Strings at The Academy: Autumn 2014

Maxim Vengerov performs with viola student Timothy Ridout
Yan Pascal Tortellier rehearses Academy Symphony Orchestra
Strings at the
Academy
Autumn 2014
An update from Jo Cole, Head of Strings
With Halloween and Bonfire Night giving
way to the approach of the Christmas
holidays we look forward to the arrival
of eager candidates hoping to start an
Academy journey when auditions take over
the building once the term has ended. We
eagerly anticipate hearing the performances
of strings applicants and hope you enjoy
your visit to the Academy!
Solo playing
We are just pausing for breath at this point
in the Autumn term after starting the year
with a cascade of master classes: Tasmin
Little, Igor Ozim, Levon Chilingirian,
Maxim Vengerov, Daniel Hope, Ralph
Kirshbaum and Joel Quarrington have
already delivered an array of inspiring and
eye-opening public lessons timed to avoid
clashes with the exceptional orchestral
calendar which has kicked off with
Edward Gardners Poulenc and Messiaen
and Robin Ticciatis recent formidable
programme of Schumann and Berlioz. Garth
Knox has made the first of three visits this
year to explore Ligetis Solo sonata with our
viola students a key work which merits
this close focus. We celebrated 15 years of
Colin Carrs teaching at the Academy with a
public master class to coincide with his
recent stunning Wigmore Hall recital, and
he will be maintaining his frequent teaching
visits through the year. A regular flow of
illustrious visiting artists continues in the
Masterclass with Daniel Hope
New Year, with Olivier

Charlier, Igor Ozim, Atar
Arad and distinguished
Academy alumnus, Ning
Feng recently made
a Fellow of the Royal
Academy of Music coming
through the door. Stephen
Isserlis makes a second visit to the
Academy this year for a public master class,
following his moving contribution playing
in the Trench Cello presentation as part of
the Academys series of varied events and
stories associated with the First World War.
In addition to his regular termly work with
our violin students, Maxim Vengerov has
just performed Tchaikowsky Serenade for
Strings and Mozarts Sinfonia Concertante
for violin and viola - alongside current
viola student Tim Ridout winner of
the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola
Competition with the Academy Chamber
Orchestra. Maxim will be taking a double
bass performance class next term as
part of his role as Menuhin Professor of
Music illustrating perfectly his animated
engagement with the entire department!
Theres much more to look forward to in the
months to come... see www.ram.ac.uk or
the Diary of Events for details of dates of
classes and tickets for public performances.
This year new students have come to study
with us in London from
within the UK, from
Europe and from the
States, Australia, New
Zealand, Japan, China,
Canada, South Korea,
Hong Kong, Singapore,
Brazil
Their new life is now
underway and they are
very welcome indeed.
New professors, violinist
Giovanni Guzzo and
cellist Christoph Richter
are teaching this year,
and we are delighted to
confirm that Dominic
Seldis has now taken up full teaching duties

after a wonderful contribution for many
years as a Visiting Professor. It is a treat to
see him working here frequently with our 15
dedicated and enthusiastic bass students.
Since September, over one hundred loans
have been approved from the Academys
Instrument Collection to string players. The
unique collection of state-ofthe art new
instruments commissioned from todays
finest international luthiers by the Calleva
Foundation for the use of Academy
students is growing and will feature in a
showcase concert in February.
Chamber Music
Seven brand new first year undergraduate
chamber groups are up and running
involving all the first year violins, violas and
cellists and three first year pianists. Their
chamber music lessons and classes with
David Smith of the Alberni Quartet have
started. The Artesian Quartet CAVATINA
Chamber Music Fellows for 2014 -15 are
using their mentoring to interact regularly
with these freshly forged young teams.
The Chamber Music Speed Dating Event
took place in the second week of term. This
is the first opportunity for new postgraduate
students to meet new ensemble colleagues,
and for current students who need to find
new members for their groups, to enjoy
playing together in a (very) informal and nonchallenging environment! Emerging quartets
and trios from this process are taking root.
Auditions have taken place for the hotly
contested Davey-Posnanski Scheme a
fast-track training programme, funded by
generous donors, giving four serious quartets
access to more intensive coaching and
mentoring support from specialist ensemble
Duet: in conversation
Last week I tracked down our muchloved and respected violin professor
Gyorgy Pauk to ask him about his life as
legendary performer and teacher:
You are the Ede Zathureczky
Professor of Violin at the Academy
can you tell us about him? Was he a
great inspiration for you?
Zathureczky was the biggest inspiration
of my studies. He was a great violinist, a
student of the founder and successor of
the Hungarian violin school, Jeno Hubay.
He performed often as a young man, with
Bela Bartok and gave concerts in many
European cities until the communists
barred him. He was not married at that
time and they were afraid that he would
defect. He finally did after the Hungarian
Revolution in 1956 and became Professor
at Indiana University until his very early
death. He was a great musician and
human being, and a father figure to me as
I lost my parents in the war.
You have many distinguished past
students scattered all over the world
do you stay in touch? What sort of
work are they doing?
Many of my students all over the world
stay in touch with me often and ask for
my advice or just send me greetings.
I am proud that my former students

