RCM Upbeat Autumn 2014 by Royal College of Music

The Magazine for the Royal College of Music I Autumn 2014

Working in Music

Forging a career after the RCM

What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat... This cover of Upbeat shows just one of many inspirational workshops for local children that took place over the summer as part of our ground-breaking outreach programme, RCM Sparks. As well as making music available to many local children, this scheme also provides valued vocational opportunities for RCM students. These are skills they can take beyond the RCM and on page 12 we meet five RCM alumni who are all working in different musical roles and find out about their experiences in the years following graduation. This issue also explores the fantastic resources and professional opportunities the Woodhouse Professional Development Centre provides for students and recent graduates. The Centre has been celebrating its 15th birthday this year and we look at the 15 special events arranged to commemorate the anniversary. As usual, Upbeat brings you all the news from around the RCM, including the College’s starring role in BBC One’s Celebrity MasterChef, and the establishment of the John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition. We’re always keen to hear from students past and present so if you have anything you’d like us to feature in the next issue of Upbeat, please send your news and pictures to news@rcm.ac.uk by Monday 12 January. NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that we reserve the right to edit submissions. 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.

Contents 4

In the news Updating you on recent RCM activities including Mitchell Tanner being awarded the first John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition and the RCM’s star appearances on BBC programmes Celebrity MasterChef and The Honourable Woman

10 Woodhouse 15 Find out about all the events that have been held this year to celebrate the Woodhouse Professional Development Centre’s 15th birthday

12 Working in Music Five recent RCM graduates tell us all about their experiences in the music world and how they carved out a career path for themselves

14 Meeting the supporters

Upbeat meets Janie Orr, of Universal Music – supporter of the RCM’s Sparks Juniors programme

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 and births

RCM cellist Jo Dee Yeoh taking part in a masterclass in the RCM’s Britten Theatre with Julian Lloyd Webber in October

Front cover – RCM Sparks workshop © Sheila Burnett Inside front cover – Images from the RCM International Opera School’s production of ‘La Gazzetta’ Inside back cover – A selection of images from the 2014 RCM Alumni Reunion All photography © Chris Christodoulou

Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship See page 6 for more details

In the news... The Royal College of Music has been featured in two prime time BBC TV programmes. The popular cookery competition Celebrity MasterChef and new BBC drama The Honourable Woman were both broadcast at 9.00pm on Thursday 3 July, and both featured scenes filmed at the RCM. In BBC One’s Celebrity MasterChef, four celebrities (Christopher Biggins, Charlie Boorman, Tina Hobley and Jason Connery) took on a catering challenge at the RCM. After a briefing from MasterChef presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, the celebrities worked alongside chef Steve Robertson

Announcing the Rhapsody App

to create lunch dishes for 120 RCM students and staff – including the Director of the RCM Professor Colin Lawson. The programme also featured an interview with Professor Lawson and scenes filmed in the RCM Library, Parry Rooms, Studios, and Britten Theatre, where vocal students were working with Kasper Holten, Director of Opera at the Royal Opera House. At the same time on BBC Two, the RCM was the location for an important scene in the first episode of The Honourable Woman, featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal. The episode showed Gyllenhaal’s character Nessa Stein attending a concert in the RCM’s Britten Theatre, with scenes filmed in the main entrance of the RCM, the foyer and backstage of the Britten Theatre, and in the auditorium itself. the hospital using an interactive map on the app. In this way patients have begun creating a trail around paintings, sculptures and installations, making progress every day. The artworks on the app have all been paired with newly composed pieces of relaxing music, commissioned from 15 emerging composers from across the UK, selected from more than 250 applicants: Chloe Louise Potter, Amal Lad, Joseph Currie, Mika Sawai, Juan Carlos Vasquez, Daniel Andreas Baboulene, Marcos Fernandez, Nick Pike, Soosan Lalavar, Katie Chatburn, Charlotte Harding, Chris Williams, Isaac Ssebandeke, Chris Roe, and Tomas Challenger.

The Royal College of Music has contributed to a brand new mobile phone app which promises to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of hospital patients. Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity has launched the app as part of its new arts in health project Rhapsody, which brings together music and visual arts into an interactive audio tour for the benefit of hospital patients. Created with input from physiotherapists, occupational therapists and digital media company imagineear, the app aims to motivate patients in their rehabilitation. For example, instead of patients practising their exercises along the same stretch of corridor, physiotherapists are inviting them to locate artwork in 4

These composers have worked with project ambassador Eric Whitacre and project mentor William Mival (Head of Composition at the RCM) to create works inspired by both the artworks and physiotherapy at the hospital. The musical element of the project was delivered in partnership with the RCM’s Woodhouse Professional Development Centre, and all of the 15 pieces of music were performed by RCM singers and instrumentalists, and recorded in the RCM Studios. The app is available to download from iTunes and Google Play. The project was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts programme.

Photo © Courtesy Shine Soho

RCM on the BBC

RCM Live! The RCM has continued in its groundbreaking series of online broadcasts via the RCM website. In July the RCM broadcast the entire 2014 Graduation Ceremony from Holy Trinity Church, just opposite the RCM on Prince Consort Road. With students from more than 60 countries graduating, it provided a unique opportunity for their families and friends from all around the world to share the special day. Many of our broadcasts are now available to watch on the RCM YouTube channel, including past masterclasses with mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, award winning violinist Nicola Benedetti and international star pianist Lang Lang. Also available on YouTube are videos showcasing various aspects of RCM life. You can witness RCM Concerto Competition winners Junnan Sun and Christopher Mothersole prepare for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Concert Piece for clarinet and basset horn, or watch composer Nicholas Moroz prepare for the premiere performance of his new work with the RCM Philharmonic. You can visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/rcmlondon

CMF and YCAT Artists

Several talented RCM musicians have been selected as artists with the City Music Foundation and Young Classical Artists Trust this year. RCM pianists Samson Tsoy and Dinara Klinton, and the Foyle-Štšura Duo (violin alumnus Michael Foyle and doctoral pianist Maksim Štšura) have all been named as 2014 City Music Foundation (CMF) artists. Selected by a rigorous audition process judged by a distinguished panel of judges, they follow in the footsteps of RCM violinist Mari Poll and folk group Tir Eolas, who were two of last year’s inaugural CMF artists. The City Music Foundation is one of the UK’s newest music charities and provides classical, jazz and folk musicians with expert mentoring, professional development skills and performance opportunities to help them build successful careers in music. In addition, Monday 29 September saw RCM pianist Alexander Ullman presented as one of only four new Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) artists at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room, following his success in the YCAT Final Auditions in May. Alexander says ‘Being selected for management with YCAT is, I believe, not just exciting but a unique opportunity. This is because it is the perfect platform from which to eventually step forward into professional management. It will allow me to perform a lot more in the UK and abroad and, as my own work schedule gets busier, take from my hands the burden of organising everything (other than the music) myself!’ Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, YCAT provides a unique stepping stone for exceptional young artists who have the potential for international performing careers.

The Queen’s Birthday Honours CBE for services to the financial and insurance services industries and voluntary service. Fellow RCM Council member Victoria Sharp – founder and Chief Executive of London Music Masters and Chairman of the London Philharmonic Orchestra – was awarded an OBE for services to music; so too was Janis Susskind, Managing Director of Boosey and Hawkes, who also served on the RCM Council. Our warmest congratulations go out to several individuals associated with the RCM whose achievements were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Honours were also given to two outstanding musicians who have given memorable recent masterclasses at the RCM: soprano Susan Bullock, who was made a CBE, and pianist András Schiff, who received a knighthood.

The RCM’s Deputy Chairman Jane Barker (pictured) was awarded a

Our congratulations to them, and to all of those honoured.

National Student Survey The Royal College of Music has excelled in the 2014 National Student Survey, achieving the joint highest figure across all UK conservatoires.

reported that they were satisfied with ‘the overall quality of the course’, while the quality of RCM teaching came in for particular praise. The survey results revealed that 91% of students were satisfied with ‘the teaching of the course’, the highest figure across all UK conservatoires.

According to figures published by HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England), 89%* of RCM students

* The percentage ‘satisfied’ is calculated by combining the ‘strongly agree’ and ‘mostly agree’ responses to questions on the survey.

