Welcome to the latest edition of Purcell’s Weekly Highlights!
 

YOUTHFUL PIANO SOUNDS IN CONCERT

Pharos Arts Foundation openED the new year with a recital by alumni Tyler Hay – First Prize winner of the Royal Overseas League Piano Competition and the Liszt Society International Piano Competition in the UK. Described as a “phenomenal, virtuoso”, Hay has appeared extensively as a soloist all over Europe and with memorable performances in important venues including London’s Wigmore Hall, Southbank’s Purcell Room and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. And all by the age of 24.
 

MASTERCLASS WITH JUN KANNO

On Monday 14th January, The Purcell Sshool was honoured with a masterclass by Jun Kanno. Kanno has played with the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Berlin, the National Orchestra of Cracow, the Chamber Orchestra of Salzburg, the Chamber Orchestra of Prague, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic, and the Korean National Orchestra. Often invited as judge at international competitions (London, Porto, Messiaen-Paris), he frequently holds master classes all over the world. During his masterclass at Purcell, he worked with students Roseanne Madon, Joachim Lim and Cherry Ge.
 

NEW LONDON MOZART PLAYERS MEMBER

A huge congratulations to alumna Antonia Kesel on being appointed no.2 position, 2nd violins in the London Mozart Players! After leaving Purcell, Antonia graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a First Class honours degree in 2015. Since then, she has been recipient of the Countess of Munster Award and a Chamber Music Fellow at the Academy. Antonia has won many prizes as a chamber musician with Trio Derazey, including the St Martin-in-the Field’s chamber music competition and the Malta International Music Competition. The Trio released their debut CD ‘Colour of Blossoms’ in 2017 and perform around the UK and Europe. Antonia is also the leader of the piano sextet Phacelia Ensemble and second violin in the Calgary quartet, both of whom perform regularly in the UK and abroad. Antonia commented on becoming an LMP member “I am really thrilled to be joining this amazing team of musicians who have already made me feel so welcome. I’m looking forward to many exciting concerts with them in the forthcoming season and feel very lucky to be a part of such a thriving and innovative group”.
 

MASTERCLASS WITH MAXIM VENGEROV

Two very fortunate Purcell alumni Ju Hee Yang and Aleem Kandour attended a masterclass at the Royal Academy of Music with renowned violinist and conductor; Maxim Vengerov. Vengerov has held various teaching positions around the world, and is currently Ambassador and visiting Professor of the Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland (IMMA) and as of September 2016, the Polonsky Visiting Professor of Violin at the Royal College of Music in London. Vengerov has served on numerous juries, including the Donatella Flick conducting competition, the Menuhin Violin Competition and in May 2013 conducted the finals during the Montreal International Violin Competition. He was chairman of the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in 2011, and was re-elected as chairman in 2016. Vengerov has received fellowships and honours from the Royal Academy of Music and orders of merit from both Romania and Germany’s Saarland, and in 2012 was awarded an Honorary Visiting Fellowship at Trinity College, Oxford. He has received numerous awards including the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with Orchestra) (2003), two Gramophone Classical Music Awards (1994, 1995), a Classic Brit Award (2004), five Edison Classical Music Awards (1995, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004), two Echo Music Prizes (1997, 2003) and a World Economic Forum Crystal award (2007) – honouring artists who have used their art to improve the state of the world.

REMINDER

Next week is the Academic Enrichment and Assessment Week.