Folk Fiddle Music of the British Isles
13th-14th September 2014
Pete Cooper, an expert fiddle teacher and player, visited the island to lead two days of folk music. On the Saturday a group of thirteen young violinists and violists aged 9-17 spent the day learning several folk tunes from different parts of the country, performing at the end of the session to family and friends.
On the Sunday the morning was dedicated to adult violinists, involving a mixture of teachers and amateur musicians, focussing on various folk melodies and alternative fiddle techniques and styles of playing. The project was coordinated by the academy in partnership with the Jersey Music Service, and we are very grateful for the support of the Dorothy Chapman Trust.
Musique et Aventure and Jersey International Masterclasses
28th July – 5th August 2014
A truly action-packed musical summer was presented with the combination of two music courses. Musique et Aventure enjoyed its 8th successful year, involving thirty local young musicians aged 9-17 in musical mornings with activity-filled afternoons. Simultaneously to this, Jersey International Masterclasses celebrated its second year, sponsored locally by the One Foundation, and involving twenty five music college students from many different countries led by an outstanding teaching faculty of international stature. Utilising the combined facilities of Chateau Vermont, Grainville School, and Victoria College, with concerts at the Jersey Arts Centre, Georgetown Methodist Church, St Helier Methodist Centre, and of course Chateau Vermont itself, this was a truly spectacular way to end the academic year.
Musique et Aventure 2014
The participating students of piano, violin, viola, cello, saxophone, flute, percussion and brass were led by the Jersey Academy of Music’s team of teachers including Claire Boleat (flute), Pippa Lumbard (brass), Young-Pyo Lee (violin), Emmanuelle Dumas (cello), Chris George (piano), Eva Hsieh (percussion), supported by Grace Garnier (theory/aural) and Natasha Ronayne (theory/aural). The mornings were spent at Victoria College with a fully-timetabled mix of one-to-one lessons, ensemble coaching, percussion workshops, and individual practice.
The course linked together with Jersey International Masterclasses in various ways, with the students attending a music-college student lunchtime concert, joining in with various activities, and participating in a joint ‘Improvisation Workshop’ with the young students from the masterclasses.
This was led by Hugo Ticciati from the Lilla Akademien, Stockholm, and gave all the students the opportunity to create wacky improvisation-based ensemble compositions which were performed at the end of the session.
During the afternoons everyone could let off some steam, and we had some lovely weather for the Surfing, Banana Boat and Crazy Sofa rides, Lawn Games, and Aquasplash.
The week culminated in the end-of-course concert at St. Helier Methodist Centre, and hats off to all for a wonderful concert!
Jersey International Masterclasses 2014
Once again, Artistic Director Viktoria Grigoreva was able to assemble an enviable line-up of outstanding teachers for this year’s masterclasses, including Nina Balabina (violin – Lilla Music Akademien, Stockholm, Sweden), Dimitri Bashkirov (piano – Russia), Boris Berman (piano – Russia/USA), Leonid Gorokhov (cello – Russia/Germany /UK), Leonid Margarius (piano – Accademia di Imola, Italy), Mark Messenger (violin – Head of Strings, Royal College of Music), Hugo Ticciati (violin – Lilla Music Akademien, Stockholm, Sweden), Maria Tarasewicz (piano – Ukraine/Belgium).
The participating students included various Jersey students who are currently studying at music colleges in the UK, alongside visiting students from many different countries, staying at the Runnymede Hotel, our partner hotel this year. A full programme of concerts, lectures, masterclasses and workshops took place over the course, and students enjoyed private practice facilities inbetween lessons.
Jersey International Masterclasses is very grateful for the support of the following organisations: One Foundation, Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation, Tsukanov Family Foundation, the Broun family, the Mensah family, Bedells legal support, and the overall guidance and support of the Royal College of Music and Jersey Academy of Music.
PARTICIPATING STUDENTS 2014
• Geoffroy Chapelle, piano, from Belgium
• Katherine Chulack, violin, student at St Pauls School, London
• Alberto D’Algo, piano, student at Accademia di Imola, Italy
• Cristina Dimitrova, violin, student at National Conservatory of Lisbon, Portugal
• Rhys Evans, violin, violin, student at Sussex House, England
• Line Faber, violin, student at Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium
• Igor Ferlan, violin, student at Royal College of Music, London
• Mila Ferramosca, violin, student at Royal College of Music Junior Department, London
• Finlay Hare, cello, student at Royal Northern College of Music, from Jersey
• Elise Johnson, violin, student at Lilla Music Akademien, Sweden
• Yoko Johnsson, violin, student at Lilla Music Akademien, Sweden
• Liav Kerbel, cello, from Belgium
• Krystian Lamb, piano, student at Royal College of Music, from Jersey
• Giulia Rossini, piano, student at Accademia di Imola, Italy
• Iona Russell, cello, student at Chetham’s School of Music, from Jersey
• Lara Sallavuard, passive participant, from London
• Elliot Samphier, violin, Royal Northern College of Music, from Jersey
• Karin Sandström, violin, student at Lilla Music Akademien, Sweden
• Laura Van Der Heijden, cello, student at Royal College of Music JD, London
• Miklós Veszprémi, piano, student at Royal College of Music, London
• Daryna Bezkosta, violin, student at Kharkhov specialist music school, Ukraine
• Hannah Von Bergen, violin, student at Lilla Music Akademien, Sweden
• Téa Von Bergen, violin, student at Lilla Music Akademien, Sweden
• Julie Ye, piano, student at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
• Polina Zheliba, piano, student at student at Moscow Central Music School, Russia
End of Year Concert at the Jersey Arts Centre
13th July 2014
The Jersey Arts Centre was truly ‘packed to the rafters’ for the academy’s End of Year Concert! The concert featured a whole range of ages and instruments, and the focus this year was ‘Ensemble Music’, leading to a wide variety of duos, trios, quartets, quintets (see programme below). The opening item featured various violin students of different ages performing together:
The concert moved through music for brass, flute, percussion (featuring a fun body-percussion perfomance by the VCP percussion ensemble ‘Twigz’), and one particularly funny performance was given by the Star Wars duo of Alex Robinson (as Luke Skywalker) and Charlie Morgan (as a slightly square R2D2!):
The Grande Finale of the concert featured a rousing performance of ‘Happy’ given by the Brass and Percussion Day ensemble. Congratulations go to all the young performers in the concert for a great fun evening of music.