Royal College of Music Magazine

The Magazine for the Royal College of Music I 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 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 their cross-art collaborations. Turn to page 12 to find out more.

Collaborations is the theme for this issue of Upbeat. Artistic Director Stephen Johns highlights the many partnerships the RCM has with professional groups in London and gives away just a few details about the next exciting collaboration with the Philharmonia. RCM violinist Joo Yeon Sir also shares her experiences of performing in a remarkable range of venues and how they’ve shaped her as a musician.

Elsewhere, the new Listening Experience Database, which aims to create a mass 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.

Contents 4

In the news

Updating you on recent RCM activities

10 Performance Platforms

From community centres to Wigmore Hall, RCM violinist Joo Yeon Sir tells Upbeat about the diverse spaces she’s had the opportunity to perform in

11 Orchestral Collaborations

We’re always keen to hear from students past and present, so if you have anything you would like us to feature in next issue of Upbeat, send your news and pictures to news@rcm.ac.uk by Monday 28 April.

Artistic Director Stephen Johns tells Upbeat about the RCM’s 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

Upbeat online Did you know that Upbeat is available to read online at www.rcm.ac.uk/upbeat If you’d prefer to read it in this way, do contact us at news@rcm.ac.uk and we’ll 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.

Find out about a series of innovative composition projects devised by the RCM in collaboration with partner institutions across London

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

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In the news...

Soirée d’Or 2013 The RCM’s annual fundraising gala, Soirée d’Or, has raised a record-breaking £210,000 in aid of scholarships for talented RCM students.

Held at the V&A Museum on Wednesday 4 December, the event was attended by almost 400 guests.

The evening opened in the Medieval and Renaissance Gallery with music provided by a jazz quartet and a Taittinger champagne reception. Dinner followed in the impressive Raphael Gallery interspersed with music by RCM musicians including the RCM Drumline ensemble, BBC Young Musician marimba finalist Lucy Landymore and violinist Aisha Syed. The RCM Chamber Choir brought the evening to

Hooray for Hollywood!

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.

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a close with a sublime performance of Oh Holy Night arranged by RCM Artistic Director Stephen Johns. Finally, the audience was invited to join in with a stirring selection of popular Christmas carols.

The evening included two auctions and raised a total of £98,000. Adrian Biddell of Sotheby’s presented the Live Auction, raising £14,000, which included a private performance by violinist Aisha Syed.

The Silent Auction was run through an electronic bidding system with enthusiastic guests bidding for a range of 25 items via electronic tablets. Prizes included a recording session in the RCM Studios, a walk-on part in one of the RCM International Opera School’s productions and a series of instrumental and vocal lessons by RCM professors.

In its article, the THR states that the RCM “has trained greats from inside its South Kensington walls for more than 130 years”, and includes quotes from

The RCM is very fortunate to have the support of a hard working external committee for this event. Led by Lady Carr, this group works throughout the year to secure table sales, sponsorships and donations for the event. We are very grateful to all individuals on this committee who generously give their time voluntarily. Our thanks also to Sir Roger Carr for presenting a wonderful appeal speech.

The evening was tinged with sadness as the committee paid tribute to their dear friend and committee member, Emma Rose (see page 22), who died tragically in a diving accident in November. Both Emma’s husband and her brother were in attendance together with friends she had invited.

an interview with RCM alumnus Christopher Tin, winner of two Grammys and composer of the opening note for Microsoft’s Surface tablet.

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.

Students from the RCM Junior Department have featured in a new TV documentary about the world-famous pianist Lang Lang.

back to the piano community, rather than just doing concerts for himself” and praising him for “helping young people out”.

CNBC Meets: Lang Lang included footage of Lang Lang’s piano masterclass in the RCM’s Britten Theatre in November last year, when he worked with pianists from the RCM Junior Department (RCMJD) and from Lang Lang Music World – his school for gifted pianists in Shenzhen, China.

Lang Lang also spoke to CNBC Meets about why teaching masterclasses is an important part of his life, saying that he feels all musicians with wonderful careers have a duty to give back to society.

In the film RCMJD students Anthony Tat and Domnic Doutney talked about the experience of working with Lang Lang, with Dominic commenting that “it’s great for a person like him to give

5 Stars for Pavel Kolesnikov

The documentary is available to watch on the CNBC website (with footage of the RCM from 07’16’’) at http://cnb.cx/1aRlXod. Complete footage of the masterclass itself is also available on the RCM YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/rcmlondon RCM pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has received a 5-star review from The Telegraph for his debut at London’s Wigmore Hall.

The recital, which took place on Sunday 12 January 2014, was described in the review as “one of the most memorable of such occasions London has witnessed in a while”, with reviewer John Allison praising the “spellbinding beauty” of Pavel’s playing.

The Russian pianist is no stranger to success, having won the first prize at the highly prestigious Honens International Piano Competition in 2012.

Pavel can be seen performing as the first pianist in footage of an RCM piano masterclass with András Schiff on the RCM YouTube channel.

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 practice and performance contexts alike: freedom, flexibility, a sense of being “in the moment”, and a commitment to “giving” the music to an audience.

The researchers carried out some of their fieldwork at the RCM, using a combination of questionnaires, interviews, focus-group discussions, and observations of one-to-one lessons and practice sessions. RCM horn player Pablo Urbina was one of the students selected to take part in the project, which he said was “a great way for me to understand the processes I go through to familiarise myself with a piece. I’m sure it’s helped me to communicate better when I am playing and conducting”.

Further information about the project can be found on the University of Cambridge website at bit.ly/M30Qtu

A big thank you In December the Royal College of Music participated in the 2013 Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise funds for our scholarship programme.

We’re delighted to report that thanks to the great generosity of our donors we have surpassed last year’s total, raising an impressive £140,070. Thank you to all those who contributed to the Big Give, which will go towards transforming the lives of talented young musicians.

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In the news...

The Listening Experience Database Do you have documented evidence of listening experiences that you would like to record?

include what they listened to, where and when they listened to it and the effect it had on them.

If so, you might be able to contribute to an ambitious new project being launched by The Open University and the Royal College of Music to produce the world’s first database of the impact of music on people’s lives.

Members of the public are invited to input their own evidence of musical experiences – such as diaries, memoirs and letters – into the database, as well as search it themselves to see how other people have been affected by music.

The Listening Experience Database will – for the first time – create a mass of records of people’s personal experiences of listening to music in any period or culture. This will

Salomon Prize for Catherine Arlidge

Visit the Listening Experience website at www.open.ac.uk/Arts/LED to explore the database and contribute your experiences.

RCM alumna Catherine Arlidge has been awarded the prestigious RPS/ ABO Salomon Prize for orchestral musicians.

Sub-principal of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s second violins, Catherine has become the first violinist and third-ever recipient of the prestigious award, which celebrates the ‘unsung heroes’ of orchestral life.

Queen’s Medal for Sir Thomas Allen RCM alumnus Sir Thomas Allen has been awarded The Queen’s Medal for Music 2013.

Sir Thomas began his studies at the Royal College of Music in 1964, and has since become an established star of the great opera houses of the world, singing no fewer than 50 roles at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

The baritone returned to the RCM in 2002 to make a triumphant directing debut with the RCM International Opera School’s production of Britten’s Albert Herring. It received rave reviews, with one Seen and Heard International reviewer saying she could not “think of another current performance more worthy of recommendation”. As Upbeat goes to press, we’re looking forward to 6

welcoming Sir Thomas Allen to the RCM for a masterclass on Friday 14 March with star vocal students in the Britten Theatre.

Sir Thomas Allen said: “I was surprised and thrilled to hear I would receive The Queen’s Medal for Music having had so much recognition over many years. This very special award means so much to me and I’m very proud to have been selected.”

Established in 2005, The Queen’s Medal for Music is awarded to an outstanding individual or group of musicians who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation.

Catherine has played with the CBSO for more than 20 years, and was nominated by her fellow musicians and the orchestra’s management for her creativity, energy and “great skill for motivating and inspiring colleagues and for engaging with her audience”. She has been instrumental in initiating and devising many projects and ideas to engage young people in classical music.