RCM and WWI

A postcard sent from the Front, on display at the exhibition

To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, the RCM Museum of Music has opened a new temporary exhibition: ‘The RCM and WWI’. Running until 27 March 2015, this special exhibition curated by RCM Deputy Librarian Peter Horton and

Assistant Librarian Sarah Batchelor gives an insight into life at the RCM during the war years, and also features music written by RCM students and staff who saw active service. Many RCM students enlisted: some, such as Butterworth, did not return; others, such as Gurney, never recovered from their experiences. Happily, many others did come back to forge musical careers. The exhibition also highlights other war work, from nursing to fundraising and charitable concerts held at home and abroad, and shows how life went on at the RCM during the war. The RCM Museum of Music is open from 11.30am to 4.30pm, Tuesday to Friday, and is free to visit. For further details, please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/museum

In the news... The RCM and the BBC Proms

Research Fellow in Composition MarkAnthony Turnage and RCM professor Patricia Rozario (pictured).

Staff and students returning to the RCM after the summer break have noticed a number of improvements.

Photo © Mark Allen

In 2014, the RCM was delighted once again to enjoy a close association with the BBC Proms, the world’s biggest classical music festival. As usual the RCM hosted more than 70 pre-concert Proms Plus events in our Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, which were broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3 and included many appearances from RCM students, staff and alumni.

New Piano Fellowship The RCM has announced that Dinara Klinton will be the first recipient of the brand new Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship. The scholarship, which supports Dinara for a full year and culminates in a prestigious London debut recital, is an RCM initiative in

The process of replacing the RCM’s student accommodation with a brand new £44 million hall of residence is underway. Built and managed by Campus Living Villages, Prince Consort Village will provide high-quality accommodation for around 400 students and will include 23 purpose-built practice rooms. As part of the plans to improve practice facilities, RCM students can make use of eight additional state-of-the-art practice rooms in a new temporary building which was erected in the courtyard at Prince Consort Road over the summer (pictured).

Photo © Sheila Burnett

In addition, the RCM’s Sparks team delivered an impressive series of participatory events for families, children and teens. They offered opportunities to explore the RCM and the Royal Albert Hall, to create compositions inspired by music at the BBC Proms, and to take part in funfilled workshops led by inspirational RCM musicians. For the second year in a row, the RCM also hosted Proms Extra – a seven-part BBC Two TV show in which presenter Katie Derham and famous guests from the music world discussed the week’s performances. Special guests this year included conductor Sir Mark Elder, baritone Roderick Williams, RCM

Summer of Progress

association with the Philip Loubser Foundation, an organisation focused on cultural and educational projects. Michael Loubser, on behalf of the Philip Loubser Foundation, says: ‘The Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship is a wonderful project that will launch the careers of exceptional young pianists from around the world. It is a privilege for our Foundation to be associated with this project.’

RCM students are already impressed with the facilities, with RCM violinist Mun Jeong Kim saying that they are ‘very well soundproofed so you don’t get distracted by others’ playing’ and cellist Kieran Carter praising their ‘good acoustics and decent size’. The rooms will be further adjusted next summer, based on feedback from students and staff, before being relocated to the Ziff Suite in the South Building. Facilities in the South Building have also been refurbished as part of the RCM’s commitment to improving the building’s environmental performance. New water saving devices, LED lighting and an energy saving mechanical plant have been installed, funded by a Government Revolving Green Fund.

Left to right: RCM Head of Keyboard, Professor Vanessa Latarche; Dinara Klinton; Michael Loubser; RCM professor Dina Parakhina; RCM Director, Professor Colin Lawson

The RCM’s commitment to providing the best possible environment for students, visitors and staff will continue in the coming months and years.

The John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition The RCM is delighted to announce that an outstanding young film composer, Mitchell Tanner, is the first recipient of the John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition. The Scholarship was established by Laurie Barry, the widow of John Barry, in honour of her husband, the five-time Oscar winning composer. Scholarship funds were raised for the award following John Barry’s Memorial Concert given in the Royal Albert Hall. It allows a young, talented student to develop their musical skills and knowledge by studying for two years on the RCM’s world-famous Composition

for Screen course, where they will be taught by leading composers and experts in the film world. Mitchell gained a first class honours degree at the University of East Anglia and has been working several jobs, including in a taxi rank, to raise funds to further his studies. Having won a place to study at the RCM, he would have been unable to take up his place without financial support. Mitchell Tanner says: ‘I am absolutely overwhelmed to even be considered for this opportunity. I grew up listening to the masterful scores of John Barry, and he has been a hero of mine ever since I was a child. It is a real honour to receive this Scholarship in the name of such an immense figure, and I’d like to thank Laurie Barry for the chance to prove myself worthy of representing John Barry’s reputation and legacy. This will make such a difference to my life, and with the support of this Scholarship and John Barry’s family, it will bring me one

step closer to achieving my dream of a career composing music for film.’ Laurie Barry presented Mitchell with his Scholarship at a reception at the RCM, where the distinguished guests included members of the Committee for the John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition: James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, composer David Arnold, conductor, orchestrator, arranger and RCM alumnus Nicholas Dodd and worldrenowned international lawyer Charles Lubar. Representing the RCM were Artistic Director Stephen Johns, Head of Composition William Mival and Area Leader in Composition for Screen Vasco Hexel. Laurie Barry also presented Mitchell with a letter of support from legendary music producer George Martin, who was unable to attend the reception but sent his best wishes. For more information on donating to the Scholarship contact Development Manager Fiona Rose on 020 7591 4320, fiona.rose@rcm.ac.uk

Left to right: Fiona Rose, RCM Scholarships Manager; Barbara Broccoli, OBE; Nicholas Dodd (seated); Angelica Broccoli; William Mival; Laurie Barry; Charles Lubar (seated); Samir Savant, RCM Head of Development; Stephen Johns; Mitchell Tanner (seated); David Arnold

George Dyson: Composer of the Week BBC Radio 3 has showcased the music of former RCM Director, Sir George Dyson, as its Composer of the Week. Each day from Monday 29 September to Friday 3 October, Donald Macleod, in the company of former RCM professor, alumnus and Dyson biographer Paul Spicer, explored Dyson’s life and music from the RCM. Programmes were broadcast from locations including the Inner Parry Room, Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall and beside the War Memorial. The producer of this edition was Luke Whitlock, RCM alumnus

and former member of staff. Celebrated composer, organist and teacher, George Dyson (1883–1964) studied and taught at the RCM for many years. He served in France during WWI, writing several pieces from the trenches – including his Sostenuto ed espressivo which can be seen on display in the RCM Museum of Music’s ‘The RCM and WWI’ exhibition – and was author of the first manual on hand grenade use. He became Director of the RCM in 1938, insisting that the College remain open during WWII.

In the news... In 2015 the RCM is delighted to be joining forces with the Philharmonia Orchestra for ‘City of Light: Paris 1900–1950’. This major series celebrates some of the bestloved composers living in Paris in the first half of the 20th century and the writers, artists and dancers who inspired them. In addition to a series of chamber concerts at the RCM, the College will be giving a special performance at the Royal Festival Hall on 26 February. Featuring Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, this colourful concert is the perfect showcase for the virtuoso talents of the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Tickets and further details are available on the RCM website at www.rcm.ac.uk/cityoflight Also in the New Year, we’re delighted to be hosting the London Cello Society for a festival dedicated to the

music of Shostakovich. Held on Sunday 18 January, the one-day event includes masterclasses from Leonid Gorokhov and Jérôme Pernoo and a performance of Shostakovich’s first cello concerto. Further details are available at www.rcm.ac.uk/fireandice In March, the RCM Symphony Orchestra will be visiting Alexandra Palace in North London for a performance of Holst’s popular Planets suite. The programme also includes Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, performed on the Palace’s legendary organ. www.rcm.ac.uk/allypally

To book tickets, call the RCM Box Office on 020 7591 4314 or visit us online at www.rcm.ac.uk/events. Booking through our website is now much easier than before thanks to a new ticketing system – powered by Spektrix – installed over the summer. You can now select your seats, pay online and print your own tickets 24/7. This is part of the RCM’s ongoing commitment to provide the best possible customer service to our audiences.

