SUMMER SCHOOLS
Education at its finest HELEN TABOR
hetham s nternational iano ummer chool and estival offers orld class tuition and recitals in a truly inclusive atmosphere, catering for youngsters, adult amateurs, teachers, concert pianists and observers alike. Colin Clarke spent a ee end at the course
Murray McLachlan and Kathryn Page
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ow in its 19th year, Chetham’s International Piano Summer School and Festival is the largest event of its type in Europe devoted exclusively to the piano. The twin powerhouses behind the Summer School are Murray McLachlan, artistic director and head of keyboard at Chetham’s, and Kathryn Page, the ever-helpful administrator who also presides over the young persons' workshops. Founded in 2001, the Summer School and Festival extends over 100 practice rooms and performance spaces in the heart of Manchester. Pianos are everywhere, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery which helped McLachlan’s predecessor acquire a fleet of Yamahas. An on-call piano tuner, Pete Lyons, ensures the standard of the instruments. Additional pianos are provided by Forsyth Music Shop, which also has a permanent stand in the communal area. In the first year of the course, 92 people came – ‘basically people we know,’ says McLachlan. Now it has expanded to some 250 students per week, and 65 staff in 2019. The principal concerts take place at the Stoller Hall, located opposite Manchester’s Victoria Station and accessible directly from Chetham’s.
January 2020 International Piano
After the main evening concerts, there are opportunities to hear short, late-night recitals by participants. It is a pity these were sparsely attended on the evening I stayed, as some fascinating repertoire was performed ( for example, a rare Léon Roque arrangement of Saint-Saëns’ ‘Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix’ from Samson et Dalila, sensitively played by the young James Quinn). On-site catering offers an immersive experience: you do not need to exit the complex except to sleep. The event is split into two weeks, with a changeover of teaching staff and composers-in-residence (Adam Gorb and Philip Martin in 2019) halfway through. Anyone can observe the lessons, which take place in three two-hour segments throughout the day. Over one weekend, I sat in on lessons by eight teachers: Benjamin Frith, Leslie Howard, Leon McCawley, Murray McLachlan, Mark Tanner, Martino Tirimo, Joseph Tong and Ashley Wass (out of an available 41, including Peter Frankl, Peter Donohoe and Carlo Grante). To cap it all, there was the sixth Manchester International Concerto Competition, comprising 18 young pianists aged 22 and under. Eric Lu, winner of the 2018 Leeds Competition, gave a guest performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 with the Manchester Camerata on the evening of the Finals. Elsewhere, adult workshops offer opportunities for group work, while ‘Moving with Period Music’ (led by Bethan Rhys William) provided the opportunity to try out the Mazurka and Polonaise dances in week one of the course, and Baroque dance in week two. Tai Chi is offered every morning (outdoors if the weather permits) by Philip Smith. The atmosphere at the Summer School is vibrant and unremittingly positive. Everyone is encouraged to participate. One might feel there is a risk of overload, but instead I heard pianists say they were heading off to practise after Angela Hewitt’s inspirational Goldberg Variations (reviewed in IP November 2019, page 74). Enthusiasm is everywhere.
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ust as there is variety in repertoire, there is variety in the ability levels of the participants. Whether beginner or advanced, everyone is nourished. Leslie Howard was gentle and coaxing with a student challenged by Beethoven’s Op 14/2 finale. Martino Tirimo worked with advanced students, stressing the importance of the arm, not only the fingers, and of vocal line in Mendelssohn’s Rondo capriccioso, while also extolling research
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