High spirits in Gstaad (see back page)

The International Music School founded by Yehudi Menuhin
www.yehudimenuhinschool.co.uk — Registered Charity 312010 — Newsletter 55 — Summer 2013
— Welcoming the organ
The new chamber organ, generously donated by the
Friends, was well and truly put through its paces
on 18 May in an inaugural concert featuring James
O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at
Westminster Abbey and one of the world’s leading
recitalists. As well as playing solo pieces by Froberger,
Kuhnau, Purcell and Byrd, James performed with
students as continuo player in works by Purcell, Bach
and Handel, and as the soloist, with the School’s junior
orchestra, in a Handel organ concerto.
Photo credit: Angela Stockbridge
We are extremely grateful to our Friends for the
generous donations which made the purchase of the
organ possible. Many of them came on stage to inspect
the result of their investment. From the quality of the
music and the warmth of their applause, I feel sure
that they will have been more than satisfied.
— High spirits in Gstaad
(see back page)
Photo credit: Richard Hillier
Director of Music Malcolm Singer wrote a work
specially for the occasion. Scored for double string
quintet and organ, Woodstock’s Whistle (named after
the organ’s builder Vincent Woodstock) included
passages where the organ’s stops were left half-open
(producing the ‘whistle’) and where the blower was
switched off and the sound died away, producing
mysterious harmonics. James wrote afterwards: ‘It
was a joy to play with your students and to have the
chance to play a brand new piece.’
Photo credit: Elaine Hillier
— Musical Notes
— Classes from the masters
Photo credit: Elaine Hillier
Photo credit: Angela Stockbridge
The School celebrated Founder’s Day - the anniversary
of Lord Menuhin’s birth on 22 April 1916 - in fine style
this year with a concert given by violinist Zakhar Bron,
pianist Irina Vinogradova and YMS cello professor
Thomas Carroll. Zakhar Bron had a busy two days of
masterclasses with our students: an inspiring start to the
Summer Term.
Congratulations, too, to bassist Philip Nelson (17) who
won equal first prize at the International Society of
Bassists Convention in Rochester, New York for the best
performance of a piece by Bottesini and was placed
second in the 15-18 section of the competition. Philip,
together with Marcus Gaved (14), also participated in
workshops and had time for an excursion to Niagara Falls.
And just before the end of term pianist Sohyun Park won
through to the final stages of the Norah Sande Award at
the Eastbourne Festival. Well done to them all.
— Concerts from north to south
YMS students performed as soloists throughout the
country this summer. In the first week of term, Cansin
Kara (17) was performing in a concert of chamber music
by young Turkish musicians at St James’s Piccadilly in
London (together with alumna Nazli Erdogan (2012)),
exciting considerable interest in the Turkish press.
Photo credit: Angela Stockbridge
Soon afterwards the bass players were treated to two days
of teaching from Paul Ellison, Lynette S Autrey Professor
of Double Bass and Chair of Strings at Rice University’s
Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas.
And the end of term saw a return visit from Jonathan
Leathwood, who brought with him YMS alumni Tom
Ellis and Laura Snowden for a day of classes with our
guitarists.
— Competition successes
Many congratulations to Elvina Auh (13) who won the
class for her age-group (those born 1997-2001) in the
Andrea Postacchini Violin Competition, held annually in the
town of Fermo, Italy. Well done, too, to Louisa Staples (13)
who also reached the final stage of the competition.
Photo credit: Andrea Postacchini Competition
In the same week, Juliette Roos (17) performed the Bruch
violin concerto with the City of Southampton Orchestra
in the beautiful and historic setting of Romsey Abbey.
Afterwards one concert-goer wrote: ‘Congratulations
to Juliette on a fabulous performance - it was heartstoppingly brilliant!’ On the same day as Juliette played
in Hampshire, William Dutton (18) played Tartini’s Devil’s
Trill in Leeds at an event staged by ESTA (European String
Teachers Association) whose organiser commented on
Will’s inspiring ‘playing, professionalism and maturity’.
Later in the term, Sam Staples (16) gave a recital in
Grays Inn Chapel, whilst Juliette also performed The
Lark Ascending in Canterbury Cathedral with Canterbury
Choral Society, whose conductor called her playing
‘exquisite, controlled and uplifting’.