The RCM Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, 2013

The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2014

Challenge opens: Thursday 4 December 10am DOUBLE YOUR DONATION! The Royal College of Music is proud to be a part of The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2014, during which we aim to raise £160,000 to support the studies of talented young musicians. Make a donation to the RCM Scholarships Fund as part of The Big Give Christmas Challenge and your contribution could be doubled! Donations from £5 to £5,000 could be matched by The Big Give, but with limited money released each day from 10am, you have to be quick! Please visit http://new.thebiggive.org.uk/project/rcm to donate. Contact Joanne Hodson for further details on 0207 591 4861 or joanne.hodson@rcm.ac.uk

Photo © Ben Larpent

Upcoming Events

Welcoming new arrivals Students We are delighted to warmly welcome a total of 363 new students from 62 different countries for a new academic year at the Royal College of Music. This year we have once again awarded more than £2 million in scholarships to RCM students, meaning that 50% of our students are now able to benefit from some form of financial help towards their tuition. We are extremely grateful to all of our generous scholarship donors for making this possible. This year was also the first time that new students were able to register online before the start of term. Thanks to a new online registration system, which has been developed over the past year, 95% of students registered before the beginning of term helping to make the induction process quicker and more efficient. This is part of the RCM’s on-going effort to improve services to students. Eugene Marshall has been newly elected as President of the Students’ Association. Eugene and his team will represent and support the student body and provide a full programme of social events and activities.

The RCM Junior Department also welcomes 16 new members of staff including: woodwind teachers Nicolas Bricht, Andrea Charles and Hayley License (flute), Jessie Grimes (clarinet), James Turnball (oboe) and Katie Samways (saxophone); string teachers Juliet Hughes-Rees and Alex Laing and trombone teacher Ruth Molins. Also joining the RCM Junior Department teaching team are: musicianship teachers Jane da Costa, Christoph Knopfel, Pande Shahov and Simon Speare; choral conductors James Davey and Katie Thomas; and accompanist Leanne Singh-Levett.

New Junior Fellows The RCM welcomes new Junior Fellows for the 2014/15 academic year: Soh-Yon Kim (Mills Williams Junior Fellowship), Joo Yeon Sir (Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship), Chad Vindin (Lord & Lady Lurgan Junior Fellowship), Saul Batista Picado (Gilbert & Eileen Edgar Junior Fellowship), Paul McKenzie (Adami Award for Piano Accompanists Junior Fellowship), Elliot Launn (Ian Evans Lombe Junior Fellow), Nathaniel Mander (Linda Hill Junior Fellowship in Harpsichord/Continuo) and Thomas Allery (Junior Fellowship in Harpsichord/Continuo). We also welcome back for a second year Simon Callaghan (Anthony Saltmarsh Junior Fellowship). If you’re interested in applying for a Junior Fellowship for 2015/16, applications are now open until 30 January 2015.

New Directors

Eugene Marshall

Professors and Staff We’re delighted to welcome six new professors this September: pianist Emily Jeffrey, American countertenor and RCM alumnus Lawrence Zazzo, violinist Leonid Kerbel and natural trumpeters Richard Thomas and Paul Sharp. We also welcome Dr Anastasia Belina-Johnson as Assistant Head of Programmes for Undergraduate Studies.

We’re delighted to welcome Professor Richard Wistreich as Director of Research. Richard joins the RCM from the Royal Northern College of Music where he was Dean of Research and Enterprise since 2010. Richard is a scholar, singer and teacher, whose work focuses mainly on the cultural and social history of music-making in Europe in the period between about 1500 and 1800, with a particular interest in ‘vocality’ in all its manifestations. His wider research interests embrace the history and culture of performance in general, the pedagogy and practice of singing, and other related topics. Richard is also an internationally renowned performer of both early and contemporary music. Concert, radio and television appearances worldwide and more than 100 CDs in performances of music from medieval to late Classical, are

Richard Wistreich

testimony to the breadth of his interests. In 1989 he co-founded the ensemble Red Byrd, dedicated to performing both old and new music, often side-by-side in the same concerts. Their repertoire ranged from 12th-century Parisian polyphony through Monteverdi and Purcell to commissions from major living composers. Talia Hull has joined the RCM as Director of Communications bringing a wealth of experience advising highprofile organisations, specialising in strategic communications, issues management and brand repositioning. She has led successful external campaigns for the BBC, Warner Music and National Magazines. Previously Communications Director for littledesk pr she advised clients including the Incorporated Society of Musicians, The Space (a digital arts platform from Arts Council England in partnership with the BBC) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and was Head of Communications for BBC Radio 3 & Classical Music TV.

Talia Hull

Woodhouse at 15 Throughout 2014, the Royal College of Music’s Woodhouse Professional Development Centre has been celebrating its 15th birthday with a unique series of events. The Centre is recognised internationally as a world-leader in career development for musicians, offering a huge range of services that help budding musicians develop successful careers. These services include managing a range of external performance opportunities, offering advice on professional skills for musicians, and mentoring for innovative artistic projects. All of these services are available to RCM students not only during their period of study but also for five years after they graduate, helping them through the crucial transition period from students to professional musicians. As the year draws to a close, Upbeat looks back on the 15 fantastic events that have taken place…

Georgians Revealed

RCM musicians recorded the soundtrack to accompany the British Library’s Georgians Revealed exhibition (November 2013–March 2014). RCM singers and instrumentalists recorded a number of key works from the period and visitors to the exhibition were able to listen to the music within the galleries, or purchase an exclusive CD.

Graduate Piano Showcase

Photo © Andreea Tufescu Photography

Four truly exceptional prizewinning pianists: Caterina Grewe, Meng Yang Pan, Jianing Kong and Konstantin Lapshin – all recent RCM graduates – performed masterpieces by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and other Russian composers at The Forge, Camden on Sunday 9 March.

Sensing Spaces

Six RCM composers were inspired by the architectural exhibits in the Royal Academy of Arts’ blockbuster Sensing Spaces exhibition, and created brand new pieces which were premiered in a unique concert within the exhibits themselves. Discovering a wonderful secret soundworld #hiddenviolinist #sensingspaces @RCMLatest Had a great night at RA at architectural spaces with music and some great installations to see #SensingSpaces

15 Years Anniversary Concert

The Woodhouse Professional Development Centre has been working with St James’ Piccadilly ever since it was founded in 1999, and this free lunchtime concert featuring RCM pianist Ilya Maximov celebrated the long standing relationship.

Sounds and Sweet Airs

RCM musicians and Shakespearean actor Ian Hughes presented an afternoon of music and readings inspired by Shakespeare at The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre in the Victoria & Albert Museum on Sunday 4 May. The concert featured Beethoven’s second string quartet, inspired by the tomb scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and RCM professor Joseph Horovitz’s dramatic scena Lady Macbeth.

Rhapsody App

RCM composers and musicians contributed to a new app which promises to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of hospital patients. The app was launched on 2 June by Chelsea

and Westminster Health Charity as part of its new arts in health project Rhapsody, which brings together music and visual arts into an interactive audio tour for the benefit of hospital patients. ‘We are really excited to launch Rhapsody. It has already demonstrated the powerful effects of bringing together arts, technology and medicine to improve patient experience and rehabilitation.’ Daisy Fancourt, Arts and Enterprising Health Manager at Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity and Research Associate in Performance Science at the RCM

Kate Simko and the London Electronic Orchestra

RCM composer Kate Simko and principal musicians from her London Electronic Orchestra presented an hour-long performance inspired by five of the paintings in Room 34 of the National Gallery on Friday 6 June. Kate is the first RCM musician to put together an electronic-based performance at the Gallery where RCM musicians have been performing for more than 20 years as part of the Belle Shenkman Music Programme. ‘Throughout the show, each performer took to their role within the orchestra with aplomb – not only revelling in the grandiose nature of the venue they were performing in, but also enjoying the music while staying composed and focused throughout. Their energy was infectious and each performance scintillating.’ Marcus Barnes, The Independent

London Chamber Collective

The London Chamber Collective performed Beethoven’s String Quintet in C major at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Tuesday 10 June. The concert was the result of six months of coaching and advice from the Woodhouse Centre, particularly focused on improving the collective’s online presence, marketing strategies and campaigns.

Sensing Spaces

Photo © Samuel Spencer and Simon Leow

Kate Simko and the London Electronic Orchestra at the National Gallery

RCM Careers Day

The Woodhouse Centre’s popular Careers Day on Thursday 12 June included a two hour talk on finance and tax, presentations from a number of graduates at different stages of their careers, a fair of music organisations and one-to-one consultation sessions with industry experts.