Named after Johann Peter Salomon, violinist and founding member of the Philharmonic Society in 1813, the annual £1,000 Salomon Prize is awarded each year to a musician who has shown commitment and dedication above and beyond the expected service asked by their orchestra. The Award was presented to Catherine on stage at a CBSO performance at Warwick Arts Centre on Friday 10 January.

New Hall of Residence

Arts Medals for RCM Philanthropists

For 20 years College Hall has been a vibrant and lively focal point for RCM students. As reported in the previous edition of Upbeat, the site of College Hall will be redeveloped during 2014/15 thanks to a £44 million partnership with Campus Living Villages (CLV).

The cost of the project is being borne

by CLV and will result in the creation of brand new state-of-the-art facilities to house students from September 2015.

For the 2014/15 year, the RCM has secured student accommodation at Nido Spitalfields. A stone’s throw away from the famous Spitalfields Market, Petticoat Lane Market and Brick Lane, the area promises the full London experience.

During this period of redevelopment, there will be limited access to the RCM Special Collections as they are moved from their current home in College Hall to Prince Consort Road.

Keep a look out for further details in future editions of Upbeat.

Call for College Hall Memories Did you live in the RCM’s College Hall on Goldhawk Road between 1994 and 2014?

If so, we would love to hear from you with any fond memories and recollections of living at the RCM’s hall of residence. Please send your stories to news@rcm.ac.uk and we will try to include as many of them as possible in the next edition of the magazine.

In December last year, HRH The Prince of Wales presented Prince of Wales Medals for Arts Philanthropy to Ian and Mercedes Stoutzker and to Philip and Christine Carne, all long-term supporters of the RCM. Alongside three other worthy recipients, they received their medals at a ceremony at St James’s Palace attended by Professor Colin Lawson (RCM Director), Samir Savant (RCM Director of Development) and many luminaries from the arts world.

Presented annually since 2008, the Prince of Wales Medals for Arts Philanthropy recognise and celebrate the huge impact that private givers can have.

Through the Richard Carne Scholarships and Junior Fellowship, Philip and Christine Carne’s support of RCM students has been transformative. As Patrons, and funding four scholars each year as well as a chamber music ensemble, their generosity makes a tangible difference to the success of a great many

The Modern Germans in Georgian England During the 18th century, London became one of Europe’s leading musical centres with a flourishing concert scene. Handel, J C Bach and Haydn all enjoyed success here but music by English composers was notably absent.

Find out how and why this would change in the 1820s and 1830s at a new exhibition housed in the RCM Museum of Music.

students. For nine years Philip and Christine have been attending performances and following the progress of the musicians they support, and have forged strong links along the way. Their encouragement and belief in our students is appreciated by all those who have benefited and by those who witness the lasting friendships that have been made.

Longstanding and generous supporters, Ian and Mercedes Stoutzker have played a leading role in philanthropy at the RCM. The Ian Stoutzker Prize for violinists has created a roll call of gifted RCM students, and Mr Stoutzker’s informed interest in the musicians and their instruments continues to be invaluable. Alongside his support of students, Ian has played a key role as advocate and advisor through his time served on the RCM Council and now as a Vice-President.

On behalf of the many RCM students they have supported, we offer our congratulations and thanks to them all.

Using contemporary manuscripts, scores, programmes, portraits and diaries ‘The Modern Germans in Georgian England’ examines the rapturous reception German-speaking musicians received in London and how they influenced a generation of young English composers including John Barnett, William Sterndale Bennett and S S Wesley.

The RCM Museum of Music is open Tuesday to Friday (11.30am – 4.30pm) and is free to visit. The exhibition runs until Friday 5 September. Visit www.rcm. ac.uk/museum for further details.

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In the news...

Alumni Reunion 2014 – Save the date!

The RCM is delighted to announce it will be holding an Alumni Reunion on Sunday 14 September. Following on from last year’s hugely successful event, the 2014 reunion will be an opportunity for graduates from 1975–1985 to reconnect at the RCM. The afternoon event will include a drinks reception and an opportunity to re-visit favourite ‘haunts’ in the RCM, with plenty of time to meet old

Rag Week The RCM Students’ Association raised £5,665.26 through a week of events in February in aid of this year’s charity Great Ormond Street Hospital, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals.

Events during the week included a Charity Auction, a Fair Trade Afternoon Tea and a concert from the RCM Students’ Association RAG Orchestra.

RCM staff members participate in the Grade 1 Challenge

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friends. Although the focus will be on the 1975–1985 cohort, alumni of any ‘vintage’ are very welcome to attend.

A History of Giving

If you wish to receive further information about this event, please get in touch with Elspeth Coates on 020 7591 4331 or alumni@rcm.ac.uk.

If you are in contact with alumni who may have lost touch with the RCM, then please pass on their details or ask them to contact us.

A special event for those who have pledged a gift to the RCM in their will was held on Friday 22 November. The event explored the lasting impact of some of the RCM’s most celebrated alumni and benefactors.

A highlight from the week was the RCM Staff Grade 1 Challenge. For this event, RCM staff members who had been taught a new instrument by students and colleagues since the autumn term took their Grade 1 exam in front of an audience in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall.

Money raised for the GOSH Charity helps the hospital save more lives, develop new treatments, build state of the art facilities, and support patients and their families.

Guests were treated to an absorbing talk

by Head of Special Collections Professor Paul Banks on the impact of the RCM’s Founding Benefactors. These included Samson Fox, who funded the building of the RCM, and Sir George Donaldson, whose collection forms the nucleus of the treasures in the RCM Museum of Music.

Over lunch, guests had the opportunity to meet some of the current RCM students benefitting from scholarships set up by generous individuals in their wills. The supporters were also treated to a concert of songs by Benjamin Britten, whose birthday coincided with the event and marked the end of a year of celebrations marking his centenary.

As a charity, leaving a gift in your will is one of the most important and enduring ways in which you can support the RCM. Whatever the size of a gift, a bequest will have a real impact in enabling the RCM to continue its important work and is a wonderful way to be remembered. Please contact Development Officer Isabelle Tawil on 020 7591 4336 for further details.

unique research environment. The six RCM speakers and their subjects were: Bruno Bower: Grieg, Schubert, Beethoven: Varieties of National Identity in the Programme Notes of the Crystal Palace Concerts, 1865-1879 Erin McHugh: Das wahre Tier: Lulu’s vocal music as commentary on her otherness and autonomy

RCM Research makes an impact

Steven Daverson: A Humanising Strategy in Complex Music Balder Gerhardt Neergaard: Schumann as Piano Student

RCM students made a great impact at the Royal Music Association’s (RMA) 2014 Research Students’ Conference.

Maria Razumovskaya: Climbing Towards the Summit of Knowledge: Heinrich Neuhaus’s Interpretation of Beethoven

The conference took place from 6 to 8 January 2014 at the University of Birmingham. Of the 104 speakers, no fewer than six were from the RCM, all reflecting different aspects of the RCM’s

Fiona Gibbs: Innovation through vision?

Prince Albert and the Royal Albert Hall Founded in 1874, the RMA is dedicated to the study of music. Its Research

Students’ Conference is open to postgraduates studying in the UK or abroad, and offers the opportunity for students to present research in music, musicology and related areas in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, while gaining valuable skills and networking opportunities.

In his report on the conference, the RMA’s student blogger Alexi Vellianitis wrote “it was heartening to note the very high number of speakers undertaking doctoral research at conservatoires, many of whom presented the freshest and most impressive papers: pianist Maria Razumovskaya provided a sensitive and nuanced reading of Heinrich Neuhaus’s interpretation of Beethoven’s piano music, and Erin McHugh drew upon her own singing experience to provide an impassioned discussion of the gendering of vocal registers in Berg’s Lulu and Strauss’s Salome.”