— Haim: UNESCO ambassador
Photo credit: Richard Hillier
Photo credit: Elaine Hillier
As Haim Choi (17) prepared for her performance of the
Tchaikovsky violin concerto with the Thames Philharmonia
in Teddington in June, she had no idea that, following
her encore performance of Arirang, a traditional
folksong from her homeland of South Korea, she would
be appointed as a UNESCO cultural ambassador by a
UNESCO representative present at the concert – the first
ambassador under 40 in 60 years! Well done indeed, Haim.
The orchestra also played in concerts in The Menuhin
Hall, both as part of our Summer Festival and at an event
held in aid of the Forces Children’s Trust, as well as taking
part in the Harwich Festival (where the students enjoyed
being part of a ‘drowned piano’ installation on the beach)
and Music at Leamington Hastings (in Warwickshire),
and finally travelling to the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad
just after the end of term, where they were joined by YMS
alumna Alina Ibragimova. A wonderful way to end
a busy term.
— Demidenko delights
Photo credit: Elaine Hillier
Photo credit: William Dutton
Former YMS professor Nikolai Demidenko (above with
current YMS professor Ruth Nye and alumna and staff
pianist Akiko Chiba) returned to the School to give a
sensational concert in a packed Menuhin Hall on 7
May. Rapturous and prolonged applause meant that a
programme of Beethoven, Rachmaninov and Chopin was
followed by no fewer than four encores.
— Showcasing percussion
Showcase concert regulars were treated to a feast
of percussion when YMS students were joined by
percussionist Simon Limbrick in performances of their
own compositions, inspired by the workshop he held at
the School in the Spring term. Works by Maxim Calver
(13), Nicole Petrus Barracks (15), Philip Nelson, Cansin
Kara and Daniel Penney (14) rubbed shoulders with
masterpieces by Tartini, Beethoven and Mozart.
— Orchestral Outings
This term saw the School orchestra performing its
summer programme both locally, further afield and
abroad. The first concert of the summer season came in
front of an appreciative audience at the Banstead Festival.
Starting with Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and ending
with Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, the programme also
included Bach’s A minor violin concerto (soloist Chloe
Stowers-Veitch, (19)) and Peteris Vasks’s violin concerto
Distant Light (soloist Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux (17)).
Festival Chairman Stephen Oliver wrote afterwards: ‘Our
audience knows that whatever the orchestra is due to play
will be exhilarating, so they arrived in droves and were
thrilled once again.’
— Outreach
Musicians from the School this term visited various
care homes in the area - Cedar Court in Cranleigh, the
SeeAbility group in Leatherhead, and Sunrise Care Home
in Banstead where one of our long-standing and most
loyal Friends, Muriel Holyman, is a resident.
Kevin Loh (15), Evie Calver (11), Cansin Kara, Rosie
Bennet (17), Dorothea Schupelius (17) and Ju Yeon Chae
(18) also visited the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher
to play to the day patients there. After chatting to the
patients (and enjoying tea and cakes!), they played again
in the main foyer so that they could be heard in their
rooms by those patients too ill to attend the concert. One
of the nurses conveyed the thanks of a young man who
had arrived just that day: a keen concert-goer, hearing
the students’ playing had helped him to feel more settled
in his new surroundings.
This year’s outreach programme concluded with the
summer Schools Concerts in the Menuhin Hall, featuring
YMS students as well as the ‘Chance to Play’ students
from Cobham Free School, ably tutored by Oscar Perks
and Chloe Stowers-Veitch.