Dino Snores

RCM harpist Cecilia Sultana De Maria entertained visitors to the Natural History Museum as they took part in the popular sleepover event on Friday 20 June. Cecilia performed for three hours from midnight into the early hours of the morning. Harp in place, sleeping bags out!! time for #Dinosnores @RCMLatest #woodhouse15 here till 3am! The onesie is on!! Ready for a night in the museum @MLRJAZZ @RCMCareers @NHM_London #woodhouse15 #Dinosnores Home after a lovely night at #Dinosnores @NHM_London the birds are singing and it’s getting light! #pastmybedtime #woodhouse15

Morning Calm

As part of a new collaboration between St George’s Hanover Square and the RCM, pianist Natsumi Ikenaga performed for 15 minutes at the start of each day between Tuesday 14 and Saturday 18 October at the church in the heart of the city. This new series offers a short period of reflection, contemplation and relaxation before the challenges of the day begin.

Classical Coffee Morning Concerts

130 years since the first ever public concert by RCM students was given in the West Theatre of the Royal Albert Hall, RCM students are still performing in the very same venue. After a major refurbishment, the old West Theatre – now known as the Elgar Room – plays host to the popular ‘Classical Coffee Mornings’ concerts. On Sunday 2 November RCM saxophonist Amy Green performed works by alumni Vaughan Williams and Britten in the popular series.

Working in Hospitals

Music Off Canvas

Careers in Music

In November, RCM pianists began participating in a new project with Chelsea and Westminster. This new collaboration sees RCM musicians performing on wards across the hospital, mentored by RCM alumna Maria Marchant. Supported by Dasha Shenkman. As Upbeat went to press, Music Off Canvas (comprising alumnae Hannah Grayson and Vanessa Howells) was getting ready to present a Family Workshop at the Royal Academy of Art with artist Erica Parrett. The ‘Schools of Rock’ family workshop was part of the RA’s latest exhibition on German artist Anselm Kiefer. The final event in this unique 15-part series ties in with ‘Global Entrepreneur Week’ as the RCM welcomes Eric Whitacre for an inspirational talk on careers in music, a fundraising workshop run by ZEQUS and a tax talk from Trevor Ford.

You can find out more about the Woodhouse Centre and the services it offers current students and alumni at www.rcm.ac.uk/woodhouse

Working in Music There’s no such thing as a typical musician. The variety of opportunities is vast and varied and often involves developing non-musical skills such as business, marketing or community engagement. Upbeat talks to five alumni – saxophonist and music agency manager Nathan Hassall, pianist Maria Marchant, freelance violinist Harry Kerr and Music Off Canvas co-founders Vanessa Howells and Hannah Grayson – about their experiences of carving out a niche for themselves and creating opportunities in the music world. Can you describe a typical week? Nathan: I’m professor of saxophone at London College of Music and also teach at St Paul’s School in Barnes and Epsom College. So that makes up the bulk of my nine-to-five existence.

the children all got a chance to perform on stage for their friends, families and sponsors. After this, I had to quickly go and perform with the LPO who had started arriving backstage as the children were wrapping up their event!

On top of this I run a music agency called Nathan Hassall Music. I formed a band while I was studying at the RCM and found I was quite successful at getting gigs for weddings, corporate events and private parties. Nine years down the line, it’s just grown organically. I work on the agency whenever I’m not teaching, but it does mean you never turn off! For example, during term time I can be teaching all day and then go on to do a corporate gig until 10pm.

Music Off Canvas (MOC): Each week with Music Off Canvas is different. One particularly varied week we could tell you about in March included a performance at the Southbank Centre as part of the Women of the World Festival and an event at Chisenhale Dance Space which showcased our research into the origins of music and movement. During the week we had to find time to rehearse for each event, meet with various collaborators such as our movement and physical theatre specialists, and even buy food and drinks to offer guests after our performance. In between, we both had to fit in our regular teaching responsibilities in schools, and Hannah was also booked to rehearse with the LPO! We have to be very flexible to allow for all the different bits of work we do as freelance musicians.

Maria: Like most pianists, practice forms a large part of my working week but this has to be balanced with programming, writing programme notes, emailing promoters and updating my website and social media. But on concert days, I prefer to concentrate on looking through the music and learning about the context of the work. Harry: One of the things I set out to do when entering into the music profession was to try to generate as many consecutively typical working weeks as possible, what I didn’t realise was that as a freelance musician there are no typical working weeks! One of my most interesting and rewarding recent experiences was spending the morning rehearsing for an evening concert at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, before rushing off at 1.30pm to teach children as part of the London Music Masters’ Bridge Project. The project brings classical music training to children from diverse backgrounds in inner city schools. They also organised a trip back to the Royal Festival Hall for a workshop in which 12

Is your life now how you imagined it would be when you were studying at the RCM? Nathan: I think I did have dreams of being a classical saxophonist and I still do as much classical playing as possible. But interests change, and the more jazz I played the more fun I realised it was. The gigs I got through the Woodhouse Centre while studying at the RCM also gave me a taste of what’s possible and the confidence to set up my own agency. Maria: I’ve always been interested in British music, particularly John Ireland, so I’m very happy that I’ve been able to continue that interest since leaving the RCM. I’m sponsored by the John Ireland Trust and that’s enabled a lot of concerts to happen. During my time at the RCM,

Nathan Hassall graduated in 2004 and now juggles a busy performing and teaching schedule with running his own music agency

the help and advice from my professor, Niel Immelman, was invaluable in terms of applying for young artist schemes and meant that I started off on the right track. Harry: When I left the RCM I never expected to learn so much about the art of performance by freelancing with orchestras. If you yearn for variety, discovery and adventure then ‘going freelance’ is the perfect career path. On the other hand, there’s no denying that it’s unpredictable and can be difficult, especially so when you start out. MOC: No, I think it is impossible to know when leaving the RCM where your path will take you – but this is also exciting. Which aspect of your job do you enjoy the most? Nathan: That’s really hard! If I have a good student who practises a lot then that’s really rewarding. But it’s a completely different feeling to bringing in a contract for a high-profile gig or the response from an audience. I imagine I’m in the same boat as many musicians. Very few of us go on to have one job – you have to do lots of things. Maria: I love performing so I think I’d probably have to pick that. But another, no less rewarding part of the work I do is playing for stroke and dementia patients

Maria Marchant was accepted to a number of young artist schemes after she graduated in 2009 and now focuses mainly on recital and concerto work

Harry Kerr works in a freelance capacity with orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Royal Northern Sinfonia

Hannah Grayson and Vanessa Howells set up Music Off Canvas in 2011, while studying at the RCM

as part of a Concordia Foundation project at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. I wheel a piano around the wards and with the help of a volunteer play works for the patients. It’s been a real eye opener seeing the power of music and how the patients respond to the piano.

the better. A lot of musicians feel it’s hard to survive, but I don’t think it is, especially in a city like London. There are lots of opportunities out there, you just have to be proactive and go get them. It’s taken for granted that you can play your instrument, so don’t just rely on that. Networking is so important; I keep a spreadsheet of my clients and am regularly in touch so they remember us for future events.

ready. But I think the most important piece of advice I ever received was from an older colleague when I first started out at the Royal Opera: ‘Make sure your reactions are quick.’ This means you can immediately adapt to a sound in a new orchestra, you can sight-read when something unexpected is put in front of you and you can play a film session with a click track.

Harry: What is a particular privilege is being able to perform in the great concert halls of the world, and being able to explore countries I may never have otherwise visited. MOC: That really is a hard question to answer as all our projects are so unique and rewarding in different ways. One of our most intense projects was a collaboration with sculptor Candida Powell-Williams. We performed for the opening night of her exhibition at Salisbury Arts Centre using music to guide the audience through her sculptures. It was fascinating to see how Candida’s ideas occurred and evolved and how that would affect our musical composition. The whole process felt very organic and we were deeply involved in developing the work. Do you have any advice for RCM students about to graduate? Nathan: Get started as early as possible. There is a lot of competition so the sooner you start building up contacts

Maria: I think being really proactive in securing performance engagements is an absolute must; also, always expanding your repertoire. Before you write to a music festival or society, find out as much as you can – if there are any themes that you can pick up on – as it will help you put forward a good proposal. I also think it’s very important to try to get return bookings. After a recital, send a thank you email. Then find out when they start booking for the next season so you know the right time to get back in touch with them. Harry: First and foremost, never give up. Second, be professional. Apart from the givens of turning up on time and being able to play the notes, professionalism encompasses aspects of performance and comportment that you wouldn’t at first expect; such as never talking in a negative manner about your colleagues and always having your best energy

MOC: Leaving RCM is a daunting prospect. Although many people have strong goals when they are studying it can be difficult to keep hold of these when you leave, particularly if you don’t achieve them immediately. It is important to have a certain amount of flexibility and it can really help to have a focus, such as being part of a chamber group. It’s all good experience and musicians who can manage themselves and be resourceful are likely to find a way of making a living.