RCM at the Royal Festival Hall 7.30pm | Thursday 26 February 2015

Tickets: £5, £10, £15, £20, £25 Available from the RCM Box Office on 020 7591 4314 www.rcm.ac.uk/cityoflight 9

Performance Platforms of the audience members were very elderly and I wasn’t sure how to engage with them. But I soon found that they were very receptive and that I could try out some really diverse programmes with them, even some really wacky pieces!

Performing at a place such as St Wilfred’s really helps to put everything in perspective. It teaches you that while you’re doing all this hard work, practising four or five hours a day, what really counts is how you communicate and engage with people.

So often you go to a concert and there is no interaction between the stage and seats, it’s made me realise how important that connection is.

During her six years studying at the RCM, Korean-born British violinist Joo Yeon Sir has taken every opportunity to perform in venues in and around London.

From community centres to Wigmore Hall, she tells Upbeat how the RCM’s partnerships with these institutions have benefited her as a musician.

What was the first performance opportunity you received through the RCM? One of my first ‘gigs’ was at the Claremont Community Centre in Islington. This was a completely different experience to performing in concert halls and initially I felt quite nervous. I hadn’t had any experience of talking in front of an audience and if I’m honest I still find it quite difficult, but I’ve learnt so much from doing it. I went back to the community centre about six months ago and to perform there again was fantastic.

It made me realise how far I’ve come.

I’ve also given several performances at St Wilfred’s Centre in Chelsea. It’s a care home for the elderly, and it’s become one of my favourite places. The first time I played there it was quite scary as many 10

How did you go about finding these performance opportunities?

In the first term of my first year I visited the Woodhouse Professional Development Centre, and they have been a really important part of my life here at the RCM ever since. They have arranged many performance opportunities and provided that extra support I needed to prepare and present myself professionally.

How have these experiences helped you perform in more traditional concert settings?

I recently performed at Wigmore Hall as part of the Tillett Trust Young Concert Artists Platform Scheme. Having previously performed there six years before at the end of my time at the Purcell School, it was a great moment to be able to look back on my life and reflect on what’s happened. It made me realise that I started at the RCM a violinist, but now I’m a musician.

All the concert opportunities I’ve had – be they in community centres, small churches or big halls like the Wigmore – have been invaluable learning experiences. They’ve all influenced the way I perform today. I think I’m more forgiving and accepting of myself as performer now. I’ve also met some wonderful musicians whom I often collaborate with, and a few concert organisers who have gone on to recommend me for other concert opportunities.

Do you have a favourite performance venue in London?

I’ve always loved art and find it very inspiring for my playing, so having the opportunity to perform at the National

Gallery as part of the Belle Shenkman series was very special to me. The idea behind the series is you’re introduced to a set of paintings in one of the Gallery’s rooms and then you devise a programme that’s connected to them in some way.

For one concert we programmed a series of pieces that evoked contrasting moods of masculinity and femininity, and we tied this to the portraits of the Virgin Mary and the Pope that were hung on the walls. It’s also important to explain your thinking behind the programme to your audience, although I think on that occasion we got a little carried away and spoke for too long!

Many of your performances are also available on YouTube, have you found that a useful promotional tool?

It was something the Woodhouse Centre really encouraged me to do. It happened slightly by chance though! I was due to perform at St James Piccadilly and a recording engineer approached me and asked if I’d like him to record the concert. So he did and I now have several up on my channel, as well as a few performances at St Martin-in-theFields. Both these churches were really important venues for me to perform at too. I see them as important milestones in my career and my teacher, Dr Felix Andrievsky, was incredibly helpful and supportive in preparing me for these concerts. He often came not only to the concerts but also to the rehearsals.

What next?

When I came to the RCM I told myself that I would try to get as many performance opportunities as possible and to prove to myself that I can make it as a concert performing artist. I feel every year I’ve been here I’ve got closer to making my dream a reality.

Watch a short video with Joo Yeon Sir as she prepares for performances at the V&A Museum and Claremont Community Centre in Islington. www.rcm.ac.uk/jooyeon

RCM musicians perform at a wide range of venues in London and beyond. Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/events for details of upcoming concerts.

Orchestral Collaborations Boulanger, the sister of the influential composer Nadia Boulanger, as well as selections from a rarely performed work by Charles Koechlin. Although he’s not very well-known, Koechlin was particularly admired by his contemporaries as an orchestrator. We’ll be performing movements from his Les Heures Persanes, which is essentially a travel log of a journey through Persia and includes some wonderful character pieces.

Opportunities to collaborate and perform with professional orchestras are invaluable experiences for RCM students.

Artistic Director Stephen Johns tells Upbeat about the latest exciting project with the Philharmonia.

The RCM’s next collaboration with the Philharmonia has just been announced.

What’s the idea behind their latest series – The City of Light?

It’s a celebration of Paris between 1900 and 1950. At that time, the ‘City of Light’ was a real melting pot for new music and artistic ideas. Leading writers, artists and dancers from around the world were drawn to Paris and collaborated with composers there to create some wonderful orchestral music.

The Philharmonia’s series runs from November this year and includes concerts, study days and talks in London and beyond. We’re very excited to be involved – there will be a series of chamber concerts at the RCM and one high-profile event at the Southbank’s Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 26 February 2015 (see page 9 for further details).

What’s on the programme for the Royal Festival Hall concert?

It’s going to be a spectacular concert.

It includes a world premiere by Lili

The other half of the programme consists of two classics – Suite no 2 of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Stravinksy’s Rite of Spring. This is such a great opportunity to show off our orchestra and chorus – it will involve more than 300 students. I’m particularly excited about hearing our orchestra and singers perform the Ravel.

Daphnis et Chloé is one of my favourite works. It’s such an overwhelmingly emotional piece of music, so beautifully orchestrated and put together, so carefully constructed.

Are there any other RCM concerts planed as part of the festival?

There will also be a series of concerts at the RCM, but I can’t tell you too much about them yet. Details will be announced later this year. But I can tell you they will feature some amazing pieces, including one work written by members of a group of French composers known as ‘Les Six’ called Les Mariés de la Tour Eiffel (The Wedding Party on the Eiffel Tower)!

How do students benefit from being part of such a high-profile festival?

These experiences are invaluable to students. Playing at the Royal Festival Hall, one of the world’s greatest stages, in a full evening concert and as part of a larger series with a professional orchestra is a huge honour. Performing to such a large public audience – you cannot do anything but be brilliant. All the training we give at the RCM is in preparation for these types of opportunities. I think the students will find it remarkable – it will stay with them throughout the rest of their career.

Which other orchestras does the RCM work with?

We’re very lucky to have such a close working relationship with the Philharmonia. The City of Light series is the fourth festival we’ve been involved in and it’s very exciting for us to be welcomed back and to plan

future projects with them. We’re also just starting to organise a side-by-side scheme for wind and brass students.

A few years ago we collaborated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their celebration of the music of Alfred Schnittke. More recently, their principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski directed the RCM Symphony Orchestra in a programme of Prokofiev rarities as part of their series: Sergei Prokofiev, Man of the People? A particularly memorable moment from that concert was his Ode to the End of the War which demanded four grand pianos and eight harps! Quite a feat, and example of the groundbreaking programming we do here.

Aside from our artistic collaborations we also work with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera and London Symphony Orchestra to offer students opportunities to play, rehearse and sometimes even perform in these professional groups. These placements are a fantastic chance for students to experience playing in a professional orchestra; it really helps them understand what’s expected of them.

It’s also a great opportunity to make contacts in the profession, get to know the players and administrative staff, and it can lead to further work in the future.

The more we can develop these relationships the better. It validates and extends everything we’re doing here at the RCM.

Recent orchestral collaborations and partnerships: Philharmonia Orchestra The City of Light: Paris 1900–1950 (2015); Woven Words: “Music begins where words end” (2013); Infernal Dance: Inside the World of Béla Bartók (2011); City of Dreams: Vienna 1900– 1935 (2009) London Philharmonic Orchestra Alfred Schnittke: Between Two Worlds (2009); Prokofiev, Man of the People?

