Young pianists broaden their experience at Summer School

January 21, 2008

Live piano music is echoing through the corridors of the University of New England this week.

Talented young pianists from around Australia have come together at UNE for five days of classes and workshops designed to widen their musical horizons. The inaugural Australasian Piano Summer School began today, and runs through the week, finishing on Friday afternoon.

The 14 senior high-school students – from Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia – have all reached high levels of achievement through the Australian Music Examinations Board. Working together – and inspired by several of Australia's leading music educators – they will broaden both their understanding and their experience of music performance.

"Pianists tend to work in isolation," said UNE's Dr Terrence Hays, the Artistic Coordinator of the Summer School. "Most of them don't get many opportunities to perform with others. Here at the Summer School they will be playing in ensembles and singing together as a choir, as well as taking part in master-classes and workshops. We believe they'll be more rounded musicians by the end of it."

The international concert pianist Michael Leslie (pictured here) is conducting a series of master-classes with the students, in which he is encouraging them to be "powerhouses" in performance. "A musician is an actor," he explained. "So many students hide behind the music when they play. But, in order to communicate with the audience and get them sitting on the edge of their seats, you have to be a powerhouse of energy."

Michael Leslie – an Australian – lives in Germany, where he is a Professor at the Richard Strauss Conservatorium in Munich. His intensive master-classes will give the students a fresh insight – from a performer's perspective - into the expressive and communicative power of sonata form: from "exposition" through "development" to "recapitulation".

A public recital by Professor Leslie this evening (at 7.15 pm in Room 224, Education Building, UNE) will be a highlight of the week, and a concert on Thursday evening will comprise performances by each of the students.

Other visiting teachers at the Summer School are the Armidale-based musicians and choral conductors George Torbay and Deidre Rickards, Dr Peter Roennfeldt (Director of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) and Dr Christine Logan (Head of the School of Music and Head of Keyboard Studies at the University of NSW). They and members of the UNE Music staff are presenting classes and workshops covering subjects such as improvisation, style and interpretation, composition, piano technologies, and harpsichord and organ playing.

Dr Hays said the Summer School was "privileged to have the support of Kawai Australia", which has lent UNE 15 upright pianos – as well as a grand piano – for use throughout the week.

He said the quality of students and teachers at this inaugural Piano Summer School boded well for the future of an event that he – and everyone else involved – would like to see continue on a biennial basis.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at January 21, 2008 04:58 PM