You can read Nathan, Maria, Harry and Music Off Canvas’ complete interviews online at www.rcm.ac.uk/alumnistories

Meeting the supporters... What does your role at Universal Music involve? My job is twofold – I am both the Chief Executive of EMI Music Sound Foundation and I also manage the Universal Music Corporate Social Responsibility Committee here in the UK. This was set up to identify suitable charitable causes which the company and our staff can support both through money and volunteering.

Janie Orr The Royal College of Music’s Sparks Juniors programme provides the opportunity for children from local boroughs to access the College’s excellent teaching and learning resources. But this is only possible through the generous support of Universal Music. Upbeat meets Janie Orr who was recently awarded an MBE for services to music education to find out why they’re keen to support this initiative. Can you tell us about yourself and how you became involved in music education? I joined THORN EMI in January 1988 and over the last 26 years my job has been incredibly varied. I started in administration in the communications department before moving on to organise global conferences and events and then in 1995 I was seconded from the parent company to EMI Records to manage their 1997 centenary plans. The legacy of that was the EMI Music Sound Foundation which is an independent music education charity now generously supported by Universal Music. The Foundation has awarded over £5 million since its inception towards the support of music education in the UK and continues to be a leading charity in the field of music education. 14

How did you first hear about the Royal College of Music? When EMI relocated to Kensington in 2004 we were approached by the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts who wanted to find a funding partner to run a local youth music event. We duly contacted our local authority and were quickly put in touch with local schools and from there our support for music education grew. In 2009 the borough’s music adviser introduced us to the Royal College of Music and from there the Sparks Juniors programme was developed. Since then we have continued our annual financial contribution which goes towards funding the instruments for the young people to use throughout their three-year specialist training. Why is Universal Music interested in supporting Sparks Juniors? As the global music leader we are keen to support music in all its forms and the fact that young local children are being given access to the amazing teaching and resources at this world renowned music college was totally fitting as one of our inaugural funding projects. The project gives an inspirational learning experience to people who would not normally be exposed to music teaching. Are there any other areas of music education or specific projects you’re particularly keen to support in the future? We are delighted that the extension programme was introduced to provide the children who have completed their three years at the Junior Department with continued access to the high level of teaching and musicianship. We fund other youth music related projects here in London with different partners who reach a more diverse range of children – the Roundhouse project is focused on NEET young people and

our work with XLP assists young people living in inner city areas who may not otherwise get access to support for their music-making. Do you often visit the RCM? Along with my team, I make a point of visiting the programmes we support twice a year – first not long after the children begin their teaching and then again at the end of the summer term so we can see first-hand the progress they have made. We are also lucky enough to be invited to numerous RCM Sparks events, so regularly get to see the fantastic work that the RCM is doing with young musicians. Attending the graduation ceremony of the first three-year graduates was truly inspiring and to see them perform alongside their RCM mentors shows the true success of this programme. It was particularly impressive that the percussion students felt confident enough to walk in playing one set of instruments and then switch to another seamlessly – all down to RCM percussionist Ruairi Glasheen’s expert coaching.

You can find out more about RCM Sparks Juniors at www.rcm.ac.uk/sparks

Welcome to new Friends and Supporters We are delighted to welcome the following people who have recently made their first donation to the RCM Mr Ralph Aldwinckle Mr Cam Bannenberg Mr David Bowman Mr William Eastwood Ms Gillian Edwards Mr Peter Godward Ms Gill Gregory Mrs Anne R Haley Mr Michael and Mrs Desirae Husband Mrs Linda Kelly Mr Clive Marks Mr John Mckinlay Mr Stan McMurtey Mr Peter Noblet Mrs Christine Palmer Mr George and Mrs Susan Pearce Mrs Fiona Ricklow Mr Howard Ricklow Mr Roland Saam Miss Judith Skelton Mr Colin Watts Ms Jane Whitworth

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 Fiona Searle ABRSM Soirée d’Or Scholarships Leverhulme Trust Anonymous Philip Loubser Foundation 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 Music Awards Andrew and Karen Sunnucks John Lewis Partnership Scholarships The Tsukanov Family Foundation Richard and Rosemary Millar The Worshipful Company of Musicians Humphrey Searle Scholarship Hester Laverne Award Gylla Godwin Award Charles Napper Award Lydia Napper Award The Polonsky Foundation 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 Charles Stewart Richardson Scholarship for Composition The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation UK Henri Cowell Soirée d’Or Scholarship Gilbert and Eileen Edgar Junior Fellowship Phoebe Benham Junior Fellowship The Mills Williams Foundation The Derek Butler Trust 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 Mason Scholarship The Gary & Eleanor Brass Scholarship The Estate of Betty Brenner The JMC Award 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 Scholarship 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 John Lewis Partnership The Stanley Foundation Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians Anonymous The Oldhurst Trust Members of the RCM Chairman’s Circle Philip Carne HonRCM and Christine Carne* Michael and Ruth West* Linda and Tony Hill Denis and Meredith Coleman*+ John and Catherine Armitage* Jane Barker CBE* Dasha Shenkman HonRCM* Sir Roger and Lady Carr HonRCM* Karina Choudhrie+* Guy Dawson and Sam Horscroft+ Gisela Gledhill* Terry Hitchcock* 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 OBE* Alethea Siow and Jeremy Furniss* Members of the RCM Director’s Circle Daniel Chapchal Sir Peter and Lady Middleton FRCM Judy and Terence Mowschenson Vivien McLean Tania Chislett Charles and Kaaren Hale The Vernon Ellis Foundation Metherell Family Richard and Sue Price Peter and Dimity Spiller Joanna Kaye+ Sir Sydney and Lady Lipworth Sir Robert and Lady Wilson Members of the RCM Patrons’ Circle John Ward Russell Race* Jane Wilson Mrs Piffa Schroder Ellen Moloney Rhoddy Voremberg Dimity and Kerry Rubie Mrs Victoria Moore-Gillon David and Sue Lewis Mrs Isla Baring* Halina and John Bennett Lorna and Christopher Bown Mrs Lorraine Buckland Mr Kenneth and Mrs Lillemor Gardener

Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM and Lady Cleaver Anonymous Mary Godwin Carol J Hagh Ms Greta Hemus John and Sue Heywood Barbara Simmonds Betty Sutherland Louisa Treger Dr Yvonne Winkler Mr Victor and Mrs Lilian Hochhauser FRCM Sir Peter and Lady Gershon Mr James Lancaster and Mrs Margaret Lancaster Mrs Yannick Mango Sir David Lees Sir Richard and Lady Sykes Corporate Partners Royal Garden Hotel Hatch Mansfield Little Greene Other generous donors Georg and Emily von Opel Foundation+ Mr Paul Brewer Bouygues UK 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 RLM Finsbury The Sharp Foundation Centrica plc The Rothermere Foundation Geoffrey Richards HonRCM Dasha Shenkman HonRCM The Leche Trust Ann Driver Trust Fidelio Trust Sir David Cooksey Florian Leonhard Paul Baker Jonathan Davie Richard Everard Mr Douglas Flint Serena Fenwick Christopher Saul Jonathon Silver Anonymous Dr Franz Humer Mark Wood Webster and Davidson Mortification for the Blind The Derek Hill Foundation Professor Colin Lawson FRCM Janis Susskind HonRCM Blair Wilson Award Moira D Witty David D Sieff 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 + a lso support RCM Sparks For more information about supporting the RCM, visit www.rcm.ac.uk/supportus Alternatively, contact Fiona Rose on 020 7591 4320 or fiona.rose@rcm.ac.uk

Student notes

Keyboard accomplishments Dinara Klinton has won First Prize in the Norah Sande Award piano competition. She also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish International Piano Competition… Samson Tsoy has won the Second Prize at the Brant International Piano Competition in Birmingham.

Pianist Maria Razumovskaya’s article on Heinrich Neuhaus has been published in the September/October issue of International Piano magazine… Martin James Bartlett has performed excerpts from Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Liszt’s Liebestraum at the Last Night of the Proms Celebrations in Belfast… Martyn Noble has been appointed as the Sub-Organist at the Chapel Royal in St James’ Palace.