(2012) BBC Symphony Orchestra Orchestral Pathway Scheme London Symphony Orchestra Strings Experience Scheme RCM/ENO Evolve Side by side scheme

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Photo © Royal Academy of Arts London 2014 Photography James Harris

Sensing Spaces

Sensing Spaces installation by Kengo Kuma

Can different art forms really speak meaningfully to each other? Stravinsky’s purported quote “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture” seems to say not, but his busy working life as a frequent collaborator with choreographers, visual artists, actors and writers suggests otherwise.

And in recent years, the notion of cross-arts collaboration has been enthusiastically embraced by RCM composers. In a series of innovative projects, devised by the RCM in collaboration with prestigious partner institutions across London, they have been taking inspiration from non-musical sources as diverse as photography, sculpture, painting and even perfume.

RCM Head of Composition William Mival has masterminded a number of these projects – including the RCM’s collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, now in its eighth year – and is evangelical about the benefits 12

for composers: “I particularly like composition projects that stretch the musical and conceptual imagination of a composer. In a very obvious way music and painting or photography – or still image – are about as far away from each other as it is possible to get. One exists purely in space as a non-moving, non-changing object that one can regard at leisure, the other exists purely in time and is fleeting and momentary – it disappears as soon as the music stops.

But it’s that wonderful tension between the static image and moving sound that can ‘charge’ the creative imagination and perhaps lead composers in all sorts of directions that might otherwise never have occurred to them. The positive communion that our composers can find between sound and image is always provocative and sometimes overwhelming.”

Diana Roberts and her team in the Woodhouse Professional Development Centre have also launched a new series of collaborations, and Diana sees an additional benefit for the composers: “The composers get to work with another art form, go on a real creative journey and hear their works performed to a very high standard at a prestigious venue. Beyond all of that, their works are appreciated by new and cultured audiences. In fact, what I’ve observed over the years is that audiences are

far more open to new music when it’s framed in this collaborative way.” Bill agrees that projects like this “…give an audience something to grasp: a means to access the composers’ imagination – to see where it comes from – and perhaps to find a way into the far more abstract world of pure music. Of course not everything works, but when it does the impact can be electric!”

Bill and Diana are working closely together on their latest flagship project: a collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts, connected to their “Sensing Spaces” exhibition, which has seen architects fill the RAA’s galleries with extraordinary architectural installations.

Six RCM composers were given a guided tour of the exhibition, and then went away to create new compositions to be performed within the installations themselves. As Upbeat goes to press, we’re eagerly anticipating the world premiere performance of all six works on 10 March. Bill comments that “Architecture, thanks to the way we experience it, is in many ways closer to music than you might think; after all, we move through an architectural space in time. We’ve never done this before and I’m hugely looking forward to hearing our composers sound those amazing spaces at the RA!”

Fellow composer Cameron Graham is similarly intrigued: “Sensing Spaces is a monstrous and incredibly immersive exhibition, quite unlike anything I’ve seen in a traditional gallery setting. It has been a challenge to create music that enriches the impression of my chosen installation (Li Xiaodong’s labyrinth). The performers have no visual contact with each other throughout the piece, as they will all be in different areas of the labyrinth ‘calling out’ to each other. This has forced me to consider a different way of structuring the music so that it can move in a number of directions, not unlike the passage through a maze or labyrinth.”

Blue Pavilion (Royal Academy of Arts)

Some recent RCM collaborative projects: The Sound of Perfume (Clive Christian Perfumes)

Having had this new experience, what do the RCM composers think about the wider issue of collaboration between art forms?

Cameron told Upbeat: “I’m passionate about the relationship between the visual arts and music, and find paintings, sculpture and film wonderful sources of inspiration. However I don’t think there is a way of literally representing a visual artistic medium in music. History has produced a number of works inspired by images, but can the music suggest an image without the two having to be presented simultaneously? I love music for this reason; it is such an abstract form of expression that is in itself just as physical as it is sonic.”

Dani has a slightly different take on the subject: “I absolutely feel that music can represent the visual arts - in every way! Cross-arts collaborative projects are increasingly common, and they will always create a unique experience for all of our senses - as each art form can only enhance the other.”

Photo © Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2014. Photography James Harris

Danielle Howard, one of the six selected RCM composers, is enthusiastic about her participation in the project: “It has been hugely inspiring to me as a composer to be given the challenge of writing a piece based on the architectural designs. My chosen installation (Pezo Von Ellrichshausen’s Blue Pavilion) allows the visitor to experience the gallery from a new perspective, and to appreciate particular details in the gallery itself (for example, the detail in the ceiling). I was inspired not only by the installation itself but also by quotes from the architects, and one quote in particular – ‘simple things, but which taken together suggest something more complex’ – has formed the basis of my composition.”

In Visible (Royal British Society of Sculptors)

Sensing Spaces/Royal Academy of Arts Composing about architecture Exhibition runs until 6 April 2014 Find out more at: www.royalacademy. org.uk/exhibitions/sensingspaces The Sound of Perfume/Clive Christian Perfumes Piano pieces inspired by the scent of luxury perfumes. Watch a short video about the project on youtube: bit.ly/1e92RtE In Visible/Royal British Society of Sculptors Installations to accompany contemporary sculpture. Watch a short video about the project on the RCM website: www.rcm.ac.uk/ryan Rhapsody/Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Recordings encouraging patients to explore in-house artworks as part of their recuperation Belle Shenkman Music Programme/ National Gallery New compositions performed in front of the paintings that inspired them. Photos of previous concerts are available on our Flickr page: bit.ly/1eEtA6c Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize / National Portrait Gallery Pieces inspired by prize-winning photography Glissando/Salisbury Arts Centre An interactive theatrical performance with Music off Canvas

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Meeting the supporters...

When did you first become involved with the RCM? It was long time ago. At that time I was working for British Airways and I used to fly into Heathrow and come straight up to the RCM to hear a concert. After a while I thought it would be a good idea to join the RCM Friends scheme. After a few years, I moved up to Best Friend, then Benefactor and now I’m a member of the Patrons’ Circle. I just find it such a lovely place. Everyone who works here is so friendly and warm, and is always pleased to see you.

Who first introduced you to classical music?

My love of classical music was inspired by a group of Salesian priests in Blaisdon in Gloucestershire. One priest in particular encouraged me to take up the euphonium – he was a very wonderful, retiring man.

John Ward Long standing supporter and RCM Patrons’ Circle member John Ward has been attending concerts and supporting students at the RCM for more than 20 years. His keen interest and passion for the piano has led to him supporting our annual keyboard festival and contributing towards the purchase of new pianos at the RCM. Upbeat caught up with him ahead of the annual Friends Christmas Drinks party.

Have you always enjoyed music?

At boarding school I used to play the euphonium in the band, but I couldn’t play it now! When I left school I played in the Hillingdon and Uxbridge town band and the Watford Silver Prize and British Legion Band, but then I was called up for National Service and that was the end of my playing career.

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In fact, I could have become a musician; I once played Eine kleine Nachtmusik on the euphonium for one of our concerts with a priest accompanying me. The next morning I got a call from the Rector’s Office, who said that the Commandant of the Gloucestershire Regiment had been at the concert the previous night and was offering to take me into the Regiment as a Band Boy and send me to Kneller Hall. I quickly said I didn’t want to earn a living playing music; I just wanted to enjoy it. I also didn’t want to join the army until I had to.

When did your interest in piano music begin?

I became very passionate for the piano about 20 years ago when I met a remarkable young pianist called Juliet Allen. I always say I’m her oldest ‘groupie’ and still enjoy her performances today.

From then on I became a keen listener to piano music. I would have liked to learn the piano as it’s something you can do on your own, unlike the euphonium where you really need a band!

I’ve recently decided to make a gift in my will to the RCM and last year I decided to give some of that gift early towards new pianos because of my love of the instrument, and they’re now sitting in the Parry Rooms up at the top of the Blomfield Building. Leaving a gift in your will makes sense from a taxation point of view.