— Welcome to
our new pupils
— Hugo Haag
11, violin, UK
— Leonardo Jaffe
15, violin, Brazil
— Yuriko Matsuda
15, violin, Japan
— Joseph Pritchard
13, cello, UK
— Varvara Sevortyan
15, piano, Russia
— Tom Yang
8, piano, UK
— And the rest
— Out and about with the Ds
In July the youngest pupils took part in a science day in
Crawley - The Big Bang South East – which culminated in
a show of ‘magical’ science demonstrations and illusions,
full of mystery, suspense and laughs! Evie Calver writes: ‘I
enjoyed visiting the reptile and amphibian tent. One snake
was so big it took four of us to support it. I touched a boa
constrictor, held (and dropped!) a cockroach and looked at
a tarantula.’ Hugo Haag (11) comments: ‘Some scientists
helped us measure how strong our grip was. Most of us
found that our writing hand was the strongest. We also
measured our lung capacities.’ Coco Tomita (11) adds: ‘We
were given the challenge of building a free-standing tower
with straws, card, tape and paper. My group could not even
get the tower to stand but it was great fun anyway.’ Tom
Yang (8) writes: ‘One of my favourite things was a yellow
McLaren car, which cost £250,000! There was also a Dalek
which kept following people along paths, a moving traffic
cone and a water robot, which shot water at everyone. Its
operator must have been having great fun!’
Photo credit: Janet Poppe
Photo credit: Angela Stockbridge
Summer
Term
Awards
Maths Challenge
Intermediate Silver
Kevin Loh, Ler Ler Ma
Intermediate Bronze
Sergio Bucheli, Marcus Gaved,
David Horvat, Joon Hurh, Leyla
Cemiloglu
Junior Silver
Katie Morgan
Junior Bronze
Joseph Pritchard,
Louisa Staples
Evie Calver writes: ‘In June we spent a day at the
Milestones Museum of Living History in Basingstoke
looking at life in Victorian times. Our first activity was
trying on Victorian clothes. Coco and I dressed up as
Headmaster’s
Commendations
Evie Calver, Coco Tomita,
Tom Yang, Will Duerden,
Maxim Calver, Songha Choi,
Katie Morgan, Natasha Petrovic,
Louisa Staples, Otoha Tabata,
Elvina Auh, Barys Chmel,
Sao Soulez Larivière, Daniel
Penney, Katherine Yoon
Distinction Certificates
Maxim Calver, Songha Choi,
Katie Morgan, Natasha Petrovic,
Joseph Pritchard, Louisa
Staples, Otoha Tabata, Elvina
Auh, Sao Soulez Larivière, Daniel
Penney, Katherine Yoon, Sergio
Bucheli, Dillon Jeffares
Effort Prizes
Coco Tomita, Tom Yang,
Daniel Penney, Otoha Tabata,
Dillon Jeffares, Nicole Petrus
Barracks, Daisy Gilfillan,
Sarah Kim
Brackenbury Awards
Otoha Tabata, Sarah Padday,
Ursula Perks, Natasha Petrovic,
Chloe Stowers-Veitch, Thea Butterworth,
Breanainn O Mathuna, Katie Morgan,
Louisa Staples, Sergio Bucheli,
Songha Choi, Cosima Soulez Larivière,
Helena Dawn Yah, Philip Nelson, Barys
Chmel, Evie Calver, Nicole Petrus
Barracks, Kevin Loh, Ler Ler Ma,
Phoebe Goddard, Tom Yang,
Will Duerden, Coco Tomita,
Leyla Cemiloglu
maids, Tom wore a sailor suit and Hugo was a country-boy.
There were life-size streets you could walk through. We
went inside shops, a fire station and the railway ticketoffice and watched a play in which a woman pleaded with
the wife of the factory owner not to be evicted from the
family’s tied cottage because her husband had been off
work ill for four days. We tried to vote to stop the family
being sent to the workhouse, but we were told children
couldn’t vote. Janet laughed until she was told that women
had no vote either! We also visited a Victorian games
arcade and consulted a gipsy fortune-teller. It was a very
exciting day.’
Photo credit: Leonid Plashinov Johnson
— Student
farewells
— Jamal Aliyev
continuing his studies with Thomas Carroll
at the Royal College of Music
— Ju Yeon Chae
Photo credit: Janet Poppe
— A different kind of practice
Jenny Dexter, Duke of Edinburgh coordinator, reports from
the Lake District on the practice expedition for the gold
award: ‘We had a really good time and I was impressed
with the students’ commitment and hard work. The
walking was really tough but they all rose to the challenge.