Vocal achievements Soprano Cait Frizzell has won First Prize in the international conservatoire section of the Barry Alexander International Singing Competition in the US. As part of her award, Cait made her Carnegie Hall debut in a prizewinner’s recital in October.

Composition for Screen composer Paul Devlin has won the 2014 CINE Film Scoring Competition for Emerging Composers… Arne Gieshoff has won the Theodore Holland Intercollegiate Composition Prize, a biennial competition open to outstanding composition students from the RNCM, RCM, RAM and RCS. He has also been named as the 2014 Mendelssohn Scholar… Benjamin Woodgates has won First Prize at the inaugural Oticons Faculty Film Music Competition. He has also travelled to Cologne to record two of his own works with the WDR Funkhausorchester for an Oticons recording of music from the competition’s finalists.

Ilya Maximov and alumnus Jianing Kong have won Second and Third Prize respectively at the Scottish International Piano Competition… Ning Hui See has won First Prize in the solo section of the ‘Città di Padova’ International Piano Competition in Italy. He has also won the Sevenoaks Young Musician of the Year Competition… Vasco Dantas Rocha has been awarded Third Prize in the piano category at the Portuguese Young Musician Competition… Pianist Alexander Krichel has recorded works by Chopin, Hummel and Mozart with the Polish Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. The disc has been released on Sony Classical… Oliver Poole has played at the launch of David Beckham’s new Haig Club whisky, which was held at Gilmerton House near Edinburgh.

Benjamin Woodgates conducting his recording session

Cait Frizzell

Photo © Uwe Arens Sony Classical

Composition congratulations

Alexander Krichel

Danielle Howard has been named as a winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) and IdeasTap Sound:Vision competition. She has also won Third Prize at the International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition (Junior Category) with her piece Strings for trumpet, trombone and percussion, and a special prize for best free composition among junior participants.

Wan Chu has participated in the NYU/ASCAP Foundation Film Scoring Workshop run by composers Mark Snow and Ira Newborn… Mahlon Berv has participated in the inaugural Palomar Film Music Workshop with Emmy winning composers Larry Groupé and Roger Neill. His composition for choir and piano, Laughing Song, has also been premiered at La Schola Cantorum in Paris… Raquel García-Tomás’ piece for piano, electronics and video animation, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has received its world premiere in Spain this November. Her opera Go, Æneas, go! has been awarded the Berliner Opernpreis 2014… Edwin Hillier has been appointed as the first Composerin-Residence Apprentice of the Handel House Museum for a one-year residency.

Photo © April Rocha

Samson Tsoy

Clarinettist Junnan Sun and saxophonist Linn Persson have been awarded First Prizes in their respective instrument categories at the Stockholm International Music Competition… Junior Department bassoonist and cellist Kai Konishi-Dukes has been featured in The Sunday Times for achieving 15 GCSE A* grades, the top mark in the country.

Spotlight on…

The BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme provides musicians with opportunities to develop their live and recorded performances, including broadcasts with the BBC orchestras, lunchtime concerts around the UK and regular studio recordings, as well as forming chamber music collaborations with fellow NGAs. Pavel says: ‘I am very thrilled to become a part of this group for the next two years, and look forward particularly to some great collaborations with other artists. I hope to do something very special!’

Woodwind triumphs

RCM pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has been named a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist 2014. The news was announced on BBC Radio 3’s drivetime show In Tune in September. Pavel is one of six artists from around the globe that the station believes will be the classical music stars of the future.

Guitarist Haydn Bateman has joined international award winning guitarist Miloš Karadaglić on stage at an event to raise funds for the Awards for Young Musicians’ Ambition 1000 appeal… Cellist Jo Dee Yeoh and baritone Edward Jowle have been chosen as Royal Opera House Student Ambassadors. They will be promoting the work of the ROH across campus and helping to make performances more accessible for students.

Linn Persson

The Manon Quartet, featuring violinists Jian Ren and Fiona Robertson, violist Morag Robertson and cellist Deni Teo, has won the Cavatina Intercollegiate String Quartet Competition with a performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet op 18 no 2… Juliana Myslov has performed the Glière Harp Concerto at the Barbican… After selection rounds in different European cities, RCM violinists Alix Lagasse, Eunsley Park and Laure Chan have taken part in the Encuentro de Música y Academia de Santander 2014 (Spain) where they worked with renowned violin pedagogues Zakhar Bron and Ana Chumachenco, and performed in chamber music and orchestral classes and concerts… Cellist Yoon Kyung Cho has won Second Prize in the cello category of the Johannes Brahms International Competition in Austria… The Marmen Quartet has been announced as the first ensemble selected for Music in the Round’s ‘Bridge’ scheme, dedicated to supporting young string quartets.

Wonhee Bae

Violinist Wonhee Bae has been awarded Third Prize in the George Enescu International Competition after performing the Tchaikovsky Concerto in the final at Bucharest’s Athenaeum Hall. She was awarded 5,000 Euro and a number of concert engagements… Guitarist Jonatan Bougt has received the Jörgen Rörby Stipendiat from the Swedish Guitar and Lute Society. Photo © Arne Strömberg

String successes

Jonatan Bougt

The Russian pianist – who is an RCM Else Gertrude Martin Scholar supported by an Evelyn Tarrant Award – won the First Prize at the highly prestigious Honens International Piano Competition in 2012 and received a five-star Telegraph review for his Wigmore Hall debut in January.

Edward Jowle and Jo Dee Yeoh

RCM Junior Department (JD) students Zoe Zagorac, Charlie Hewitt, Felicity Porter, Phoebe Farman, Marie Sato, Flora Bain, Gabriella Boye and Patrick Wilson have spent a week in July rehearsing and performing Beethoven’s Symphony no 7 as members of the Pro Corda Chamber Orchestra. They were led by JD violinist Cristina Acosta, coached by JD teachers Penny Filer, Nicolas Bricht, Miriam Lowbury and Hilary Sturt and conducted by JD Head of Chamber Music Leandro Silvera. 17

Staff notes Assistant Head of Programmes Dr Natasha Loges has written a book with alumna Dr Katy Hamilton. Published by Cambridge University Press, Brahms in the Home and the Concert Hall: Between Private and Public Performance explores Brahms’ public and private musical identities. Natasha and Katy discuss the boundaries between the composer’s professional identity and his lifelong engagement with amateur musicmaking. As part of BBC Radio 3’s Brahms Experience Week in October, Natasha also gave daily talks on Brahms’ life and the wider world in which he lived for broadcast on The Essay.

RCM Chairman Professor Robert Winston has been awarded an honorary degree from Birmingham City University. The award ceremony took place on Tuesday 2 September at Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

Adrian Butterfield and Rachel Brown with Laurence Cummings

Professor of baroque violin Adrian Butterfield and professor of baroque flute Rachel Brown have performed in the London Handel Players’ Carnegie Hall debut. Adrian has also directed the Trinity Laban Baroque Orchestra at the Greenwich Early Music Festival in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel. The Champs Hill Mendelssohn String Quartets four-disc set, which features Quartet in Association the Sacconis playing the composer’s String Quartet no 2 in A minor, has been named BBC Music Magazine’s chamber disc of the month. It received a five-star review for both the performance and the recording. Recorder consort professor María Martínez’s recorder quintet ‘Seldom Sene’ has won three prizes at the International Van Wassenaer Early Music Competition in Utrecht. Having been awarded 97 out of 100 points, the highest mark in the history of the competition, the quintet received the First Prize, Press Prize and Audience Award.

Junior Department piano teacher Nataša Lipovšek’s inaugural Wimbledon Piano Masterclass has taken place. The week’s lively coaching sessions culminated in a successful final concert at St Mark’s Church in Wimbledon in August. The programme included Debussy’s Piano Trio and Lavignac’s Galop for eight hands on one piano. RCM Director of Opera Michael Rosewell has appeared on Inside Opera: Live. The unique online event offered unprecedented behind-the-scenes access and insight into opera. Streamed on the Guardian website and YouTube it included specially commissioned films from all the major British opera companies, live interviews with singers and directors, and live links to rehearsals, backstage and community activities. Junior Department piano teacher Clara Rodriguez has featured in Issue 77 of Pianist Magazine. Clara was interviewed about her time studying at the RCM and her work on Spanish and Latin American music. She also wrote an article on Albéniz’s Suite Española for the magazine and her publication on Ruiz’s children’s pieces, Piano Pieces for Children Under 100 Years of Age, was reviewed. Assistant Head of Programmes Dr Anastasia Belina-Johnson is collaborating with Professor Derek Scott (University of Leeds) on a new five-year research project, supported by a European Research Council grant, entitled ‘German Operetta in London and New York, 1907–1939: Cultural Transfer and Transformation’. Anastasia will direct an operetta, publish original research, edit a volume of writings on operetta in general, and produce a monograph ‘German Operetta in Poland in 1907–1937’.

