ISSUE #72 Newsletter The International Music School founded by Yehudi Menuhin Spring 2019 Registered Charity 312010 Welcome This has been another action packed term, spanning a short snowy spell in January, an unseasonal ‘heat- wave’ in February and the daffodil and cherry blossom season in March. The following pages give a glimpse of our normal school routine and some of the memorable events that have punctuated it. Showcase and Celebrity Concerts are the lifeblood of the School. The eagerly anticipated Quiz night and Easter Egg hunt come around every Spring. Our concert at Effingham Golf Club was a long overdue return visit. The 1963 Society Musical Dinner was a successful new venture. As usual, we welcomed visitors from Night, mooncakes at Chinese New and we continue to work with our all over the world: prospective pupils Year, bara brith on St David’s Day and sister schools in the Music and Dance from three continents; alumni from the pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Pictures Scheme to lobby for more funding USA and Switzerland; parents - here for of our ceilidh made it onto social media and a better appreciation amongst concerts or parent-staff consultation but not into this newsletter. the public of our role and impact. Our meetings - from Russia, China, Japan community engagement continues and Australia; musicians invited to give We continue to champion the merits to grow, with pupils and staff driving masterclasses from Spain, Germany of a first-rate specialist musical projects to help local school children and the USA; and guests from Israel education for those with a particular fulfil their musical dreams. and South Korea interested to see talent and passion for music, at first hand our unique educational regardless of their means. I spoke at Kate Clanchy model. We also celebrated various an all-party parliamentary committee Head national traditions: haggis on Burns meeting in Westminster on the subject, WWW.MENUHINSCHOOL.CO.UK 1 SCHOOL LIFE SCHOOL LIFE SCHOOL LIFE 2 Competitions External Concerts ALUMNI 12 It was a fabulous result for all three Perhaps not as dramatic as the of our entrants in the International orchestral conquest of Spain or as bold STAFF 13 Arthur Grumiaux Competition for Young as the series of Christmas Concerts, Violinists. Kyota won First Prize in the Spring term is known for its more MENUHIN HALL 14 Category C, Emili won Second Prize and subtle crescendo of musical events. Seoyul won Third Prize in Category B. DEVELOPMENT 16 Gorka started the term with a solo Coco was awarded a Gold Medal in the recital in Horsley for an audience of FRIENDS 17 inaugural Vienna International Music Friends and supporters of the School. Competition. Beethoven’s Les Adieux was followed for Brendoncare, a charity dedicated Condry, performed at Kingston’s by the complete set of Rachmaninov’s to improving quality of life for older All Saints Church. They opened Will has proceeded to the Finals of the Op 39 Études-Tableaux - it was a truly people in care homes and care with Poulenc and closed with Frank Follow us! Haslemere String Competition, which will astonishing performance that left the facilities throughout South England. Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, setting take place on 16 May at St Christopher’s entire room mesmerised. It took an a solemn tone for Easter. The Spring If you are active on social media (or Church as part of the Haslemere Festival. encore of elegantly improvised SongHa and Can term’s crescendo arrived at the final would like to be) please have a look at our various channels. jazz to wake us from the performed a duo chorale of Martin’s Agnus Dei, and as Stefanija was the youngest finalist in the spell. recital of Mozart, the closing chord still hung in the air Please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and IV Agustín Aponte International Music Brahms, Ravel almost searching for somewhere to Instagram for news, events and images, Competition in Tenerife in February. A few weeks later and Bach at go, we found ourselves – as we catch but best of all is our YouTube channel which we keep updated with awe-inspiring Claire was the youngest performer a group of pupils Clapham’s our breaths – looking ahead with videos of our pupils playing Schubert, Richard reached the Finals of the Aarhus to reach the final six in the Robert visited one of Ominbus excitement to what comes next. Poulenc, Vaughan Williams, Howells and International Piano Competition in Schumann Piano Competition in Surrey’s oldest Theatre, hosted more. Through this channel you can watch Denmark. Düsseldorf. churches, St Mary’s by alumna Sue and listen to our pupils in the comfort of in Stoke d’Abernon. Dorey. Duru and your own home whenever you like. New School film Two works by Haydn Richard performed Follow us on Twitter and were followed by a a joint piano recital at Instagram @menuhinschool powerful rendition