What draws you back to the RCM? It’s the place, the whole ambience here is so friendly. I like to bring others with me too, including my granddaughter. I’m really pleased my son is now also an RCM Friend.

I used to only enjoy coming to the big orchestral concerts, but recently I’ve found a new interest in baroque music. I also came to a particularly stunning vocal concert last year; it was the RCM Chamber Choir singing Finish and Estonian music. I thought it was incredible, it must have been so complicated to learn.

I enjoy coming to all the RCM Friends events, it’s particularly nice when there’s a drink or supper event along with a concert and it’s a real pleasure to meet and talk to the students themselves.

The RCM Friends is also a wonderful network. There are so many interesting people to talk to, some are experts but others are just music lovers like me.

Welcome to new Friends and Supporters We are delighted to welcome the following people who have recently made their first donation to the RCM Dame Helen Alexander CBE Mervyn and Helen Bradlow Mr David Crouch Dr Barbara Domayne-Hayman Dr Angela Escott HonRCM Mr William Howard Mr Philippos Kassimatis Mr Christopher Levy Mr Timothy Maxwell Mrs Xenia Norman Mr Gerald O’Donoghue Mrs Sue Oliver Ms Camilla Shaugnessy Mrs Elza Shayakhmetova Ms Anna Stephens Mrs Paola Toker Mr and Mrs Sencar Toker Mr Olgierd Warszewski

Supporting the future of music...

Music has the power to transform lives.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, generations of gifted students from around the world have been guided and inspired at the RCM. We would like to thank in particular those who have made donations of £1,000 or more in the last 12 months. Gifts are listed in descending order.

Supporters of named scholarships, bursaries and Junior Fellowships Estate of Dr Neville Wathen Estate of Fiona Searle ABRSM Leverhulme Trust Soirée d’Or Scholarships The John and Marjorie Coultate Scholarship Estate of Roselyn Ann Clifton Parker The Richard Carne Charitable Trust Laurie Barry and the John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition Estate of Dr John Birch FRCM The Wolfson Foundation H R Taylor Trust H F Awards Andrew and Karen Sunnucks John Lewis Partnership Scholarships The Tsukanov Family Foundation Richard and Rosemary Millar The Worshipful Company of Musicians Hester Laverne Award Charles Napper Award Lydia Napper Award The Michael Bishop Foundation The Big Give Trust The Reed Foundation Croucher Hong Kong Charitable Trust The Hon Ros Kelly Opperby Stokowski Collection Trust The Lee Abbey Award Stephen Catto Memorial Scholarship The Worshipful Company of Drapers The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers The Estate of Mr Charles Knoll Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Ian Stoutzker CBE FRCM Ian and Meriel Tegner The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation UK Gilbert and Eileen Edgar Junior Fellowship Phoebe Benham Junior Fellowship The Mills Williams Foundation The Dasha Shenkman Scholarship The Derek Butler Trust Monica and Guy Black Scholarship The Boltini Trust Scholarship The Charles Peel Charitable Trust The Ackroyd Trust The Richard Toeman/Weinberger Opera Scholarship The Wyseliot Charitable Trust The Wall Trust The Stanley Picker Scholarship Professor Lord Winston Lark Insurance Scholarship Steinway & Sons The Gary & Eleanor Brass Scholarship The Estate of Betty Brenner The Robin Ritzema Scholarship (Lady Harrison) Richard and Debbie Ward David Laing Foundation Scholarship The Greenbank Scholarship Independent Opera Artist Scholarship South Square Trust The Tait Trust Scholarship The Radcliffe Trust

Sir Peter and Lady Walters Edward Brooks FRCM Sir Gordon Palmer Scholarship Douglas and Kyra Downie Mark Loveday Scholarship Knights of the Round Table Arthur Wilson Trombone Award Else and Leonard Cross Charitable Trust Yehudi Menuhin Award Midori Nishiura Bell Percussion Kirby Laing Foundation Peter Granger Paul Booth The Donald Paterson Award The Nicholas Hunka Fund The Bliss Trust Norman Reintamm Supporters of RCM Sparks J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust John Lyon’s Charity Universal Music The Hedley Foundation John Lewis Partnership The Stanley Foundation Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians Anonymous The Oldhurst Trust Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation Members of the RCM Chairman’s Circle Philip Carne HonRCM and Christine Carne* Michael and Ruth West* Linda and Tony Hill John and Catherine Armitage* Dr Leonard Polonsky and Dr Georgette Bennett* Jane Barker* Sir Roger and Lady Carr HonRCM* Karina Choudhrie+ Guy Dawson and Sam Horscroft+ Gisela Gledhill* James and Clare Kirkman* Dr Mark Levesley and Christina Hoseason* John Nickson and Simon Rew* Emma Rose (deceased 12 November 2013) and Quentin Williams* Victoria Sharp* Alethea Siow and Jeremy Furniss* Members of the RCM Director’s Circle Sir Peter and Lady Middleton FRCM Judy and Terence Mowschenson Vivien McLean Charles and Kaaren Hale The Vernon Ellis Foundation Terry Hitchcock Metherell Family Richard and Sue Price Peter and Dimity Spiller Louisa Treger Sir Sydney and Lady Lipworth Members of the RCM Patrons’ Circle John Ward Russell Race * Jane Wilson Mrs Piffa Schroder Ellen Moloney Rhoddy Voremberg Dimity and Kerry Rubie Mr and Mrs Charles Robinson Mrs Victoria Moore-Gillon David and Sue Lewis Halina and John Bennett John Cheng

Tania Chislett Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM and Lady Cleaver Anonymous Mary Godwin Mrs Carol J. Hagh Ms Greta Hemus Mr and Mrs John Heywood Monica Moezinia Mrs R Rothbarth Barbara Simmonds Betty Sutherland Sir Robert and Lady Wilson Dr Yvonne Winkler Sir Peter and Lady Gershon Sir David Lees Costas Kaplanis Corporate Partners Royal Garden Hotel Hatch Mansfield Other generous donors Georg and Emily von Opel Foundation+ Bob and Sarah Wigley The Henry Wood Trust The Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity The Amaryllis Fleming Foundation Karen Cook The Hon Richard Lyttelton The Seary Charitable Trust St Marylebone Educational Foundation John Hosier Music Trust Roland Rudd The Sharp Foundation Centrica plc Daniel Chapchal The Rothermere Foundation Geoffrey Richards HonRCM Dasha Shenkman HonRCM The Leche Trust Mark Messenger FRCM Ann Driver Trust Fidelio Trust Serena Fenwick Anonymous Dr Franz Humer Mark Wood Paul Wayne Gregory Webster and Davidson Mortification for the Blind Sir David Cooksey The Derek Hill Foundation Professor Colin Lawson FRCM Janis Susskind HonRCM Blair Wilson Award Moira D Witty David D Sieff Irisa Frankle Edward Mandel/Jacques Samuel Pianos Bursary Michael Steen OBE HonRCM The Nicholas Branston Foundation Mrs Terry Collins-Tveter Helena Morrissey Nicola Jones Richard Davey Friends of the National Libraries Brian and Hana Smouha * also support a named award + also support RCM Sparks For more information about supporting the RCM, visit www.rcm.ac.uk/supportus Alternatively, contact Imogen Fullbrook on 020 7591 4862 or imogen.fullbrook@rcm.ac.uk

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Student notes

Student notes

String successes Guitarist Jonatan Bougt has won First Prize at the Uppsala International Guitar Festival in Sweden. His prize included a premium Ibanez electric guitar and an Ibanez Jemini distortion pedal…

Guitarist Laura Snowden has won Third Prize at the second London International Guitar Competition… The Vasara Quartet, featuring Emma Oldfield, Jessica Coleman, Emma Purslow and Kristiana Ignatjeva, has performed at the Royal Variety Show’s After Party.

