland Menuhin Hall’s undercroft and the picnic table on the lawn, dress, but ready for love. Anything but quiet is Katie Morgan’s setting for the lavish banquet of pizza and coke. Caliban: gothic, frenetic, and generally making bad choices. Daniel Penney’s original music conveys the mystical Among these two flits Ariel, a sparkling free spirit, played with undertones and is played by several of the above, plus great energy and clarity by Leyla Cemiloglu. Breanainn O Mathuna, Will Dutton, Ben Tarlton, Charlotte Into their world burst men. Most prominent is Ferdinand, the Saluste-Bridoux and an electrified Kevin Loh. hunk who enraptures Miranda, played effortlessly by Bennet All ends well of course with power restored, love affirmed Ortmann. Gordon and Alonso, who have ousted Dr Prosper and freedom accepted. Ariel has the last speech, ‘Our revels from his old school, are played with relish by Marcus Gaved now are ended...’ before turning off the light. Applause, and David Horvat. With them come Cecilia and Antonia (a richly deserved. gender change from the original) played by Natasha Petrovic and Nicole Petrus-Barracks, who shine as particularly nasty For me the best moments came from the audience: two of the penknife-wielding would-be assassins. Finally, and stealing youngest members of the school sitting at the front convulsed many of the scenes, come the comedy duo of Joon Hurh and with laughter. The bard would have been delighted. Special Jeff Wu as Trinculo and Stephano, behaving badly after finding thanks to St Edward’s School, Oxford for its generous loan of a (fictional, we hope) case of wine stashed by the tennis court. the lights. — The 50th Anniversary Alumni Concert Series Musical Notes Following Tasmin Little and Akiko Ono’s concerts in 2013, 2014 has welcomed Colin Carr (cello,1974) with Rosemary Warren — Purcell’s King Arthur Green (violin,1973), Krysia Osostowicz (violin,1976), Garfield The YMS Choir came together with Surrey Youth Choir, the Jackson (viola,1975) and Mary Wu (piano,1983); Thomas BBC Singers and period band St James’s Baroque on 26 Carroll (cello,1994), with Corina Belcea (violin,1994), Boris February to perform Purcell’s King Arthur under the direction Kucharsky (violin,1989), CarlaMaria Rodrigues (viola,1982), of Robert Hollingsworth. Jun Sasaki (cello,2008), Frances Emery (double bass,2008), Oscar Perks (viola,2008) and Anthony Hewitt (piano,1988); and It was a most entertaining evening with the text wittily updated the last concert for this term when we heard Nicola Benedetti throughout and YMS pupils Charlotte Saluste Bridoux (18) (violin,2002) with Leonard Elschenbroich (cello,1999) and and Nicole Petrus Barracks (16) joining the professionals as Wu Qian (piano,2002). soloists for one duet. Alumni from each decade of the School’s 50 year history have This was a great outreach event which also raised £263 for the performed in these astounding chamber music concerts - on one 50th Anniversary Appeal. occasion five decades being represented within one concert! We are thrilled that these alumni have returned to the School – giving their services free of charge - to support the fundraising for the new music studios that are so urgently needed for our current pupils. Each occasion has given opportunities for alumni to rekindle memories, sometimes meet and perform with each other for the first time and also to make new friends and to connect with the new generation of musically gifted young people which they themselves once were. For our current generation of pupils it has been memorable in giving them the opportunity to hear phenomenal music-making at the very highest level. The three remaining concerts in the 50th Anniversary Alumni Series are with Melvyn Tan on Tuesday 22 April, Valeriy Sokolov Rosie Bennet (17) and Viviane Plekhotkine (13) marking scores in on Thursday 15 May and end with Alina Ibragimova on Sunday rehearsal — Photo Credit: Simon Larter-Evans 22 June. — Swiss Award Headmaster Richard Hillier, together with governor Zamira Menuhin Benthall (daughter of Yehudi) and YMS students William Dutton (19) and Menachem Rozin (18), flew out to the Swiss capital Bern to collect the Johanna Dürmüller-Bol Young Classic Award given by the Johanna Dürmüller-Bol Foundation, in association with Interlaken Classics. The aim of this award is ‘to champion the promotion and fostering of young musicians’. It is given to institutions rather than individuals and is worth 20,000 