Donor Impact Report 2021-22

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER

As we begin a new academic and financial year, it is my great pleasure to share with you the very considerable difference that your gifts have made to our pupils and school over the past twelve months. You are one of 719 supporters who have donated over £1.3 million this year, to deliver a life-changing educational opportunity to our pupils. This represents just under a third of the school’s total income for the year and demonstrates how vital you are to our mission. Some of you have supported us for the very first time, while others have been engaged with YMS for more than 30 years. You are all part of the YMS family, and it is safe to say that none of us would be here without you.

Philanthropy has always been central to The Yehudi Menuhin School, not least because of our lasting commitment to ensuring that we continue to admit pupils based on talent and potential, and not their ability to pay fees. It bears repeating that nine out of ten pupils who attend YMS simply could not be here without receiving financial assistance. Thanks to your support, we were able to offer significant bursaries to extraordinarily committed and talented young musicians, who dream one day of sharing their passion for music with audiences around the world. Your support has also helped to fund core costs and several key initiatives to improve the learning environment and educational experiences for our pupils, as well as reach out to our local community.

We will soon unveil our new five-year strategy, the result of almost two years of consideration and consultation, which sets out a clear path for us to continue to provide an exceptional educational experience, in a safe and nurturing environment, to the next generation of great musicians. While the school has robust plans in place to generate additional revenue from non-philanthropic sources, philanthropy will continue to be central to our ability to deliver our mission and vision.

I want to thank every one of you once again for your support to us over the past twelve months. I hope to see many of you in person at The Menuhin Hall and look forward to fostering an evercloser relationship between you and the school.

Ben Gudgeon, Headmaster

YOUR SUPPORT IS LIFECHANGING

Your donations are essential to delivering the unique Yehudi Menuhin School education to our pupils. Your contributions over the past twelve months have supported bursaries, both for our pupils in Cobham as well as for our newly launched Virtual Menuhin School. You have also given generously to our Annual Fund and supported the school’s core costs, through sponsoring music teacher positions and funding some of our musical outreach work with local families. Finally, you have provided much needed funding to allow us to transform and upgrade some of our learning spaces and continue to provide our education in a safe and nurturing environment.

OUR DONORS

AREAS OF SUPPORT

YOUR IMPACT THIS YEAR

BURSARIES

More than 90% of our pupils need financial assistance to attend the school. The UK government provides assisted places to up 61 pupils each year, and donors like you help to fund the rest. Thanks to you, we were able to disburse more than £660,000 in bursary funds, to allow 22 pupils to attend the school who could not otherwise have afforded a YMS education. We have also been able to offer places to eight new bursary-assisted pupils to start in September 2022. It remains a key pillar of our ethos that we seek to recruit pupils based on their talent and potential, not their ability to pay the fees. This is what allows us to continue to recruit the very best pupils on a global scale, which contributes to the excellence and diversity of our

VIRTUAL MENUHIN SCHOOL

Your donations have helped us grow the Virtual Menuhin School (VMS) to a cohort of 13 musicians, including violinists, cellists, pianists, and a composer. Developed from our experiences of teaching online, VMS is primarily a virtual Saturday morning school giving children across the world the opportunity to access musicianship lessons and gain guidance on their instruments from YMS teachers. Pupils aged 7 to 13 come from across the UK, as well as the USA, Norway, France, Armenia, Italy and Singapore.

By donating to our Bursary Endowment Fund, you are helping us to build up vital financial reserves to allow us to continue to provide high levels of financial assistance to our pupils in the years to come.

SPONSORED TEACHING

Attracting and retaining the very best music teachers is key to the success of The Yehudi Menuhin School. Through sponsoring specific music teaching roles, you have helped us to ensure that we continue to provide the very best education to our pupils through our world-class faculty.

ANNUAL FUND

Your donations to our annual fund have helped us to navigate a difficult year of spiralling food and energy costs, as well as undertake much needed maintenance and

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Your support helped fund a magical day of workshops with the Benedetti Foundation (founded by YMS alumna Nicola Benedetti) for local children as part of our Summer Festival. 88 children took part in two string orchestras and wowed their families with a brilliant performance at the end of the day in our Menuhin Hall.

Your membership subscriptions to the Friends of the Yehudi Menuhin School have enabled the Committee to provide us with a grant to significantly upgrade the Art room, which provides a space for pupils to explore their creativity without the pressure of public exams or performances. One generous donor has also provided funding which will allow us to refurbish the Recital Room and nearby spaces and create a brand-new listening library for our pupils.