The Vasara Quartet

Vocal achievements

Jonatan Bougt

Violinist Marie Schreer has formed ‘Mainly Two’ with alumnus John Garner with a view to expanding the repertoire for two violins… The Fontanelli Quartet, featuring students Jian Ren and Nina Poskin, alumna Colette Overdijk and cellist Kirsten Jenson, has performed at the Purcell Room as part of the Park Lane Group Young Artists New Year Series.

Tenor Nick Pritchard has won First Prize in the fourth London Bach Society Bach Singers Prize. He performed Bach arias and recitatives from the St Matthew Passion and Easter Oratorio, accompanied by early music group the Steinitz Bach Players… RCM singers Filipa van Eck, Natasha Day, Tai Oney, Nick Pritchard, Peter Kirk and Caitlin Frizzell have covered and performed key roles in English Touring Opera’s autumn 2013 series Baroque Opera in Venice… Baritones James Wafer and Huw Montague Rendall have won First and Third Prizes respectively in the 2013 Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary for Young Singers… Soprano Soraya Mafi has won Third Prize in the Maureen Leharne Singing Competition at the Wigmore Hall.

Keyboard accomplishments Kausikan Rajeshkumar has won Second Prize at the 10th Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition 2013...

Dinara Klinton has won Second Prize in the 2013 International Paderewski Piano Competition.

Dinara Klinton

Nick Pritchard

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Soraya Mafi

Georgina Sutton has performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto no 2 in F minor with the Jersey Symphony Orchestra at Gloucester Hall, Fort Regent. She also performed a special recital at the Chateau Vermont in aid of Macmillan Cancer… Maksim Štšura has won First Prize and the ‘Beethoven Medal’ of the Worshipful Company of Musicians at the Intercollegiate Beethoven Competition organised by the Beethoven Society UK and held at the Austrian Cultural Forum. Maksim was also awarded a cash prize and concert opportunities in the UK… Samson Tsoy has won a prestigious scholarship from the XXIII Concorso di esecuzione musicale –

Terza Edizione Internazionale 2013 of the Societa Umanitaria International Competition in Milan… Lara Melda has performed Britten’s Young Apollo with Paul Daniel and the Britten Sinfonia at the Barbican as part of the composer’s centenary celebrations… Kiana Shafiei has co-founded the ‘Iranian Music Heritage Movement’, an association of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting awareness of Iranian music…

Riyad Nicolas has won First Prize in the Norah Sande Award 2013 for young pianists at the Eastbourne Festival.

Lara Melda

Composition congratulations Edwin Hillier has been selected for the Sound and Music / NMC Higher Education Programme. His new work for mezzo-soprano Lore Lixenberg, the London Sinfonietta and Sound Intermedia will be premiered at the Huddersfield Festival of Contemporary Music in November 2015 and streamed on the NMC Recordings website…

Steven Daverson has composed a work for the eight players of Freiburg-based Ensemble Recherche entitled Filonov’s Microscope, which will be performed in May at the Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik in Germany and broadcast on West Deutsche Rundfunk…

Shiva Feshareki has received a large scale commission from the London Sinfonietta for a piece for nine turntables and mixed ensemble. For this, she is collaborating with the sound and installation artist Haroon Mirza who is creating the space for the piece… Andrew Crossley has been selected to write a piece for and attend the Orkest de Ereprijs’s Young Composers Meeting, chaired by Louis Andriessen.

Spotlight on…

Dani Howard has written Mind Games, a piece specially commissioned for 2014 BBC Young Musician percussion finalist Tim Highnam… Composer Karl Fiorini’s two violin concertos have been recorded by Emanuel Salvador and Marta Magdalena with the Sudecka Philharmonic Orchestra… Peter Longworth has been commissioned by the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland to compose an orchestral piece celebrating Glasgow’s hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. His new work Ludi - Partita for Orchestra receives its premiere performances in Scotland later this year… Jan Gorjanc’s short opera Apaxhn will be premiered by RCM musicians at Cadogan Hall in April…

Adam Kornas’ ballet score ‘The King and Mrs Simpson’ will be performed in April at the Brindley Theatre in Cheshire.

RCM composer Arne Gieshoff has been appointed Composer in Residence with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG).

The BCMG/SAM Apprentice Composer in Residence role is part of Sound and Music’s Embedded programme, aimed at talented composers and creative artists at an early stage in their careers. The residency with BCMG provides the selected composer with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the ensemble’s activities, gaining an insight into a broad range of their work and the opportunity to write new works for them.

Arne has said of his appointment that “the prospect of working closely over time with an ensemble of the highest calibre fills me with great excitement”. His first commission of the residency was premiered in January as part of a BCMG Family Concert alongside works by Thomas Adès and Colin Matthews.

Peter Longworth

Other news Flautist Camilla Marchant has contributed to the development of a new orchestral education website. Principal Chairs provides free sheet music and orchestral audio recordings, as well as pre-recorded lessons from internationally renowned orchestral artists. The website currently focuses on flute playing but is widening its reach to other orchestral instruments. www.principalchairs.com

Arne is currently completing a Master’s degree in Composition at the RCM, studying with Jonathan Cole, Simon Holt and Dai Fujikura and is supported by an ABRSM Scholarship and an RVW Trust Award. He is the recipient of many RCM prizes including the Elgar Memorial Prize and the Adrian Cruft Prize, was awarded the 2012 Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize, and has recently received a fellowship for the 2014 session of the Tanglewood Music Centre.

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Staff notes RCM Research Fellow in Performance Science Dr Tania Lisboa has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Frontiers programme.

In the episode entitled The Power of the Unconscious, Tania discussed her main subject of research at the RCM: the relationship between the conscious and unconscious in both learning to play an instrument and also on preparing for memorised performances. She illustrated some of her findings on the cello herself, and with a performance by RCM pianist Hao Chen.

Head of Historical Performance Ashley Solomon and harpsichord professor Terence Charlston have performed the complete J S Bach Flute Sonatas as part of Kings Place’s Bach Unwrapped season.

Florilegium, the RCM’s Ensemble in Association and directed by Ashley, has also recorded J S Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos for Channel Classics. The recording features many RCM alumni and one current student and will be released in late Spring 2014.

Clara Rodriguez

Junior Department piano teacher Clara Rodriguez has played at the opening concert of the 39th anniversary of the creation of the Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela. The programme featured works by Venezuelan composer Federico Ruiz, including his Second Piano Concerto which is dedicated to Clara.

Composition and Academic Studies teacher Tim Watts has been selected as joint winner of the Horniman Museum Composition Competition.

His winning piece, Vine, was premiered by harpsichordist Jane Chapman at the museum. Tim’s new score for clarinet quintet, War Game, also received its premiere at Wigmore Hall in January as part of the Britten Sinfonia’s Songs of No-Man’s Land, a concert for children commemorating the start of World War One.

Florilegium

Area Leader in Composition for Screen Vasco Hexel has given seven lectures at Beijing Normal University to members of the recently established China Film and Television Music Research Centre. He has also led a keynote interview with Academy Award winner Rachel Portman at the Amélie Thyssen Auditorium in Germany as part of the 10th annual SoundTrack_Cologne conference.

Junior Department Piano and Chamber Music teacher Daniel Hill has performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto in B flat minor with the Kingston Philharmonia under the baton of Matthew Willis at St Andrew’s Church in Surbiton. He has also been appointed Organist and Director of Music of St Michael’s Parish Church in Camberley.

Guitar professor Carlos Bonell, along with special guest Brad Richter, visited the USA to perform at a number of venues in Arizona. Works specially composed and arranged for the tour included Brad’s 3 Duos and Carlos’s arrangement of Michael Nyman’s The Piano. The show also included solos from Carlos’s no 1 album of music by The Beatles as well as works by baroque and Spanish composers.

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Performance & Programming Concert Assistant James Greveson Hickie is running the Brighton Marathon and several other long distances this year.

