The Magazine for the Royal College of MusicI Summer 2014 Treasures beyond Measure Reimagining the Museum What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat... The cover of this issue shows the amazing transformation of the RCM Museum of Music, courtesy of celebrated artist Hugo Dalton. The previously grey walls have been Contents white washed and adorned with colourful paint and you can find out more about the project and the artist himself on page 13. 4 In the news The treasures in the Museum, alongside many manuscripts, books and programmes Updating you on recent RCM housed in the RCM Library, form part of the RCM collections – one of the UK’s most activities including Junior Department pianist Martin James wide-ranging and substantial resources relating to the history of music. In recent Bartlett’s spectacular win at BBC months both departments have been involved in a reorganisation of the collections as Young Musician 2014 and our Museum Curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni and Librarian Peter Linnitt explain on page annual visit from HRH The Prince 10. And, if you’ve never heard of a tenoroon or contrabassophon turn to page 12 for of Wales details of a very special donation to the Museum. As usual Upbeat is also packed full with news from around the RCM including pianist 10 Changing the Guard Martin James Bartlett’s spectacular performance and win at BBC Young Musician 2014 Explore the RCM collections and the premiere performance of a lost song by Mendelssohn on BBC Radio 4’s Today with Librarian Peter Linnitt and programme. Museum Curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni We’re always keen to hear from students past and present so if you have anything you’d like us to feature in the next issue of Upbeat, please send your news and pictures to 12 New Arrivals [email protected] by Monday 22 September. Find out about two rare woodwind instruments – a NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that we tenoroon and a contrabassophon reserve the right to edit submissions. – which have been donated to the RCM Museum of Music Upbeat online Did you know that Upbeat is available to read online at www.rcm.ac.uk/upbeat 13 Reimagining the Museum If you’d prefer to read it in this way, do contact us at [email protected] and we’ll Artist Hugo Dalton and Museum stop sending you a paper copy. If you’d like us to send you an email notification Curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni when Upbeat is published, let us know your email address too. discuss the transformation of the Museum in the space of a few weeks 14 Meeting the supporters Upbeat meets Andrew Morgan, the Prime Warden of The Fishmongers’ Company, at their grand headquarters on the banks of the River Thames 16 Student notes… Current student success stories 18 Staff notes… News from professorial, academic and administrative staff 20 Alumni notes… Updates from RCM graduates RCM harpists with professor Ieuan Jones and guest artist Jana Boušková after a concert in February featuring arrangements and original works for harp ensemble 22 Obituaries and births Front cover – The RCM Museum of Music with new artwork by Hugo Dalton Inside front cover – A selection of images from ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ featuring Edward Fox Inside back cover – Images of the RCM Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal with Sir Roger Norrington All photography © Chris Christodoulou 3 In the news... Pianist Martin James Bartlett is BBC Young Musician 2014 Martin studies piano at the RCM Junior Department with Emily Jeffrey, who also taught Lara Melda, and for the last two years he has also been receiving mentorship and lessons from RCM Head of Keyboard Professor Vanessa Latarche. This September Martin will be joining Lara at the senior RCM, continuing his studies with Vanessa on the RCM’s BMus programme, supported by a full scholarship. Vanessa commented: “I am delighted for Martin and for us all at the RCM. It is so exciting to see someone we have nurtured since the age of eight achieve this coveted title. His performance was just outstanding and I was thrilled to be there.” Professor Colin Lawson, Director of the RCM, commented: “All of us at the Royal College of Music are extremely proud that three times in a row an RCM Junior Department student has won BBC Young Musician of the Year! This is a great tribute to our teachers here and we are all very proud of pianist Martin James Bartlett, this year’s winner. No wonder the RCM Junior Department is a natural first choice for ambitious and talented young RCM student Martin James Bartlett has Martin is the third RCM student in a musicians.” been crowned BBC Young Musician 2014. row to pick up the award, following in He was awarded the trophy in Edinburgh the