March 2012 – Spring Project Week: Multi-Piano Extravaganza!

Spring Project Week: Multi-Piano Extravaganza!

March 11th-15th 2012

A packed Vermont Hall created an electric ambience for this varied concert of music for many pianos performed by over forty young pianists from the academy.  Four grand pianos graced the stage, and students of all different ages and levels performed alongside the academy’s teachers and guest artistes.

The concert opened with the complete set of movements from Debussy’s Petite Suite, performed by academy students from the Upper Intermediate and Advanced departments, and then followed by a lively brass fanfare from a trio of young brass students led by Pippa Lumbard.  The focus then shifted to students from the Lower Intermediate and Junior departments, who performed in various multi-piano combinations of duos, trios, quartets and quintets.  The music was learnt in workshop sessions earlier in the week, and using popular classical and film tunes the various elements of melody, harmony, bass line and rhythm were divided up amongst the different players.

All the young musicians did themselves proud, and for some of the youngest students this was their first ever performance in front of an audience, and particular credit goes to them for their hard work and concentration.  The concert concluded with academy piano teachers Jennifer Lee and Chris George performing Manuel De Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance, setting the scene for the two visiting guest artistes – Georgina Sutton and Emmanuelle Fleurot, the Asteria Duo.  Following two extremely virtuosic solo pieces, they performed together Shostakovich’s Concertino for Two Pianos, and this was a performance marked by huge energy and gripping excitement, bringing the whole event to a rousing conclusion.

Our thanks go to the Jersey Arts Trust for their sponsorship of this event.