of Ravel’s Little Slyfield, and SongHa Find us on Facebook quartet. wowed the audience at the Breinton @yehudimenuhinschool Recital Society, this time with Gorka, who Another quartet - Borodin’s 2nd - stepped in at the last minute to take Subscribe to our YouTube finished off a concert of piano, violin over for an injured Svitlana. channel by searching for and guitar solos in the magical setting The Yehudi Menuhin School of Winchester College’s New Hall. Finally, at the end of term, the YMS We also update the news section of The concert helped raise over £5,500 Chamber Choir, directed by David our website regularly, so please visit www.menuhinschool.co.uk/news to see what we are up to. Celebrating Hans Keller Last November, we welcomed a film clips for inclusion in the final cut of the The centenary of Hans Keller’s birth archivist, and author of several books The following weekend the quartet CONTACT US crew on site for three days filming film. If you were in the audience at the was marked by several events in the on the subject), Òscar Colomina i Bosch went to Clare Hall, Cambridge, where The Yehudi Menuhin School pupils and staff as they went about Showcase concert on 8 November, you music world, and The Yehudi Menuhin and David Dolan using Mozart’s Quartet they worked with Levon Chilingirian Stoke d’Abernon, Cobham, Surrey their daily routine. The production might just catch a glimpse of yourself, School (where Keller taught) was K421, played by Coco, Viviane, SongHa before taking part in an illustrated KT11 3QQ company, Digifish, together with the so take a look at the finished product involved in two of them. and Caterina. The talk was followed talk on Keller’s ‘Functional Analysis’ 01932 864739 Marketing Department, then had the on our website. We think it captures the by a Showcase concert in which the approach to chamber music with www.menuhinschool.co.uk difficult task of sifting through all the spirit of YMS and are thrilled to share it On 10 March we hosted a talk with Mozart was performed along with other Malcolm Singer, David Dolan and fantastic footage to select the right with you. Dr Alison Garnham (Keller’s original chamber works. Levon Chilingirian. 2 NEWSLETTER / SPRING 2019 WWW.MENUHINSCHOOL.CO.UK 3 SCHOOL LIFE SCHOOL LIFE Masterclasses Community Engagement Yulia Chaplina as part of the Prokofiev This year’s Composition project Music Festival. culminated in a week of recording sessions with five secondary schools In early March we had a visit from from the local area. Watching pieces alumna Nicola Benedetti, who spent grow from a few notes to several the morning working with the pupils, pages is always exciting, but it is even before opening up the afternoon more encouraging to see some bold session to our Friends and other and truly imaginative works being audience members. Everyone was written, works that may not have struck not only by her musicality, but been possible without this project. also by her warmth and easy-going It was a rewarding experience for manner, and we are all looking forward pupils from both the external schools to her return. and ours, espcially our Senior pupils who have worked tirelessly for many Next there was a visit from Barbara hours, rehearsing, workshopping and Doll, Professor of Violin and Chamber recording the compositions. Music at Hochschule für Musik, Basel, It has been a packed term of Finlay, Kotone and Alfie played Cuban and President of ESTA, Switzerland. Our Junior pupils have once again masterclasses for our pupils. Alumna Landscape with Rain, Leo Brouwer’s We were also treated to a lecture by been touring primary schools in and ‘When I was able to tear my eyes away, ‘I have heard nothing but brilliant Alina Ibragimova spent two days in famous piece for four guitars. Here in the renowned pianist and musicologist, around Surrey, captivating audiences seeing the look on the faces of our feedback about how amazing and January teaching in The Menuhin particular Pavel opened up the pupils’ Robert Levin. of all sizes and ages. An endless flow children was just incredible. They were talented your students were, as well Hall before performing to a packed imaginations, encouraging the use of of questions followed each concert, enthralled. Many of our children will as the incredible responses from our audience with longstanding duo extreme colours and effects. He also Finally, right at the end of term, showing just how powerful and not have had the chance to experience own students. The awe and wonder partner Cédric Tiberghien. showed the pupils some unusual, and Kingsley and Hugo participated in important these experiences can be music performed live like this so it our students experienced was so very advanced, technical exercises for masterclasses in London with Pierre to young children whose chances of really was a thrilling experience for special to see!’ Later that month, the guitarists had a both hands.