Having completed the race twice before, he is running to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his uncle, who passed away in 2013. You can find more information at www.virginmoneygiving.com/ jamesghmarathon

Daniel Hill

Deputy Librarian Peter Horton has written an article about his 2012 exchange visit to the Sächsische Landesbibliothek for BIS, Der Magazin der Bibliotheken in Sachsen. He also marked the bicentenary of the composer and organist Henry Smart with a paper at the 2013 Conference on Music in 19thcentury Britain at the University of Cardiff.

Head of Strings Mark Messenger has travelled to the Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou with RCM students Jian Ren, Jessica Tickle and Jane Lindsay. The week-long residency included classes, teaching and rehearsals, culminating in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade.

Mark has also performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Jonathan Barritt and the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra at the Sultan of Oman’s private New Year’s Eve concert.

Violin professor Madeleine Mitchell has performed at the Canberra International Music Festival as Artist-in-Residence with concerts attended by Her Excellency The Governor General of Australia. She has also given recitals in St Petersburg, Paris, Rome and Kensington & Chelsea Music Society, and masterclasses at the Hong Kong Performing Arts Academy and Sydney Conservatorium.

Mark Messenger at the Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou, China

“The most remarkable results, such as freedom of expression through freedom of movement, or learning to breathe freely despite nerves, or being able to let go and enjoy playing are possible through the Alexander Technique.”

ALEXANDER BAILLIE, International solo cellist

“The authors present a thorough and practical discussion of the Alexander Technique as it applies to musicians. In addition to this book being a welcome reference for musicians, the community of Alexander Technique teachers worldwide will appreciate the clarity, depth and approach to the work.”

Head of ICT Mark Soole and HR Advisors Tim Rounding and Vicki Brock have sung in the TV Times ‘Christmas with the Stars’ concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Broadcast on BBC Radio 2, the evening featured performances from stars of some of TV’s most popular shows including Downton Abbey and Coronation Street.

LoRI SchIff, M.AmSAT, Teacher of the Alexander Technique, Juilliard School and Aspen Music Festival and School

“Without strategies to deal with the physical and mental impact of performance, even the best-prepared musicians can under-perform.

In this book, you will find all you need to achieve your performance potential.

It’s a gateway to confidence, personal presence – even charisma.”

JohN hARLE, Saxophonist and composer

Perfect as an introduction to the Alexander Technique, or to supplement the reader’s lessons, The Alexander Technique for Musicians looks at daily and last-minute practice, breathing, performance and performance anxiety, teacher–pupil relationships, ensemble skills, and the application of the Alexander Technique to instrumental and vocal work.

Complete with diagrams and photographs to aid the learning process, as well as stepby-step procedures and diary entries written by participating students, The Alexander Technique for Musicians gives tried-and-tested advice, drawn from the authors’ twenty-plus years of experience working with musicians, providing an essential handbook for musicians seeking the most from themselves and their art.

DRAMA

www.bloomsbury.com

Cover image © Tony Price

Madeleine Mitchell and The Governor General of Australia

Junior Department piano teacher Nataša Lipovšek has announced a week of masterclasses in Wimbledon in August, culminating with a public concert at St Mark’s Church. For further details visit www.natasalipovsek.com Junior Department organ teacher Daniel Moult has edited two publications for Barenreiter: the Easy Bach Organ Album (published 2013) and An Easy Handel Organ Album (due to be published in autumn 2014). He also looks forward to the release of a solo recital recording on the organ of Arundel Cathedral with Regents Records, the first commercial recording of this Victorian instrument since its restoration in 2006.

ISBN 978-1-4081-7458-6

9 781408 174586

the

alexander technique for musicians

Judith Kleinman and Peter Buckoke

Judith Kl ei nm an

PEtER BucKoKE runs the Alexander Technique department at the Royal College of Music where he has been Professor of Double Bass and Alexander Technique since 1989.

and Peter B uck ok e

JuDIth KLEINmAN has taught the Alexander Technique at the Royal College of Music for twenty years and at the Junior Royal Academy of Music. She is the Assistant Head of Training at the London Centre for Alexander Technique and Training.

Piano professor Ashley Wass has released his latest album Bach to the Future on Orchid Classics. The CD features works by J S Bach as well as pieces inspired by the baroque composer including Beethoven’s Six Bagatelles and Busoni’s Fantasia nach J S Bach.

Spotlight on… the alexander technique for musicians

Piano professor Leon McCawley, clarinet professor Michael Collins and London Winds have performed Mozart’s Quintet in E flat major at LSO St Lukes. The concert marked the first of eight concerts featuring chamber music by Mozart and was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

90100

Also available from Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury has published The Alexander Technique for Musicians by teachers Judith Kleinman and Peter Buckoke.

The book features diagrams and photographs to aid the learning process as well as step-by-step procedures and diary entries written by participating students. Drawn from the authors’ 20-plus years of experience working with musicians, the book gives tried-and-tested advice for musicians seeking the most from themselves and their art.

The book is available to purchase for £19.99 from the RCM Box Office.

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Alumni notes Pianist Kumi Matsuo has won First Prize at the Louisiana International Piano Competition. Her performance of Scarlatti, Ravel and Franck in the semi-finals took her through to the competition final in which she played Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to her $6,000 prize, she has been awarded a recital at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Shiry Rashkovsky has been appointed to the string faculty at Royal Holloway, University of London as principal viola teacher on the BMus course. She will also be joining the international faculty of the Le Altre Note Festival in Italy’s Valtellina this summer.

Pianist Emmanuel Despax has released his debut concert album with Signum Classics. The disc features Franck’s Variations Symphoniques, Stephen Goss’ Piano Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto in G minor.

Pianist Alan Chu has performed the piano duet version of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, marking the work’s centenary. A recording of his performance also featured in a film by celebrated Hong Kong director Maurice Lai. Rite of City explores the problems faced in Taiwan in the wake of rapid urbanisation and was selected for inclusion in the 66th Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner.

Florian Uhlig has been appointed Professor of Piano at the Musikhochschule in Dresden, Germany. He has also released a number of CDs on the Hänssler Classic label including volumes 5 and 6 of his complete Schumann solo recording project, Penderecki’s Piano Concerto ‘Resurrection’ and a disc of piano concertos by Debussy, Françaix, Poulenc and Ravel.

Shiry Rashkovsky

Emmanuel Despax

Composer Charles Mauleverer has released Far Above a Midnight Sky, a new album of romantic classical music. The 18-track album features guitarist Craig Ogden, cellist Adrian Brendel and treble Harry Sever, accompanied by the John Wilson Orchestra. www.vistamusicale.com

Pianists Aliaksandr Muzykantau, Alexey Chernov and Sofya Gulyak have performed at the Concert Hall in Minsk, Belarus in celebration of their studies at the RCM. The performances by the three international prize winners received standing ovations from a large audience.

Thomas Blunt has made his debut at the Opéra National du Rhin conducting Rossini’s La Cenerentola. He has also returned to São Paulo to conduct Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Cor da Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo. Future plans include performances of the St Matthew Passion at the Easter St Endellion Festival and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci for Opéra de Baugé in France.

Clarence Adoo has received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Northumbria University. He has also released The Sound of Hope, a new DVD and CD featuring collaborations with well-known artists including Sting, Cliff Richard, Jools Holland, Evelyn Glennie and John Rutter.

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Florian Uhlig

Organist Steven Sivyer has released Built to InSpire with Regent Records.

The recording features the organ at Faversham Parish Church where Steven was Director of Music for 12 years.

Soprano Ruby Hughes has featured in BBC Radio 3’s Music on The Brink series, which marked the centenary of World War One. Ruby performed songs by composers in Paris on the eve of the First World War including Debussy and Manuel de Falla.

Russell Hepplewhite’s opera for children (commissioned and performed by ETO) has been awarded the International Jury Prize for Best Production at the Armel Opera Competition in Hungary. Laika is the only British opera and the first opera for children to win the Armel Opera Competition’s prize for Best Production.

Marek Bracha has released his debut recording of solo piano works by Chopin for the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute in Poland. The album includes Chopin’s Ecossaises op 72, Polonaise in A flat major, op 53 and Mazurkas op 17 and op 68.

Russell Hepplewhite’s Laika

Clemency Burton-Hill has joined BBC Radio 3’s flagship breakfast show, sharing the morning programme with Petroc Trelawny. Previously Clemency has fronted BBC Young Musician, the BBC Proms and Radio 3’s New Generation Artists Scheme.

Baritone Gerald Finley and pianist Julius Drake have recorded Schubert’s Winterreise, one of the composer’s most celebrated song-cycles.

The album was recorded at All Saints’ Church in East Finchley and will be released on Hyperion in March.

Giles Allen has completed a six month tour of duty in Afghanistan with the British Army. Ordained as a priest in 1996, Giles is currently serving as a member of the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department.

Robert Dick has conducted Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony with the Orchestra of the Canongait at the Edinburgh Fringe. It marked the UK premiere of the 2012 version of the symphony’s final movement by Nicola Samale, Giuseppe Mazzucca, John Phillips and BenjaminGunnar Cohrs. The programme also featured Bruch’s Violin Concerto performed by professor Madeleine Mitchell.

Clemency Burton-Hill

4 Girls 4 Harps has released its second album 4 Girls 4 Harps at Christmas and completed a 14 date tour of venues in London and the south east including Temple Church, Herstmonceux Castle and Asylum Arts. Harriet Adie, Keziah Thomas, Eleanor Turner and Elizabeth Scorah also featured on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune in December performing carols from the new album.

Soprano Elizabeth Watts has sung the role of Zerlina in the Royal Opera House’s 2014 production of Don Giovanni. The new production was directed by ROH Director of Opera Kasper Holten and conducted by Nicola Luisotti.

Pianist Nicholas McCarthy has performed at the Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham. His recital included works

by Bach, Scriabin, Chopin and Gershwin.

Sarah Connolly has sung the title role of Fantasio in a performance of Jacques Offenbach’s comic opera at the Royal Festival Hall. The rarely heard masterpiece was conducted by Sir Mark Elder with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. A recording of the work was made by Opera Rara following the concert.

4 Girls 4 Harps

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Obituaries Former piano professor and one of the finest 20th-century interpreters of Beethoven Bernard Roberts has died.

Born in Manchester, Bernard won a scholarship to the RCM in 1949 and later became a piano professor for many years.

As well as his solo and recording career, he always reserved time for chamber music playing. From 1975 until 1984 he was a member of the renowned ParikianFleming-Roberts Trio. He was often heard as a chamber player with ensembles such as the Chilingirian Quartet, the Wind Soloists of the English Chamber Orchestra, and with the violinists Norbert Brainin and Nona Liddell. He was awarded the FRCM in 1981.

Barbara Boissard

Barbara Boissard, RCM alumna and former Director of the RCM Junior Department from 1975–1983, has died. Barbara entered Senior College as a scholar at the age of 16 and studied piano with Arthur Benjamin, violin and viola with Loris Blofeld and counterpoint with Herbert Howells, finally taking the graduate course under Angela Bull. She was appointed to the role of Deputy Director of the Junior Department in 1972 by Michael Gough Matthews and later became Director in 1975. Colleagues at the time spoke of her valuable feminine insight and genuine understanding of the students.

This, accompanied by her professional experience and standing, enabled the Junior Department to flourish. She was awarded the FRCM from the late Queen Mother in 1975.

Paul Collen, who worked at the RCM for more than 25 years, died in October 2013 after a short illness. He joined the RCM in 1987 as Assistant Keeper in the Department of Portraits and Performance History, and proceeded to take on a variety of roles, most recently that of Curatorial and Administrative Assistant within the RCM’s Centre for Performance History. Paul developed an unrivalled knowledge of the RCM’s extensive collection of works of art, photographs, programmes and personal archives. He was also responsible for one of the most familiar images of the Blomfield Building – as seen on one of the RCM postcards – as well as for many of the photographs of items from the RCM’s art collection.

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Former viola professor Roger Best died on 8 October 2013 aged 77 after a long illness. He taught at the RCM from the mid-seventies to the mid-nineties in addition to being principal viola in the Northern Sinfonia and a member of the Alberni Quartet. He also performed widely as a soloist, with the Northern Sinfonia commissioning two concertos for him from Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Malcolm Arnold. Over the course of his life he made numerous recordings including Britten’s Lachrymae for viola and string orchestra and Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi.

Former diplomat and RCM Council member Sir Humphrey Maud died on 10 November 2013 after suffering a major stroke. Humphrey was the son of the pianist Jean Hamilton and diplomat and former RCM Chairman Baron Redcliffe-Maud. In 1944 his parents got to know Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, and a year later the composer dedicated The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra to Humphrey and his three sisters. Humphrey entered the Foreign Service in 1959, working in Madrid, Havana and Paris. Throughout his diplomatic career, he remained an active amateur cellist, describing it as an ‘essential’ part of his life. He served on the RCM Council from 1993–2002 and was also a Trustee of the Prince Consort Foundation from 2002–2007.

In addition, he was a Director of the Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square, a Trustee of the Parkhouse Chamber Music Award, a member of the Queen’s Medal for Music and also Chairman of Trustees for Musequality. He was awarded the FRCM in 2002.

Soirée d’Or committee member, Emma Rose, died tragically in a diving accident in the Galapagos Islands on 12 November 2013. Emma was a devoted Soirée d’Or committee member who made a huge contribution towards the event’s preparations. She had been a member of the committee for seven years and had worked tirelessly and selflessly on many aspects of the event. She will be remembered especially for being the ‘inhouse sommelier’, taking responsibility for researching and sourcing the wines for the evening. Emma was passionate about supporting the students of the RCM and, in addition to her Soirée d’Or work, had funded her own scholarship since 2010 through her trust, the Wyseliot Charitable Trust. Her friends on the committee and at the RCM pay tribute to her huge contribution, her kindness and her joyous zest for life.

Former RCM IT Manager David Rajah has died. David worked at the RCM from 1999–2007 and was a well-liked member of staff, described as a ‘real gentleman’ by his former colleagues.

Former Registrar of the RCM J R Stainer has died a few weeks short of his 99th birthday. John attended the RCM during the 1930s studying organ with Henry G Ley, piano with Thomas P Fielden, viola with Ernest Tomlinson, theory with Professor C H Kitson, composition with Ralph Vaughan Williams and conducting with Guy Warrack. It was during his time at the RCM that he also met his wife, Thea. He was appointed Registrar in 1959, a post he held until his retirement in 1976. He was awarded the FRCM in 1961. He was a well-liked member of staff, described by former Director Keith Falkner as ‘a staunch friend, a fine musician and a first-class administrator’.

Former vocal professor and highly acclaimed soprano Sally Le Sage has died aged 76. Sally studied at the RCM, winning an exhibition and many prizes.

She later toured the US and Canada with the Deller Consort until 1967, after which she won second prize in the prestigious International Singing Competition in s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

Sally was well known for her recital and oratorio work, singing Mozart’s Mass in C minor in London’s Royal Festival Hall and performing in many festivals across Europe. Later in life she taught at the RCM and also at Clare College Cambridge before retiring to Malvern in the early 2000s.

Royal College of Music Prince Consort Road London SW7 2BS Tel: +44 (0)20 7591 4300 Email: info@rcm.ac.uk www.rcm.ac.uk www.facebook.com/royalcollegeofmusic www.twitter.com/rcmlatest The Royal College of Music is a registered charity. No. 309268 Box Office: 020 7591 4314 weekdays 10.00am-4.00pm Upbeat: 020 7591 4372 news@rcm.ac.uk Alumni: 020 7591 4331 alumni@rcm.ac.uk RCM Friends: 020 7591 4331 friends@rcm.ac.uk Supporting the RCM: 020 7591 4336 development@rcm.ac.uk Hiring RCM facilities: 020 7591 4764 mary.cosgrave@rcm.ac.uk Hiring RCM musicians: 020 7591 4367 diana.roberts@rcm.ac.uk Switchboard: 020 7591 4300 info@rcm.ac.uk

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