Maureen Smith, Philip Honor and Sophie
Langdon now teach at the Academy
themselves: this is a nice legacy to
leave! Others: Marianne Thorsen (Nash
Ensemble), Tamas Andras (RPO), Lucy
Gould (Gould trio), Thomas Gould (Aurora
Orchestra), Katalin Varnagy (LPO), Lu Lu,
Grace Lee (Philharmonia), Sara Troback
(concertmaster Goteborg SO), Qian Wu
(Wu quartet), Charlotte Bonneton, Galya
Bisengalieva all performing at very high
levels and many Japanese violinists
in orchestras in Japan, Germany and
Switzerland, some teaching in the
US, and Mengla Huang in Shanghai
Conservatory. This is just to name a few!
What is the biggest change you have

noticed in the music world during
your prestigious career?
The biggest change for me is the
influence from baroque to the present
performing style. Very positive! Sadly I
also observe that the way of playing quite
often has changed into a show, playing
louder and faster than anybody else ,
missing a real personality. (for example in
major competitions .... )
What is your favourite thing to do
when you are not playing or teaching?
When not playing I relax with exercise,
walking and watching sport especially
football, and Manchester United.
You have taught as a visiting master

all over the world why do you think
so many young musicians want to
come to London to study?
The main reason of young musicians
wanting to London is the reputation of
the English Music Academies and the
individual names of teachers.
Do you get nervous when you go to
your own students performances?
I dont get nervous listening to my
students but I live through every note
during their performances. I can be quite
critical sometimes, always trying to learn
from the mistakes they make.
Jurowsky, Nicholas Collon, Sir Mark

Elder, Oliver Knussen, Trevor Pinnock
and Semyon Bychkov - a pretty remarkable
line-up to maintain our professional quality
orchestral training.
Academy Cello Ensemble with Josephine Knight and Felix Schmidt
coaches, and high profile performance

opportunities both within the Academy and
outside. This year three brand new quartets
the Vuillaume, Melansan and Laghetto
Quartets have been successful, and join the
returning Halcyon Quartet. Their mentor
guides will be Richard Ireland, Jon Thorne,
Christoph Richter and Martin Outram.
October saw another welcome project under
the guidance of Levon Chilingirian who is
again Chamber Music artist-in-residence.
As well as working with quartets and trios,
duo sonata repertoire for all strings and
piano receives his guidance and inspirational
teaching throughout the year.
The first String Quartet Study Day under
the guidance of the Skampa Quartet takes
place on November 23rd.The Jorgenson
Trio will be the Academys representatives
at the Cavatina Intercollegiate Piano Trio
competition, and the Halcyon Quartet will
represent the Academy in the International
String Quartet Festival in Greenwich. Trio

Owon will be visiting early on in January to
work with our increasing number of serious
piano trios.
There are over seventy student ensembles
with strings at the Academy and they have
access to superb teaching, an outstanding
library, and performance opportunities in
abundance. The Academy Cello Ensemble
goes from strength to strength under the
guidance of Josephine Knight and Felix
Schmidt. The external engagement office
constantly seeks groups for a huge variety
of events and concerts. Even if it werent a
compulsory part of the course, it would be
very difficult not to be a chamber musician at
the Academy!
The orchestral diary of event in 2014 2015
features an extraordinary register of some
of the greatest conducting names working
in the entire music world today: Edward
Gardner, Robin Ticciati and Marin Alsop
will be followed in 2015, by Vladimir
On a final note this term has seen the

start of a great new influence in the strings
department: Emily Good has joined me
in running the department as Strings
Administrator and is already a great support
and cheerful, positive and congenial
colleague. She is often
the first port of call for
students with problems
and she negotiates this
in an amazingly effective
and constructive way.
Welcome Emily and
thank you already!
Call in and see us at
the Academy theres
always something going
on in term time and
we love visitors!
Jo Cole
Head of Strings

Strings at The Academy: Autumn 2014

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Strings at The Academy: Autumn 2014

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Strings at The Academy: Autumn 2014

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Maxim Vengerov performs with viola student Timothy Ridout

Yan Pascal Tortellier rehearses Academy Symphony Orchestra

Masterclass with Daniel Hope

New Year, with Olivier

Seldis has now taken up full teaching duties

I am proud that my former students

What is the biggest change you have

You have taught as a visiting master

Jurowsky, Nicholas Collon, Sir Mark

Academy Cello Ensemble with Josephine Knight and Felix Schmidt

coaches, and high profile performance

String Quartet Festival in Greenwich. Trio

On a final note this term has seen the

You might also like