If you are a regular visitor to piano summer schools but haven’t yet discovered PIANO WEEK, it might be time to explore this rapidly expanding piano course and festival. With seven international residencies during 2017, you will certainly be spoilt for choice.
Established by pianist Samantha Ward, this impressive touring piano festival and summer school moves around the world. Samantha (you can watch a video with much more information about PIANO WEEK here), and her pianist husband Maciej Raginia, has designed a bespoke musical performance experience for pianists of all ages and abilities. Here, you can expect to find a five-year old beginner alongside an adult amateur, a professional concert pianist or a world-renowned artist all engaged in music making together – on stage, in public master classes, playing duets or composing.
The concept of a piano festival and summer course without boundaries, whether that be age, ability or location, has generated unique concert platforms, whilst engaging new audiences, as well as offering a confidence boost to all participating pianists.
A tempting choice of venue and country (or continent!) is on offer; Sankt Goar in Germany, Foligno in Italy, Beijing in China or any of three residencies in the UK. These include two at Moreton Hall School and one at Rugby School. The latter, which is UK’s newest addition to the festival, is being held between the 13th and 20th August 2017.
PIANO WEEK at Rugby coincides with the 450th anniversary of the school’s foundation. Based at the well equipped music school, with concerts held in the Memorial Chapel and the Temple Speech Room, this week-long residency offers participants an opportunity to study with distinguished concert pianists in a stimulating environment.
Samantha (Artistic Director) heads the piano team, and will work alongside Maciej (Creative Director), Alexander Karpeyev and Mark Nixon. Apart from daily recitals given by all the faculty members, the closing concert will feature a two piano recital; internationally celebrated pianist Stephen Kovacevich will perform works by Debussy and Rachmaninoff with Samantha, as well as Schubert’s final Sonata D960. It’s Stephen Kovacevich’s third consecutive year performing at the festival, which is a tribute to its cultural wealth and success.
The content of this intensive piano course consists of a long list of individual one-to-one lessons, master classes, duet lessons, listening and harmony, memorisation, composition, theory and sight-reading sessions to name but a few. All this is delivered on excellent instruments with copious practice facilities. For those keen on physical activities, there is a gym, two sports halls, tennis, hockey, netball, squash or badminton (all subject to availability), provided free of charge throughout the duration of the festival. Participants can also benefit from using the 25-meter swimming pool for a small fee.
Whether you live near the school campus or come from further afield, both non-residential and fully catered residential options are available for participants at PIANO WEEK | Rugby. You can apply for your place or buy tickets for all the concerts online. Click here for more information and here to buy tickets.
from Melanie Spanswick https://melaniespanswick.com/2017/07/01/piano-week-at-rugby-school/
No comments:
Post a Comment