Academic Registrar Elly Taylor has participated in the London to Brighton Bike Ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Elly and her team raised over £800 for the charity. 18

Seldom Sene

Professor of Performance Science Aaron Williamon has given a talk on performance anxiety at Wigmore Hall as part of the Anxiety Arts Festival. He introduced the Centre for Performance Science’s ongoing research on music performance anxiety and transported the Performance Simulator to the hall to give delegates an opportunity to experience the stress of performing in front of an audience.

Spotlight on…

Two harpsichord professors – Terence Charlston and Robert Woolley – have recently released new CDs. Terence Charlston’s The Harmonious Thuringian features works by Bach and Handel and other composers from the late 17th century. The title refers to the instrument he is playing – a perfect replica of the famous Thuringian instrument housed in the Eisenach Bachhaus. Recorded by the RCM Studios, the CD has been released by Divine Art Recordings.

Mark Armstrong conducting NYJO and BuJazzO

Jazz professor Mark Armstrong has been on tour with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Federal Youth Jazz Orchestra of Germany (BuJazzO). In his role as Artistic Director of NYJO, Mark led the orchestras in concerts in Germany and the UK to celebrate 100 years of jazz history, and marking the centenary of the start of the First World War. The tour included an event during the London Jazz Festival in November. Composition for Screen professor Francis Shaw has conducted recordings of his two piano concertos with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra in Bratislava, with Martin Jones, who gave the premiere of the first concerto in 1988. Francis’s second concerto was completed in 2013. Vocal studies professor Janis Kelly has appeared at the Royal Opera House as Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia. She also appears as Mrs Coyle (Owen Wingrave) and Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw) at Opera Toulouse. Junior Department composition teacher Jonathan Pitkin has contributed articles on ‘Cognitive Constraints’, ‘Gestalt’ and ‘Illusion’ to Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: an Encyclopedia, ed. William Forde Thompson (Sage Reference), which was published in August. HR Advisors Tim Rounding and Zamzam Ismail have been working with Emily Candler from the Exhibition Road Cultural Group (ERCG) and Fiona Richmond at Imperial College to organise a Mediation Network. The network, which aims to share mediation services and HR best practice across the ERCG, first met in October.

Junior Department teachers Sarah Francis and James Halsey have played with the Tagore String Trio leader Frances Mason (a Tagore Medal winner and RCM professor for many years), in the premiere recording of Stephen Dodgson’s Oboe Quartet. The recording, which also includes works by other RCM composers Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob, was made possible with financial assistance from the RVW Trust and is due for release by Heritage in November. A selection of chamber works by composition professor Joseph Horovitz has been released on a new CD from musica reanimata. The CD was recorded live at the Konzerthaus Berlin in 2012 and includes Joseph’s Sonatina for clarinet and piano and String Quartet no 5. He can also be heard on the CD in conversation with Dr Albrecht Dümling. Flute professor Susan Milan has had a concerto written for and dedicated to her by British composer Douglas Weiland. Scored for full orchestra, the premiere is planned for the 2015/16 season. She has also given a recital in Dortmund with piano professor Andrew Ball.

Robert Woolley’s latest CD, Handel and his English Contemporaries, has been released by Regent Records. Robert recorded the CD at St Mary and St Nicholas in Leatherhead, playing on the recently restored 1776 Thomas Parker organ. It is the first recording on this instrument since it was restored in 2007.

Piano professor Julian Jacobson has released a British Music Society sponsored CD on the Naxos label. The CD features music by his late father Maurice Jacobson, who studied at the RCM under Holst and Stanford. Julian has also been appointed Guest Professor at the University of Xiamen. The inaugural concert of the Exhibition Road Choir, a new ensemble made up of talented singers representing Albertopolis institutions, has taken place at St Stephen’s Church. Conducted by Stephen Johns, the choir sang music by Purcell, Stanford, Ireland and Walford Davies in the concert in October.

Alumni notes Two alumni have received major prizes at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Flautist Sir James Galway received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and conductor Sir Neville Marriner received a special Outstanding Achievement Award to mark his 90th birthday year and to celebrate his prolific recording career.

The Cavaleri Quartet has taken second place in the string quartet division of the Eighth Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet, featuring alumni Martyn Jackson, Ciaran McCabe, Ann Beilby and cellist Rowena Calvert, performed Schubert’s Death and the Maiden.

Thomas Blunt

Conductor Thomas Blunt has taken up the position of Erste Kapellmeister at Konzert Theater Bern. Future engagements in the role will include conducting a new production of Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte. Sir James Galway

Bass-baritone Gerald Finley has been appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. Established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, the Order of Canada is the centre of the Canadian Honours System and recognises a lifetime of achievement and dedication to the service of the nation.

Winner of the 2013 Royal Over-Seas League Competition, baritone Morgan Pearse has performed Schumann’s Liederkreis op 39 and Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel at Wigmore Hall. The concert also featured performances from other past winners of the competition including the Françoise-Green Piano Duo and soprano Elizabeth Watts.

Organist John Hosking’s new work Hommage à Paris, commissioned and performed by Martin Baker, has been premiered at Westminster Cathedral. A disc of John’s choral works has also been recorded by the Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge and the Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir for the Regent label.

Pianist Nicholas McCarthy has featured on the cover of International Piano magazine. He was also featured inside the magazine in an interview about his life and left-hand repertoire. 20

Organist Christopher Herrick has performed J S Bach’s complete works for organ in the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall in St Petersburg. He marshalled all of Bach’s works (about 900 minutes of music) into 12 programmes spread out over a period of five months. The last two concerts formed part of the 2014 International White Nights Festival. Composer Philip Moore’s An Evening Hymn has been included in Stainer & Bell’s new music series Choral Now, as have Edmund Joliffe’s Christus natus hodie, Follow the star, I will lay me down in peace, Lux aeterna and Sweet stay awhile. Harpist Michael Jefferies has celebrated 50 years of the UK Harp Association. As one of the original founders he has featured in United Kingdom Harp Magazine along with President Sioned Williams to mark the anniversary. Michael is pictured here with RCM alumna Sidonie Goossens, OBE, past president of the UK Harp Association. She was principal harpist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for more than 50 years and was considered one of the best harp players of her generation.

The Arensky Chamber Orchestra, founded by cellist Steffan Rees and conductor William Kunhardt, has given its Purcell Room debut. Their programme included chamber works by Richard Strauss and Schumann. Soprano Louise Alder has made her BBC Proms debut as Sophie in Richard Strauss’ opera Der Rosenkavalier. The production from Glyndebourne was conducted by new Music Director Robin Ticciati and featured an international cast.

Composer Ian Assersohn’s work Crossing the Bar for male voices and piano has been awarded First Prize in the Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival composition competition. Another work As the Rain Hides the Stars for a cappella choir has won the Nicola Dando Composition Competition run by the Music Makers of London.

Danny Driver

Pianist Danny Driver has performed Walton’s Sinfonia concertante at the BBC Proms. He was accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Charles Dutoit. This year he has also given solo and chamber concerts in the USA, Europe and China.

Michael Jefferies and Sidonie Goossens

Jane Streeton and Philip Raymond’s book entitled Singing on Stage: An Actor’s Guide has been published by RADA/ Methuen Drama series. The book is a companion for complete beginners as well as professional actors who wish to develop their understanding of singing on stage. The accessible and practical guide offers insight into the techniques and ideas which have been developed at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art over generations. Pianist Alistair Watson has authored a series of books called Playing With Scales. Published by Chester, the books provide accompaniments for scales to make the business of scale practice a more enjoyable and interactive experience for young learners. So far, six books have been published at Level One in the following instruments: Piano, Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet and Alto Sax.

Violist Isabel Villanueva has been awarded the Prix Albert Lullin by the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève in Switzerland. The award was given in recognition of her talents and artistic achievements.