footsteps of pianist Lara Melda and You can next hear Martin perform on following a superb performance of of 2012 winner cellist Laura van der Sunday 20 July, when he is appearing Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Heijden, who presented Martin with the with his piano trio at the Royal Albert Paganini. trophy. Hall Classical Coffee Morning series. ROSL success Saxophonist Huw Wiggin, a recent RCM graduate, has won the Gold Medal and First Prize of £10,000 in the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition 2014. This is the second year in a row Huw Wiggin Block4 that an RCM musician has won the prestigious top prize, following RCM Huw studied with Kyle Horch at the ROSL ARTS is the arts division of baritone Morgan Pearse’s triumph last RCM on a Ruth and Michael West the Royal Over-Seas League, and for year. scholarship, winning the RCM Concerto more than 50 years has developed a Prize before graduating in 2012. His diverse portfolio of arts activities in The final was held on Tuesday 6 May at other prizes and awards include a ‘Star music, visual arts and literature, devoted the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Award’ from the Countess of Munster to the career development of talented Hall. The evening also included a Musical Trust, a Music Education Award young professional artists and musicians performance by RCM ensemble Block4, from the Musicians Benevolent Fund, from the UK and the Commonwealth. winners of the ROSL Ensemble Prize. and a Martin Musical Scholarship With a prize fund in excess of £60,000, Formed in 2012, the recorder quartet Award. In 2012 he was selected to be a the ROSL Annual Music Competition features RCM musicians Emily Bannister, Park Lane Group Artist. is one of the UK’s most financially Lucy Carr, Katie Cowling and Ria Smith. rewarding major classical music competitions. 4 never published, and the whereabouts Mendelssohn of the manuscript has since been Ashley Solomon something of a musical mystery. It Premiere is not known how it came to be in made Chair America. RCM mezzo-soprano Amy of Historical Williamson and professor Christopher The song is accompanied by an Glynn have given the first performance autograph letter by Mendelssohn to Performance of a lost song by Felix Mendelssohn on the man who commissioned the song, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. theatre manager Johann Teichmann, It is the first public hearing of the song dated 3 May 1842. The manuscript has – entitled Das Menschen Herz ist ein the composer’s customary signature at Schacht or The Heart of Man is Like a the bottom. Mine – since it went missing 140 years Thomas Venning, senior specialist in ago, having been recently re-discovered manuscripts from Christie’s, said: “This in a private collection in America. is a very exciting re-discovery: the song The 29-bar song subsequently sold was only ever a private commission and for £60,000 in a sale of Valuable we know that even in Mendelssohn’s Manuscripts and Printed Books at lifetime he deliberately prevented its Christie’s in London. circulation. The manuscript has been lost for 140 years, so it seems likely that Ashley Solomon has been appointed The existence of the song was known to we have here music by one of the great to a Chair of Historical Performance at scholars as it had been sold at auction composers that no living person has ever the Royal College of Music. in 1862 and again in 1872 but it was heard.” This personal chair was created especially for Professor Solomon in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the RCM. Professor Solomon has played a major role in securing the reputation of the RCM as the natural first choice for students from around the globe. Since being appointed the RCM’s first Head of Historical Performance in 2006, he has led an astonishing number of artistic and academic projects, including: a recreation of the “24 Violons du Roi” in collaboration with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, culminating in an acclaimed performance with Sir Roger Norrington at the BBC Proms; the RCM’s annual International Festival Amy Williamson, Christopher Glynn, Peter Ward Jones (Mendelssohn scholar) and Margaret of Viols; a new Masters programme Ford (Head of Christie’s London Books & Manuscripts department) with the manuscript in Historical Performance; and RCM student performances at festivals across the UK. After graduating, Margaret became Scholarship a highly respected and much loved Outside the RCM, Professor Solomon teacher, inspiring others to follow in her is an internationally renowned Bequest footsteps and study at the RCM. She and multi-award-winning soloist was passionate about music and about and ensemble performer on both Former RCM student, Margaret Dewey supporting her students.