DONATIONS IN KIND

Your donations in kind this year have included a magnificent collection of vinyl opera records, many chamber music scores, musical books, two violins, two bows, a guitar and a mini mandolin. Several of you have also hosted events in your own homes to help

YMS RECORDING PROJECT

Donations from the Friends of Yehudi Menuhin School will go towards an exciting new recording project in 2023, the first in our new partnership with Orchid Classics.

Donations from the Friends have also funded the bound leather scores that every leaver takes away with them as a magnificent, lasting memento of their time at YMS.

CASE STUDY: ANAMARIA

Anamaria,13, from Albania joined YMS in 2020.

What instrument do you study and why?

I play violin and piano. I was seven years old when I started to play the violin – I chose it because it’s such a beautiful instrument and it makes a great sound.

I discovered the violin through hearing Albanian folk music on TV, and after that I started to listen to classical music. My dad plays guitar and he’s really into music, but he never got the chance to go to music school; he would have loved to go.

What did it mean to you to be accepted at YMS?

I’m pretty sure it was one of the happiest days in my life when I got accepted into YMS!

What is it like to study at YMS?

It’s amazing, all the teachers are very good and they really help you learn everything. And the House Parents really look after you if you are away from home, they make you feel at home here. Everyone is especially nice in your first year, they help you find your way, know who the teachers are.

The teachers here are really detailed, which helps you to improve your playing. In Albania I wasn’t able to study music much, but I have four hours of teaching here each week, it makes a real difference. The day is busy because we have academic lessons and we have free time too, to play football or go for a run with friends.

My experience so far has been really fun - it’s really hard work as you are constantly learning new things but it really is fun too.

Do you know what kind of career you want?

I want to be a classical violinist when I grow up, for sure! Maybe a soloist, maybe an orchestral player – but definitely a musician.

What difference has it made for you to be able to study at YMS?

YMS gives me a much greater opportunity to achieve my dreams! Everyone in the school is very helpful and the main focus is music, which is what I want to do when I grow up.

CASE STUDY: REZI

Rezi, 19, a cellist from Georgia, joined YMS in 2019.

Tell us about your first experiences of YMS

When I first arrived, I didn’t speak English at all and my first month was spent getting to grips with the language. It was quite a daunting experience and challenging, but I eventually got used to it. The intensity of the experience was made easier by being in an environment where people were practising, working hard and already knew a lot about music. It was useful having to research and getting to know more about the music I was playing.

What would you say is special about the school?

The environment and the people; it’s like a family here where you do everything together. It’s why I’m so sad to leave – I’ll be leaving my friends but I’m hopeful I’ll see them in the future somewhere.

What would you tell your younger self?

Don’t let anything be a distraction; don’t waste your time on anything else and simply focus all your attention on music.

What are the most important things you have learnt at YMS?

Mainly musical things, of course, such as enhanced cello technique with my teacher. Being at YMS has also taught me to socialise and work effectively with other people, especially through activities like playing chamber music together.

What has a bursary enabled you to do? What is the impact on you?

YMS gives me a much greater opportunity to achieve my dreams! Everyone in the school is very helpful and the main focus is music, which is what I want to do when I grow up. It has meant everything to me. Put simply, without a bursary and the funding support, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of the education on offer at YMS. Funding has provided the stepping-stone to the next stage of my life.

What’s next after YMS?

I am heading to Cologne, Germany for four years to study music. Beyond that, I will be looking for work. Ideally, I would like to be a solo performer, but I also enjoy chamber music. I have two chamber groups; one here in school and one outside of school.

CASE STUDY: PENDO

Pendo, 18, a violinist from South Africa, joined YMS in 2017.

Can you sum up your time at YMS?

I’ve had the best experience I could ever have wished for. It’s allowed me to be with like-minded people and the experience has challenged me in a way where I have felt motivated in a healthy, non-competitive way. Despite the pandemic being a difficult time, I learnt how to work more effectively. I think I’ve had great opportunities to play concerts frequently as well as work on my technique and work individually on myself as a player.

What is special about the School?

The people, the teachers and the overall environment. I don’t think you would find an environment like this anywhere else because it’s such a small community and everyone is so close with each other. You build some of your strongest friendships here. You know everyone, you know what everyone is up to, and everyone is there for you. I think that is one of the best things about YMS: the very tight community.

What would you tell your younger self?

People come here feeling they’re the best of the best, but as soon as you arrive, it’s a humbling experience. I knew I could play well but then, having seen everyone else, I knew I would have to work hard. It’s taking yourself from feeling like you’re number one and realising that you never stop learning from other people. So, I would say, learn as much as possible and don’t be afraid to explore different things.