Swiss francs. The recipient of the award is decided by a jury headed by the pianist and Colin Carr and friends — Photo Credit: Kevin Laitak conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, who was also in Bern to present the prize in person. Thomas Carroll — Photo Credit: Kevin Laitak There is also the wonderful Summer Festival to look forward to. Booking for all these concerts is open now, and you can check availability and book tickets online at www.yehudimenuhinschool.co.uk Will Dutton and Menachem Rozin — Photo Credit: Richard Hillier The award ceremony took place, appropriately, in the Yehudi — Public appearances Menuhin Forum. William and Menachem performed works by Bloch, Liszt and Zimbalist; Mrs Menuhin Benthall was Will Dutton and Louisa Staples both gave public performances interviewed about her memories of the school’s founding; Mr of the Mendelssohn violin concerto this term. Will with the Werner Schmitt, former director of the Bern Conservatoire, Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Brighton Dome on 9 gave a laudatio explaining why the School was being honoured February and Louisa with the London International Orchestra in this way; and the Headmaster made a speech of thanks, in Hampstead on 8 March. Louisa also played Sarasate’s talking in particular of our anniversary celebrations and Carmen Fantasy to great acclaim. appeal. Will also gave a recital for the ESTA Conference in York, where Many thanks indeed to everyone at the Foundation and at he played Ernest Bloch’s Nigun arranged by Malcolm Singer. Interlaken Classics for their kindness and generosity. — Quartet in The Hague — Scottish Tour Four YMS students, accompanied by Director of Music Malcolm Over half-term pianists Sohyun Park (19), Menachem Rozin, Singer, spent a week in January at the junior department of Ursula Perks (16) and Leyla Cemiloglu (16), together with the Royal Conservatoire at The Hague in Holland. Whilst there William Dutton and Tamaki Sugimoto (18, cello), headed for Haim Choi (18, violin), Cosima Soulez Larivière (17, violin), the Scottish Highlands. Qian Hui Ho (17, viola) and Cansin Kara (18, cello) attended lessons and took part in chamber-music classes with students Accompanied by YMS Piano Professor Ruth Nye and Director of both from The Hague and from the Carl Maria von Weber High Music Malcolm Singer (with his wife Sara Nathan), they spent School of Music in Dresden. the first few days taking part in Music at Blair Atholl, giving two concerts, then to Edinburgh, where the Headmaster and his They repeated an excellent performance of Britten’s Third wife (Richard and Elaine Hillier) joined them for their annual Quartet which they gave in the special Britten Centenary concert at the Royal Over-Seas League on Princes Street. Showcase Concert back in October. ROSL Edinburgh — Photo Credit: Elaine Hillier Cosima, Qian Hui, Haim and Cansin ready for take off — Photo Credit: Simon Larter-Evans — Cansin Kara wins Aydın Gün Award YMS cellist Cansin Kara — Menuhin was awarded the Aydın Gün Competition Encouragement Award by Bülent Many congratulations to Elvina Eczacıbaşı, Chairman of the Auh (15) who became the first Istanbul Foundation for Culture YMS pupil in many years to and Arts (IKSV) at a reception in reach the very final round of Istanbul on 27 December. The Menuhin International Dedicated to the memory of Violin Competition, held Aydın Gün (1917-2007), who this year in Austin Texas. In was a pioneering figure in the preparing for the competition, Turkish opera scene and a Elvina enthralled audiences at founding member of the IKSV, home with her performance this award, presented to a of Dan Welcher’s The Cowboy different musician every year, is and the Rattlesnake. Well done, open to instrumentalists, singers, Elvina. We all look forward to composers, and conductors Cansin Kara — Photo Credit: 2016 when the competition Elvin Auh — Photo Credit: under 30 years of age. Simon Larter-Evans comes to London. Simon Larter-Evans Celebrated Czech guitar maestro Pavel Steidl called in at The composer Simone Fontanelli gave lively coaching the School to give classes to the five YMS guitar students. sessions on 3 March to a number of the School’s As well as YMS guitar professor Richard Wright, the class ensembles including the Goss quartet and the string was joined by alumni Tom Ellis (2009) and Laura Snowden ensemble preparing for Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen.