Pianist Dinara Klinton has been awarded Third Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition in the USA. Alumni Samson Tsoy, Oxana Shevchenko and Luka Okros and current students Ilya Kondratiev and Alexander Ullman were also among the 31 contestants in the prestigious competition. Percussionists Olly Lowe and Rebecca (née McChrystal) got married on 28 May 2016. The ceremony at St Luke’s Kentish Town was performed by Olly’s mum. They were played out of the church by fellow RCM alumni and students Elsa Bradley, Alun McNeil-Watson, Sam Hoile, Joe Richards and Jason Chowdhury of Box9 Drumline and even their wedding cake was decorated in the shape of a stack of drums. Former RCM student and professor, Richard Lyne, has been appointed Director of the Music of The Madrigal Society. He has also recently celebrated 30 years as Honorary General Editor of the Church Music Society, which through Oxford University Press publishes a wide range of sacred choral music. Composer Charles Mauleverer has written a new work for symphony orchestra, large choir and projector screen entitled One Home: An Environmental Symphony. Intended to urge positive action on climate change, the piece sets to music 200 phrases in nearly 100 languages. Dedicated to Sir David Attenborough on the occasion of his 90th birthday, the piece was commissioned and first performed by the Prague Symphonic Ensemble and Ensemble Villars-sur-Glâne on 1 May 2016. Baritone Morgan Pearse was awarded First Prize in the 2016 International Cesti Singing Competition in Innsbruck. His prize included €4,000 and the opportunity to perform in Baroque Opera:Young’s production of Keiser’s Octavia at the 2017 Innsbruck Festival. He will also sing at Resonanzen Wien 2017 and with Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci.
Tenor Gyula Rab has joined the Zurich Opera Young Artist Studio, where he joins baritone Huw Montague Rendall. Both will have the opportunity to train and perform with acclaimed singers, international directors and conductors and perform roles on the opera’s main stage. Violinist Shiry Rashkovsky has joined the faculty of Pro Corda as Preparatory and Primary Course Director. Alongside artistic and executive directorship of these residential chamber music courses, Shiry will be involved in the Pro Corda Young String Experience scheme in London, as well as in outreach projects throughout the UK. Guitarist Laura Snowden has been awarded First Prize in the Volos International Guitar Composition Competition in Greece for her guitar and violin duo piece 5 Impressions. Laura’s prize includes publication of the piece by Papagrigoriou-Nakas Music Editions, a performance at the next Volos International Guitar Festival and a performance and recording in Athens through the Greek Composers Union. Michael Hughes also received an honourable mention for his work Out from Under for flute and guitar. Composer Edward Southall has co-founded a new company promoting musicians for private events. FixTheMusic aims to make it easier to book musicians online and to provide a secure and fair payment system for musicians. Several recent RCM alumni are available to hire through the company.
Above The Piatti Quartet Below Olly and Rebecca Lowe. Credit: Neda Lahrodi @Storyett photography Opposite Top Diana Dumlavwalla Opposite Bottom Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva
CONNECT Connect with fellow RCM alumni in our LinkedIn group or contact Elinor Hatt, Alumni Relations Officer, on alumni@rcm.ac.uk or 020 7591 4353.
Violist David Wigram and his ensemble the Piatti Quartet have released a new album in collaboration with jazz saxophonist Justin Swadling. A Place to Be narrates the story of a young man’s search for meaning and fulfilment in life and features the quartet employing a host of extended instrumental techniques designed to mimic the percussive sounds of drum grooves and soul-influenced bass lines. Composer Benjamin Woodgates has written a new setting of the Benedicite for the choir of St Paul’s Cathedral. Commissioned by Choir & Organ in partnership with St Paul’s, the work was released with the July/August edition of the magazine and is due to be premiered in December.
UPBEAT AUTUMN 2016
21