The Magazine for the Royal College of MusicI Spring 2011 Exploring the RCM Junior Department More talent than you can shake a stick at! What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat… When you think of RCM students, you might think of degree level students preparing for their final leap into the music profession; and of course if you Contents head to Prince Consort Road on a weekday that’s who you’ll see. But pop in on a Saturday and you’ll find a younger group of brilliantly gifted musicians, 4 In the news students at the RCM’s famous Junior Department, which for 85 years has been Latest news from the RCM including New Year’s Honours for inspiring talented musicians aged 8 to 18. RCM supporters and a special addition to the RCM Museum In this issue you can read all about recent and current JD students. You can hear from current star student Lara Melda, winner of BBC Young Musician 9 Out and about 2010, and from trail-blazing recent graduate Kevin Satizabal, now plying Tales of RCM students overseas his trade at Birmingham Conservatoire. There’s a special feature on our very latest scheme: Sparks Juniors, which spots raw musical talent among children 10 Lara Melda from the local area. And if you’ve ever experienced a lively JD Saturday and Upbeat meets with current RCMJD wondered who keeps all those children and teachers full of energy, Alison student Lara Melda, winner of BBC Young Musician 2010 Macfadyen reveals how the Junior Department Friends contribute everything from cups of tea to instrument cases. 11 Kevin Satizabal The rest of the magazine is packed with stories about RCM students, alumni Upbeat meets with alumnus Kevin Satizabal to hear about and staff. Do you want to know which RCM professor consulted on a TV his experiences of studying at the murder mystery? Read on to find out whodunnit… Junior Department We’re always keen to hear from students past and present, so if you have 12 Sparks Juniors anything you’d like us to feature in the next issue of Upbeat, send your news An exciting new programme and pictures to [email protected] by 9 May 2011. enabling selected talented children to access the RCMJD NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that we reserve the right to edit submissions. 14 Meeting the supporters… Upbeat meets Alison Macfadyen, Chair of JD Friends 16 Staff notes 18 Student notes 21 Alumni notes 22 Births, marriages and obituaries Professor Cameron Sinclair (above) and Sparks Juniors (above and right) Front cover – Sparks Juniors © Sheila Burnett Inside front cover – A selection of images from Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld © Chris Christodoulou Inside back cover – Images from the RCM’s recent orchestral concert conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy © Chris Christodoulou 3 In the news... The RCM would also like to thank Three new Soirée d’Or 2010 the Soirée d’Or committee for their ongoing efforts in organising this On 8 December last year the RCM Professorships event: Lady Carr (Chair), Mrs Anastasia welcomed 400 guests to the Victoria Christou, Lady Middleton, Mrs Judy The RCM has announced three new and Albert Museum for its annual Mowschenson, Ms Emma Rose, Professorial appointments for 2011. fundraising gala, Soirée d’Or, described Lady Walters. The principal criterion for appointment by the Evening Standard as: “One of the to a Personal Chair is distinguished most spectacular charity fund-raisers of achievement in the area of text- and/or the year”. practice-based research and innovation. Demonstrating exceptional artistic BBC Radio 3’s Sean Rafferty hosted the insight, those appointed have made event with performances by a RCM an outstanding contribution to the string quartet and electrifying piano furtherance of knowledge or to the duo Jianing Kong and Caterina Crewe. application of existing knowledge in a The total raised from the evening was creative context. close to £200,000, which will be used to award substantial scholarships to We are pleased talented RCM musicians. to announce that RCM Director of The RCM thanks BP for Programmes and generously supporting Research Amanda the Soirée d’Or 2010. We Glauert has been named Professor would also like to thank Amanda Glauert the following companies of Music and and individuals for their Aesthetics; former Head of the Graduate generous sponsorship and donations: School Richard Langham Smith has been made Research Professor of • Finsbury Music; and Aaron Williamon, Head • British Gas of the RCM’s Centre for Performance • Fujitsu Science, has been made Professor of • Champagne Taittinger Performance Science. • Steinway & Sons All three Professors are making • Jane Packer significant contributions to the RCM’s • Sally Clarke Ltd ever-growing reputation as a leading • Stephen Morris international centre for research. • Pinsent Masons • Hildon The nature • Prestat • Dreweatts 1739 of genius • L’Oreal In October, the RCM was delighted • Galleries Magazine to be host partners in the “Battle of • Patriarche Wine Ideas”, the Institute of Ideas’ annual • Agencies festival. The series of debates and • The Rayne Trust discussions attracted some of the UK’s most important and influential artists, scientists and cultural commentators. The College hosted a pair of special preview events. The first, entitled “X-factor: Singing in the name of quality”, explored issues surrounding modern talent shows, with the Director of Opera Michael Rosewell siting on the panel. The second discussed the “Nature of Genius: standing on the shoulders of giants or genes?” and looked at what part society plays in nurturing geniuses of the future. Professor Colin Lawson sat on a panel that comprised some of today’s leading thinkers. www.battleofideas.org.uk 4 Dietrich’s widow Jane Kessler A very special commented: “I am delighted to be loaning these four very special addition to the instruments to the Royal College of Music. I am particularly thrilled that RCM Museum RCM students will have the chance to The Royal College of Music has taken perform on them, which is exactly what delivery of a remarkable collection of Dietrich would have wanted.” four unique and important instruments: The collection, housed in the RCM the ‘Kessler Viols’. Museum, is open to the general public Dietrich Kessler Dietrich Kessler (1929–2006) was to admire, and to makers and musicians an outstanding maker and restorer alike for historical and performance- of stringed instruments, for whom based research by appointment. the viol and its music were always a special interest. During the course of his long working life he collected a few exceptional viols that were used both in performance and as a rich source of research. Four of these were by English makers: John Rose (c.1595), Henry Jaye (1619), Richard Meares (c.1680) and Barak Norman (1693). Left to right: Jenny Nex, Jane Kessler, Ashley Solomon, Samir Savant The Richard Meares Viol Michael Parkinson and Professor Lord Winston – gathered at the RCM on Scoring A Monday 6 December for The Big Give big Breakfast. the Olympics thank you We are utterly delighted to report that No fewer than five RCM alumni In the last issue of Upbeat, we brought thanks to the extreme generosity of our composers have been commissioned you news of our participation in the donors, it took just 24 hours to reach to create new works for the 2012 2010 Big Give Christmas Challenge, our target of raising £95,000. Every Cultural Olympiad. seeking to raise funds for RCM penny will go towards transforming the scholarships. To launch the scheme, lives of talented young musicians. For a The project is organised by New a range of supporters – including Sir full list of donors please see page 21. Music 20x12, a UK-wide programme, and features RCM alumni Mark- Anthony Turnage, Anna Meredith, the orchestra’s innovative concerts, Gavin Higgins, Richard Causton and An honoured guest which gave early concerto opportunities David Bruce. Each commission will be to many leading musicians, and on One of our guests broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and tour several occasions featured the eminent at The Big Give the UK, enabling as many people as actress Dame Sybil Thorndike. Breakfast was possible to enjoy excellent new music inspirational RCM as part of the celebrations of the alumna Blanche London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Mundlak, who Games. www.newmusic20x12.org brought in a range of photographs from her long and varied career in music (see right). She found work first as a violin teacher and then as the long-time proprietor of the St Cecilia music shop in Camden, but she is perhaps best known as the founder of the Orion Orchestra, which she conducted for 37 years without missing a single rehearsal. Blanche raised large amounts of money for charity through Gavin Higgins 5 In the news... RCM student New Year’s wins international Honours for RCM award supporters It is with great pleasure that we report a number of honours for individuals linked to the Royal College of Music. We congratulate them all, and thank them for their particular contributions to the life and work of the College. Vernon Ellis, until recently a member of the RCM Council and now Chairman of the British Council and English National Opera, received a knighthood Colin Matthews for his services to music. Chairman of Centrica Roger Carr, who has brought to Dance, Music and Drama Education considerable financial support to RCM in Scotland. Dr Colin Matthews, Prince projects, received a knighthood for Consort Professor of Composition at services to business. Peter Ellwood, the RCM, was appointed OBE for his Deputy Chairman of the RCM Council services to music. Dr Marjorie Ziff from 2003 to 2006, was knighted for was appointed MBE for nearly 60 years service to the community in Leeds Pianist Nicholas McCarthy has won his services to business and the public through her philanthropic and charitable the Ability Media International Music sector.