We camped out on the mountainside for two nights and
had all sorts of weather, including 60mph winds and
beautiful sun. They students worked well as a team and
kept each other going when it got difficult. We are looking
forward now to the assessment week in July!’
taking a gap year before applying to college/
university in the autumn
— Yume Fujise
studying with Boris Kuschnir in Vienna
— Daisy Gilfillan
reading English at Worcester College, Oxford
— Sarah Kim
studying with Andrew Ball at the Royal
College of Music
— Kellija Moncaka
auditioning later this month at the Latvian
Academy of Music in Riga
— Rosalind Phang
studying with Bernd Goetzke at the
Hochschule für Theater und Musik in
Hannover
— Juliette Roos
studying with Pavel Vernikov at the
Conservatoire of Lausanne
Photo credit: Dan Dexter
— Exams are over!
The end of the exam period was celebrated with a
barbecue and traditional whole-school cricket match
followed by a party in Harris House for the A group
students. On a balmy evening some pupils sat outside in
the garden while others danced to the Beatles. A ritual
burning of mock papers set the seal on an excellent day.
— Chloe Stowers-Veitch
continuing her studies with Simon Fischer at
the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
— Bella Tang
studying with Christopher Elton at the Royal
Academy of Music
— Wei Ting Wu
continuing his studies with Lutsia
Ibragimova at the Royal College of Music
— Helena Dawn Yah
continuing her studies with Natasha
Boyarsky at the Royal College of Music
Photo credit: LucyAnn Curling
In addition, Barys Chmel will be continuing his
musical studies at the Belarusian State Academy
of Music in Minsk. We wish all our leavers the
very best for the future.
— Staff News
We shall miss them all and wish them all the very best for
the future.
— Happy 60th birthday, Malcolm!
— Arts club prize for Bart
Photo credit: Richard Lewisohn
Cello professor and alumnus Bartholomew LaFollette
has been awarded the inaugural Classical Music Award
by The Arts Club in collaboration with Decca Records.
Congratulations, Bart.
The 60th birthday of Director of Music Malcolm Singer
was celebrated with a concert on 13 July consisting of
performances (by students and staff) of Malcolm’s music
from the last forty years. These included Opening Rites
(2006), created for the opening of The Menuhin Hall, and
the spoken Fugue (1974) which Malcolm wrote whilst
a student at Cambridge. A special gift was a musical
board game, devised by YMS teacher Oscar Colomina i
Bosch, which followed the course of Malcolm’s career and
where landing on a square prompted the performance
of a snippet of music specially composed by Malcolm’s
colleagues and former pupils. Friends and family flew
in to Stoke d’Abernon from all over the world and the
concert was followed by a most enjoyable and convivial
party.
— Simon on the Fringe
Simon Larter-Evans, Housemaster of Harris House, will
be playing English master Basil Spears in David Hare’s
play Southdowns with a group from St Edward’s School,
Oxford at the Edinburgh Fridge. The play is based on
Hare’s own experience of being a scholarship boy at
Lancing College in the 1960s and runs from 19 to 22
August at The Space, 63 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh EH1
1DH. Catch it if you can!
— Staff welcomes and farewells
Joining the staff this term were Simon Larter-Evans
(formerly at St Edward’s, Oxford) who moved into Harris
House as Housemaster, with his wife Dawn, and also took
over as English Teacher; Ann Sweeney, who is now our
resident Senior School Nurse (previously at St George’s,
Weybridge); and Wendy Gabriel, who is the new Box
Office Assistant in The Menuhin Hall. We are very glad
indeed to welcome them to the School.
— Alumni News
Nicholas Logie (1967) has just been awarded a PhD by the
Open University for his thesis on ‘the role of leadership in
conducting orchestras’. He writes: ‘This info might amuse
some contemporary colleagues from my YMS years:
during my four years at School, academic achievement
was not one of my priorities!’ If there are any aspiring
conductors who would be interested in reading the thesis,
let us know and we can put you in contact.
Antonio Lysy (1979) has been touring the US, Canada and
Europe with a multimedia project dedicated to his father
Alberto Lysy and entitled Te Amo, Argentina. This year
also marks the 25th anniversary of the festival Incontri in
Terra di Siena he founded in Tuscany.
Lisa Öberg (2001) is moving to Switzerland in the
summer to take up her post as co-principal of the Argovia
Philharmonic.
