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Workshops, Page 3

Ekanayaka Visit

On Monday 18th April, Dr Tanya Ekanayaka, a classical pianist and composer from Sri Lanka signed to Naxos records gave a recital in Turner Sims concert hall and led a workshop with Southampton University Music Department students on the topics of piano performance, composition and improvisation. Dr. Thomas Seltz, Head of Jazz and Pop. Continue reading →

Opera for All Ages

By Catherine Gosney (3rd Year BA student in Music) As a student who loves opera, the University of Southampton offers an extraordinary faculty of music. The head of department is Prof Francesco Izzo, one of the world's leading opera scholars and general editor of the critical edition 'Works of Giuseppe Verdi'. Continue reading →

Another week, another piano

Professor David Owen Norris reports on another interesting week! Since I appeared on Radio 3’s special folk-music In Tune from the Ralph Vaughan Williams Memorial Library last month, I’ve been inundated with RVW-related things, from articles with confidential theories concerning which I must not breathe a word, to happy anecdotes. Continue reading →

Saxophone Masterclass

America saxophonist, Professor Jonathan Helton (pictured far right) visited Southampton on February 23. It was a fantastic morning full of saxophone talk and playing. Finalists Wayne Hau, Emily Cox and Laurence Astill and second-year student Hannah Brierley all performed for the masterclass. Following the class Dr. Helton and his duo partner, cellist Stephen Thomas played an exciting lunchtime concert of music for saxophone and cello. Continue reading →

Finnissy and Grieg for five

Don't miss a rare opportunity to hear Professor of Composition Michael Finnissy perform his own take on Grieg with the fantastic Kreutzer Quartet at Turner Sims on Monday 7 March, at 1pm.  The concert will be followed by a composition workshop with the Kreutzers for Southampton undergraduate and postgraduate composers. Continue reading →

Jon Gingell in Wonder.land

Jon Gingell teaches guitar at Southampton as well as working for the National Theatre and in many other high-profile freelance roles.  He is a Southampton Music graduate. I have been working as programmer and copyist at the National Theatre on the recent production of ‘Wonder.land’, a new musical based on Alice In Wonderland created by Rufus Norris, Moira Buffini and Damon Albarn. Continue reading →

Danzón in Mexico Week

As part of the University of Southampton’s, ‘Mexico Week’ in November 2015, a danzón workshop was held at Turner Sims, organised by the University’s Music department and led by danzón expert Dr Hettie Malcomson. Danzón is a popular form of Cuban and Mexican dance and music, and a precursor to modern styles such as the mambo and the cha-cha-chá. Continue reading →

Liane Carroll and Julian Joseph workshops

 Thomas Seltz, Head of Jazz and Pop, reports on fantastic visits from great performers: The jazz pianist and singer Liane Carroll took to the stage with jazz and pop performance students on Friday 20 November 2015 for a workshop prior to her amazing performance in Turner Sims with Harvey Brough and the University of Southampton Voices in Songs in the Theme of Love. She covered areas of musicianship and performance relating to original compositions and jazz standards. Continue reading →

The Fraser-Jackson Project

Final year composer, Camilla Aldridge, tells us about the experience of working on a recent composition project with soprano Juliet Fraser and clarinetist Tom Jackson: On Friday 4th December, an audience gathered in Turner Sims to watch Juliet Fraser and Tom Jackson perform works by finalist composers in a concert of new music that came to be called ‘The Fraser-Jackson Project’. Continue reading →

Launching Sound Heritage

A couple of weeks ago heritage professionals, historical performance experts and music academics came to Southampton for the inaugural meeting of Sound Heritage, a new project on music in English country houses of the 18th and 19th centuries. Network leader Professor Jeanice Brooks tells us about the day: Country houses have special place in British culture, and with the huge success of movies and television dramas like 'Downton Abbey', more people than ever before are interested in them. Continue reading →

Summertime, and the livin’ . . .

We're now shutting down our blog for the summer vacation.  There may be the odd post here and there in the next couple of months, but we'll start back full-time in the autumn.  In the meantime, many congratulations to all our new graduates.  Come by and say hello once in a while and let us know how you are doing.  Continuing students, have a great summer and we look forward to seeing you next term. Continue reading →

Grade One-a-thon – the results are in!

An update from finalist Catherine Underhill, who has organised our first-ever Grade One-a-thon: So results are in, and I am pleased to announce the results tally to - 14 distinctions 12 merits 5 passes Thank you to all the teachers, especially to those who taught instruments even though they were not participating and learning an instrument themselves - it could not have happened without you. It has been a hugely successful event. Continue reading →

New video – Composing for voices with Finnissy and EXAUDI

Back in March, our professor of composition Michael Finnissy joined the leading contemporary ensemble EXAUDI for a residency at the Britten-Pears centre at Aldeburgh.  Along with EXAUDI's director James Weeks and soprano Juliet Fraser, Michael directed a course that gave young composers the chance to work directly with six of the singers from Exaudi in practical sessions as they developed new work and explored the challenges of composing for voices. Continue reading →

Cross Channel Collaboration

PhD composer Martin Humphries tells us a little about a recent collaboration between Southampton composers and Belgium based Ensemble Fractales: Over the past five months myself and two fellow PhD Composition candidates have been engaged in an exciting and incredibly rewarding collaboration with Brussels-based contemporary music group Ensemble Fractales. Continue reading →