Avril Anderson and David SuttonAnderson have composed works for belly dancers Charlotte Desorgher (pictured) and Itziar Ortiz de Landazuri. Contemporary music group Sounds Positive performed the works at the Bath Colourscape Festival. Their work has also been featured at the 25th Anniversary Clapham Common Colourscape Festival with new works premiered by the Alison Blunt Ensemble and Jane’s Minstrels.

Composer and clarinettist Helen Habershon has released a new album Found in the Sunlight on Arts Records with pianist John Lenehan and cellist Alexander Baillie. Many of the tracks were inspired by her late father and his poetry as well as Helen’s love of nature. Trombonist Matthew Gee has been awarded the Eduard Tschumi Prize from the Hochschule der Künste in Bern for the highest mark in the Soloist Diploma in 2014. Matthew has been travelling to Bern every few months for the past few years to complete this qualification, whilst also playing principal trombone with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Composer Oliver Rudland’s opera Pincher Martin has received rave reviews following its premiere in the RCM’s Britten Theatre. Based on the novel by William Golding, the opera featured starring roles for many RCM alumni. Pianist Alan Chu has performed as conductor and soloist with the Yao Yueh Chinese Orchestra in the world premiere of A Journey across Time, a double concerto for erhu and piano by Hong Kong composer Michael Leung.

Composer Benjamin Tassie’s The Anatomy of Melancholy has been performed at TestBed1 in Battersea. The opera about genetics, depression and mental health was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Arts Council. Violinist Aisha Syed has performed the world premiere of Algirdas Martinaitis’ new violin concerto with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra at the National Philharmonic Hall in Vilnius. She has also released her second album Virtuoso Sarasate, which features work by the Spanish composer. Composer Chris Roe has won Second Prize at the inaugural Oticons Faculty International Film Music Competition. His prize included a trip to the Krakow International Film Music Festival in September and the opportunity to take part in the festival’s five-day Film Music Workshop.

Composer Pedro Faria Gomes’ piece How Beastly the Bourgeois Is for soprano and orchestra was premiered by the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon in September. Conducted by Magnus Lindberg, the concert was recorded for broadcast by Portuguese radio. Gomes’ Drive for sextet has also received its public premiere in Portugal, performed by Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa.

Conductor Timothy Carey returns to Singapore Lyric Opera this season to conduct Lèhar’s The Merry Widow. He also directs Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto from the keyboard with Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra. Marie Schreer’s ensemble The Guastalla Quartet has released its second live album entitled One One One, recorded in Switzerland during a European tour. Marie’s contemporary violin duo ‘Mainly Two’ releases its debut double album Poetry & Synergy soon, featuring 13 violin duos written or arranged especially for them. Malcolm Pearce has released a recording on the Larigot label of the complete organ music of Sir George Dyson, former Director of the RCM. This is the first time that all 70 minutes of Dyson’s organ music has been released on the same disc.

Pedro Faria Gomes

Alistair Watson’s Playing With Scales

Charlotte Desorgher

Margaret Fingerhut’s latest recording for Chandos – a disc of piano encores – has received an ‘Outstanding’ accolade in International Record Review and was Editor’s Choice in Pianist Magazine. It was also ‘Featured Album of the Week’ on Classic FM. 21

Obituaries and births Obituaries World renowned conductor and composer Lorin Maazel died on 13 July in Virginia from complications following pneumonia. He had been at his home, Castleton Farms, rehearsing and preparing for his annual Castleton Festival, which he founded in 2009 to support young artists. RCM Artistic Director Stephen Johns commented: ‘For a number of years our students have been invited to take part in Lorin Maazel’s festival in Castleton, Virginia, and have experienced at first hand his generosity, warmth and inspirational conducting. At his last visit to the Royal College of Music, when he conducted Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, we were again reminded of his unique skills. He was a good friend of the RCM, and we are deeply saddened to hear of his passing.’ Mr Maazel had long associations with many of the world’s leading classical music institutions, including the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Munich Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera. He was the former Associate Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia, with whom the RCM regularly works. Christopher Hogwood CBE died on 24 September. Universally acknowledged as one of the most influential exponents of the historically informed early music movement, Christopher founded the Academy of Ancient Music in 1973. He was also a founder member of the Early Music Consort; keyboard player and soloist with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Artistic Director of the King’s Lynn Festival; Artistic Director of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston; a tutor at Harvard University; Principal Guest Conductor of the Kammerorchester Basel; Professor of Music at Gresham College, London; Honorary Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge; and Andrew D White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University in the USA. He remained a close supporter of the RCM, and Director Colin Lawson reflected: ‘He was such a brilliant man, and a real inspiration across theory and practice. It was always a pleasure to make music with him in the studio and concert hall.’ The RCM was delighted to see him awarded an honorary doctorate from HRH The Prince of Wales in 2013. Alumnus David Leeke has died aged 57. David studied at the RCM from 1977–8 and went on to become a highly regarded church musician with a long association with the Royal School of Church Music. He was Organist of Shrewsbury Abbey 22

and Director of The Linden Singers. He was given the honorary award of Associate of the RSCM in recognition of his contribution to the work of the school and to church music in Britain and Europe. He was also a Senior Examiner for ABRSM. He remained a great supporter of the RCM throughout his life and had been an RCM Friend for many years. RCM alumnus, former violin professor and Fellow Jack Steadman, has died. Jack came to the RCM first as a member of the Junior Department, then studied the violin under Albert Sammons, and later went on to become a professor for many years, taking responsibility for the Strings faculty, and was awarded the FRCM in 1972. Jack was a remarkable violinist; he played with the LSO for 34 years, later becoming their Chairman from 1968–70. He was also an excellent and inspirational teacher, who is very fondly remembered by his students. RCM alumnus and former oboe professor, Roger Lord, has died. After being a chorister at Durham Cathedral, he studied oboe as a Foundation Scholar at the RCM in 1942, interrupting his studies in 1944–5 to serve in the RAF. After leaving the RCM he played with the BBC Midland Orchestra and then the LPO. He was also a member of the Prometheus Ensemble and Musica de Camera. He joined the LSO as Principal Oboe in 1953, a post he held until his retirement in 1986. He was a much-loved oboe professor at the RCM and taught here from 1978–91. Yuriko Murakami, RCM alumna and Junior Department teacher, has died. Born in Japan, Yuriko’s talent brought her at the age of seven to England to study the piano with Vera Yelverton. She returned to Japan four years later to continue her studies, going on to win the All Japan Piano Contest, but was invited back to England to play with the National Youth Orchestra. In 1969, when she was 15, Yuriko applied to the RCM, where she studied under professors Kendall Taylor and Cyril Smith, winning many competitions, including the Chappell Gold Medal in 1972. She won the Croydon Symphony Orchestra Soloist Award in 1974 and her Wigmore Hall debut was in November 1976. Throughout her life she strove to be an ambassador for Japan. She joined the RCM Junior Department in 1982, and received her MMus from the RCM in 1989. She was a much-loved piano teacher with a truly holistic and caring approach.

RCM alumna and former Junior Department teacher, Rhuna Martin, has died aged 82. Rhuna was educated at the Holy Rosary Convent, Dundee, Zululand, where she took her first cello lessons. At the age of 20, she won a scholarship to study cello at the RCM. She graduated in 1956 and soon after joined the RCMJD. She spent time as co-principal cellist at Sadler’s Wells Opera and was one of the founder members of the Northern Sinfonia before returning to teaching. RCM alumna Miriam Doreen Cannell MBE (nee Cranswick), has died aged 97. After studying singing at the RCM, Miriam brought classical music to Norfolk for 44 years, in her role as Secretary and Programme Organiser of the Norfolk and Norwich Music Club. She was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 1991 for services to music. Josie Susanne Nankivell Tute (nee Aylett) has died aged 82. Josie studied at the RCM and in London, gaining an LRAM, ARCM and a Dalcroze Certificate. She subsequently taught at Maria Assumpta College in Kensington. Between 1963–8 she taught music, movement and dance at a convent in Malaysia and even sponsored one of her pupils to study at the RCM. On her return to England Josie continued teaching and playing viola in local orchestras but following an accident turned her hand to flower arranging. Former Junior Department student, Belinda Verity Rawlings has died aged 40. Belinda studied in the RCMJD from 1985–92 before going on to study at Birmingham Conservatoire. She ran a flourishing teaching practice in Marlow.

Births

Violin professors Natalia Lomeiko and Yuri Zhislin welcomed their first child Anya in June.

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