Photo credit:
Jules Lawrence
Photo credit:
Angela Stockbridge
We said farewell in July to the following staff: Lisa Öberg,
former pupil and assistant violin teacher since 2008, who
is moving to Switzerland; Nathan Williamson, a much
valued member of the general music teaching team
since 2005, as well as a fine pianist in his own right; and
Jeanne Rourke, who has been with us for just two terms
as a temporary, but immensely popular, history teacher.
Also leaving us is Lauren Garrett, the tireless and
dedicated Administrator of the Friends of the School, who
is returning with her family to her native New Zealand.
Anna Harpham (2002) gave birth to a daughter Eleanor
Jane on 9 July. Mother and baby are both doing very well.
Alina Ibragimova (2003) performed with the YMS
Orchestra at the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad as soloist in
Peteris Vasks’s violin concerto Distant Light and the Bach
A minor concerto.
Laura Snowden (2008) has just been awarded the first
ever scholarship from the Julian Bream Trust, enabling
her to fund her postgraduate guitar studies at the Royal
College of Music. Laura also took part in the Bath Guitar
Festival at the end of July, giving a solo recital, as well as
performing with Tom Ellis (2007).
Aisha Syed (2009) took a break from her studies at the
Royal College of Music this term to perform in an Alumni
Showcase concert in The Menuhin Hall with YMS staff
pianist Nigel Hutchison, in the presence of the Dominican
Republic’s ambassador, Dr Federico Alberto Cuello
Camilo and his wife. The Dominican Republic is clearly
very proud of Aisha - and so are we.
Photo credit: Elaine Hillier
— Governor News
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death on
12 April of Sir John Burgh aged 87. As well as being a
governor and vice-chairman, John was secretary of the
Opera Committee at Covent Garden, chairman of the
National Opera Co-ordinating Committee, and chairman
of the board of the Royal School of Music. John had a
distinguished career in the Civil Service and served as
PPS to such figures as George Brown, Barbara Castle and Shirley Williams. John later became Director-General
of the British Council and president of Trinity College,
Oxford. The wisdom of John’s counsel and warmth of his
friendship will be much missed by us all.
More sad news followed when we heard that
Mark Sheldon, governor from 1995 to 2011, had died on
3 May aged 82. Mark was senior partner at Linklaters
solicitors in London and towards the end of his time there
was Chairman of the Law Council. His legal expertise was
greatly valued by the School.
Two new governors were appointed to the governing body
this June. Stuart Mitchell enjoyed successful careers
at Morgan Grenfell Asset Management and J O Hambro
Investment Management before setting up S W Mitchell
Capital LLP. Stuart has taken on the important role of
Chairman of the School’s Appeal Committee. Andrew
Hunter Johnston has led both the Managed Funds and
Charities Teams at BlackRock Investments UK and is
Chairman of the Holst Singers and a trustee of the Ralph
Vaughan Williams Trust. Andrew will serve on both the
Appeal and Finance and General Purposes Committees.
May 2013 saw the publication of The Nibelung Ballad,
a new retelling in verse of the story of Wagner’s Ring by
YMS Chairman of Governors Richard Morris. The text,
published to coincide with the composer’s bicentenary,
is enhanced by drawings by Richard’s daughter Hatty.
Copies cost £7.50 and are available at selected retail
outlets, including the Royal Opera House shop, and online
at: amazon.co.uk/The-Nibelung-Ballad-Story-Wagners/
dp/1481964704.
Tuesday 10 September 2013
Tasmin Little & Friends
Tasmin Little (violin), Susie Meszaros
(viola), Paul Watkins (cello),
Timothy Gibbs (double bass),
Melvyn Tan (piano)
Tuesday 26 November 2013
Akiko Ono & Friends
Akiko Ono (violin),
Sidonie Bougamont (violin),
Rebecca Brown (viola),
Matthijs Broersma (cello),
Per Rundberg (piano)
50th Anniversary Celebration
Concerts in The Menuhin Hall
Many thanks to all of our
eminent alumni who have
agreed to perform in a special
series of concerts to celebrate
our 50th birthday and support
our Anniversary Appeal.
To purchase tickets please
book online at
www.menuhinhall.info or call
the Box Office on 08700 842020.