What has a bursary enabled you to do? What is the impact on you?

A bursary has kept me here. It has enabled me to develop in a way that I would not have been able to had I not had that bursary support. It’s enabled me to explore what I like about my playing, what I like about other people’s playing and take those elements to improve. It’s given me the freedom to experiment.

What’s next after YMS?

I’ve been successful in securing a place at The Royal College of Music and so I will be heading there in September to do my four-year undergraduate degree, furthering my curiosity, improving my technique and my playing, and then I’ll be out in the real world! In the immediate term, I’ve been asked to take part in the Chineke Junior orchestra residential at the end of July followed immediately by their summer tour in August where we’ll be performing in Switzerland, Germany and Amsterdam.

DONOR ROLL OF HONOUR

The following list recognises all those who have made donations of £100 or more in the 2021/2022 academic year. We are also grateful to all those donors who prefer to remain anonymous, several whom have made substantial gifts to the school.

Individuals Anonymous

Miss Kasina Ansavananda and her family

Sir John Baker

Maggie Baker Mrs Wendy M. Barrett

Zamira Menuhin Benthall and Jonathan Benthall

Lionel Blackman Martin Brackenbury Zelma and Peter Braganza Andrew and Sara Brown Miss Christine Brown Simon and Sue Browning David and Yi Buckley

Professor Peter H W Butterworth

Mr and Mrs Brian Carte David and Elizabeth Challen Peter Chapman MBE Marion Chow

Professor Derek Clements-Croome Sharon Cloud

Mrs Pauline Cocksedge

Hilary and Michael Cowan Nick Cowan

Mrs Rowena Cox Tianqi Cui

Bernard and Jeannette Dennis-Browne

Ken and Diana Dent

Mr and Mrs Brian Ealden Mrs Eveline Eaton John and Hilary Everett Iain and Catherine Ferguson Peter and Glen Firth Mrs Barbara Fisher OBE John D Fisher

Cherry Frizzell Diane Garrard

Mervyn and Linda Greig Jocelin Harris

Mr Ian Harvey Mary Hearn

Mrs Gay Hoare Daniel Hodson

The Holder Family

Andrew and Kay Hunter Johnston

Michael Hurton

Pam & David Hypher

Iaia Anna Joseph

Mr Wayne Kitcat

Mr Oscar Lewisohn

Roger and Ruth Manning

Dr Rosemary Mason and Palle Uhd Jepsen

Stuart and Geraldine Mitchell

Alan and Jan Morgan Richard Morris

David and Valerie Mountain

Fred and Liz Onslow John Pagella Nick and Margaret Parker Sue and Mike Prentice

Phyllida Previte Geoffrey and Alison Richards Wendy Sampson

Deirdre Scott

Mr Colin Squire OBE

Mrs Rita Skinner

David & Christine Steeds

Ian Taylor MBE Veronica Wadley

Elizabeth and Michael Weller

Jacquie Whittingham

John and Gillian Williams

Mr Ning Zhao

Corporates, Trusts and Foundations Anonymous

Albert and Eugenie Frost Music Trust CIO

Arbuthnot Banking Group PLC

Behrens Foundation

The Claire Hunter Charitable Trust Chapman Charitable Trust Cosman Keller Art and Music Trust

The Franey Foundation Goldman Sachs Gives [at the recommendation of Yibo Bao]

The Henri Möerel Foundation

The Humphrey Richardson Taylor Trust

The Leverhulme Trust

The Linbury Trust Lovington Foundation

Mole Valley District Council

MPG Charitable Trust Oak Foundation Rutland Group

S E Franklin Charity No. 3 Surrey County Council

We have made every effort to reach out to all of our donors but we may have inadvertently omitted someone: if you should be on this list but your name does not appear (or vice-versa), please email development@menuhinschool.co.uk and we will be happy to make the appropriate changes.

“On behalf of all our family, we would like to thank you all for a great year under difficult circumstances.

As a parent, l was so worried about sending our daughter to an unknown place during this pandemic time. Now we are so happy to know you all, listen to great music and most importantly see our daughter becoming a happy musician, enjoying learning, and sharing with her friends.

For giving us this opportunity, and for keeping Yehudi Menuhin’s humanistic approach alive and embracing our children with such a high quality of music and education, words are not enough! We are very thankful.”

Message to the Headmaster from a parent of a bursary-funded pupil who joined in September 2021