Resonate: May 2022

Welcome to your May edition of Resonate!

Our students are busy with end of year assessments and recitals this month, but you can still catch them performing around Manchester – check out our What’s On section below.

We have news of some exciting announcements and awards from our alumni and staff in this month’s blog, as well as stories about innovative student and alumni projects that celebrate diversity and underrepresented music in collaboration with several Manchester-based ensembles.

Pianist Giulia Contaldo performs as part of our International Artist Diploma Series in our Carole Nash Recital Room on Wed 7 May.

Soprano Georgie Malcolm and baritone Thomas Ashdown, both postgraduate students in our School of Vocal Studies and Opera, will be performing in Haydn’s Harmoniemesse tomorrow evening (Sat 7 May) with the BBC Philharmonic at the Bridgewater Hall.

Artists from our Popular Music course are performing at 33 Oldham Street on Mon 9 May from 7pm, including Mucky Wednesday, May Payne, Sister Grace, She’s Mine and Madz. Tickets £5 / £3 students (pay on the door).

To see what’s coming up at the RNCM later this term, visit our website.

RNCM Symphony Orchestra
End of Year Concert at The Bridgewater Hall
Book now

We’re delighted to return to The Bridgewater Hall on Fri 1 Jul to round off an exceptional year of music making with our annual celebratory concert.

We’re excited to welcome Martyn Brabbins, Music Director of English National Opera, to lead our students in an evening of orchestral music including Façade, a new work by composition student Matthew Martin; Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1, performed by award-winning pianist and RNCM alumni Maxim Kinasov; and Shostakovich’s rousing Symphony No 8.

Tickets are available now on our website.

Alex Dariescu
RNCM Associate Member Tours Europe
Find out more

Pianist, alumna and RNCM Associate Member Alexandra Dariescu is currently on a month-long tour across the UK, Germany, Poland, Croatia and Ireland – including a solo recital this Sunday in Frome.

Since graduating in 2008, Alexandra has become one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation, performing around the world at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw and Wigmore Hall.

Alexandra said: ‘Being able to programme three piano concertos written by female composers is incredibly fulfilling and I am especially looking forward to bringing to life – for the first time since 1901- the incredible piano concerto by Leokadiya Kashperova, Stravinsky’s teacher and one of the most gifted female composers of the last century.’

To watch an excerpt of Alexandra’s performance of Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Ádám Fischer and Basel Chamber Orchestra, click here.

Hidden Histories
Lavender Rodriguez and Manchester Camerata
Find out more

Composer and student Lavender Rodriguez has been collaborating with Manchester Camerata on a project exploring underrepresented composers and the compositional process with local school students.

Through the Hidden Histories project, pupils will write new music inspired by composers who have previously been overlooked due to their skin colour, ethnicity or gender, including Scott Joplin, Julius Eastman, Ruth Gipps and Undine Smith Moore.

Lavender said: ‘The whole concept was to expose the kids to underrepresented composers that they may not have heard of, but also, write a piece and learn what composition is, what makes up that process and break down those barriers.’

Read more over on Music Teacher Magazine.

Musical Choices
RNCM Pathfinder Easter School

During our Easter break, Pathfinder young musicians took part in three days of creative sessions exploring the theme of ‘Musical Choices’.

The project began with a Dalcroze Eurhythmics session, a playful and experimental method to learn music through movement. This offered a fantastic basis for their project, allowing the students to approach key musical ideas from a fresh perspective and introducing the idea of using movement to express ourselves and to physicalise our musical choices.

The students then took part in a range of creative activities designed to encourage them to consider the choices they make about their music and express their collective voice, culminating writing a new anthem together, What Do I Decide, exploring themes of ‘Expectations’, ‘Choices’ and ‘Opinions’.

Learn more about Pathfinder on our website.

Carol Jarvis
2022 International Trombone Association Award
Find out more

Congratulations to alumna and tutor Carol Jarvis on winning the 2022 ITA Award, which recognizes an individual each year with an elite level of creative and artistic output who has greatly influenced the field of trombone.

Carol is one of the most in-demand session musicians in the UK, having worked extensively with artists including Sting, Queen, Rod Stewart, Amy Winehouse, Bon Jovi, Michael Bublé and Taylor Swift. Carol has also worked with some of the world’s top orchestras, on the West End, and her orchestrations and arrangements have featured on albums at the top of the UK and US charts.

Carol said: ‘I’m overwhelmed and almost lost for words at being selected for this award from the International Trombone Association, especially after seeing so many of my heroes and legends receive it over the years.’

Find out more about Carol and the ITA Award here.

The Oracle
Manchester Collective & Abel Selaocoe
Watch here

Manchester Collective recently performed the project in their ongoing collaboration with alumnus and RNCM Honorary Associate Artist Abel Selaocoe, The Oracle, at venues across England. Backed by the beat of African percussion, this brand-new show presents a musical journey that spans continents and generations, past and future.

We recently shared the news that Abel has been selected as a one of Southbank Centre’s 2022/23 Artists in Residence. Read more over on our website.

In case you missed it, you can now watch the full performance of The Oracle, recorded live at London’s Southbank Centre, over on YouTube.

Jonathan Lo
RNCM Alumnus Joins Exciting New Management
Find out more

We’re thrilled that conductor and alumnus Jonathan Lo was recently announced as one of the first exceptional artists to be represented by HarrisonParrott’s new Dance Division, which represents creative artists, dancers, choreographers and ballet conductors.

Jonathan is Music Director of Northern Ballet, Staff Conductor for the Royal Ballet, and Principal Conductor of the New Bristol Sinfonia. He was previously Principal Guest Conductor of the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House and a conducting fellow with Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Read more about the announcement and Jonathan here.

RNCM Connect

If you’re an RNCM alumni, student or staff member and not already signed up to our exclusive platform RNCM Connect, make sure you sign up to see our upcoming May digest plus gain exclusive members access to:

• Re-connect – find former students, and stay in touch
• Expand your professional networks – make introductions and connections with a range of industry professionals
• Give back – through mentoring and volunteering opportunities
• Access the Jobs Board and career development resources

To sign up, go to www.rncmconnect.com and create your profile.

Photo credits: Lavender Rodriguez by Tammy Liang, Carol Jarvis by Tommy Reynolds.

6 May 2022