Saturday 11 January 2014
Colin Carr & Friends
Rosemary Warren-Green (violin),
Krysia Osostowicz (violin),
Garfield Jackson (viola),
Colin Carr (cello),
Mary Wu (piano)
Saturday 8 Febuary 2014
Thomas Carroll & Friends
Corina Belcea (violin),
Rafal Zambrzycki Payne (violin),
Kostia Boyarsky (viola)
Carla Maria Rodriguez (viola),
Thomas Carroll (cello), Jun Sasaki (cello),
Alex Scott (double bass),
Anthony Hewitt (piano)
Tuesday 4 March 2014
Nicola Benedetti & Friends (Sold Out)
Nicola Benedetti (violin),
Leonard Elschenbroich (cello),
Wu Qian (piano)
Tuesday 22 April 2014
Melvyn Tan & Friends
Elisabeth Perry (violin), Ning Kam (violin),
Simon Rowland-Jones (viola),
Niall Brown (cello), Melvyn Tan (piano)
Tuesday 15 May 2014
Valeriy Sokolov & Friends
Valeriy Sokolov (violin),
David McCarroll (violin),
Vladimir Maistorovici (violin),
Tetsuumi Nagata (violin),
Pau Codina (cello),
Miho Kawashima (piano)
Sunday 22 June 2014
Alina Ibragimova & Friends
Alina Ibragimova (violin),
Ben Marquise Gilmore (viola),
Bartholomew LaFollette (cello),
Charles Owen (piano)
Photo credit: Angela Stockbridge
— From the
Headmaster
After an end of term marked by some hugely enjoyable
concerts – including the sparkling evening in the
Wigmore Hall, masterfully planned as ever by Director
of Music Malcolm Singer - the orchestra flew out
to Switzerland to perform in the Menuhin Festival
in Gstaad. Blessed with excellent weather and
appreciative audiences, the students were a credit to
themselves and the School.
One concert took place in glorious sunshine
(accompanied by the sound of cowbells and bleating
goats) at the top of the Wispile mountain, the other in
the more formal but no less beautiful setting of the
church in Saanen, where the orchestra was joined by
YMS alumna Alina Ibragimova. It was a joy to have her
with us: the students, no less than the audience, hung
on her every note and she in turn seemed to delight in
making music with them, as do all of our alumni when
they return to the School.
Alina will be returning to The Menuhin Hall again in the
course of the next year as one of the performers in our
50th Anniversary Celebration Concerts (a full list can be
found in the alumni section of this newsletter). These
eight concerts promise to be very special indeed. I hope
very much that you will be able to come and help us
celebrate our fiftieth birthday!
Elaine joins me in hoping that the fine weather
continues and you enjoy a relaxing summer.
— Anniversary Appeal Update
Since our appeal began in 2012 many of you
have donated generously towards our bursary
fund. The aim of this fund is to enable the
School to offer places based solely on a young
person’s musical potential, ensuring that those
deserving of the opportunity are able to study at a
prestigious specialist music school like ours.
Over the last year we have raised £580,000
towards our bursary fund. We are particularly
grateful for the support given by Mrs Hilary
Cowan, who frequently attends concerts in The
Menuhin Hall with her mother Mrs Margaret
Slade OBE who herself has been a Friend of the
School for many years. Mrs Cowan’s donation
helped us significantly to reach our first half
million for the bursary fund. We also appreciate
the support of the Ronald and Rita McAulay
Foundation who have donated to the appeal by
offering a 100% bursary to enable a student from
East Asia to study at the School for the crucial
seven terms before they qualify for a Music and
Dance Scheme bursary. The Estate of Mrs Jean
Whiteley this year bequeathed a significant legacy
to the School with the purpose of setting up a
violin scholarship in her name. All of these gifts
will ensure gifted young musicians are able to
access the specialist musical education we are
able to offer.
With over half a million pounds now also raised
towards the building of the music studios, we are
delighted to have secured the first million of our
total £6,000,000 Anniversary Appeal target.
We continue to be extremely grateful to all of
those who have given to our appeal. Whether
small or large, each and every donation is so
important to us if we are to reach our goal. Thank
you.
Supported by Music and Dance Scheme
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If you are interested in hearing more about the
Appeal and how you can help please contact
the Development Director on 01932 584797 or
development@yehudimenuhinschool.co.uk