Daily Archives: August 9, 2012

BMus graduand Alexandra George awarded major scholarship from Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation

Alexandra GeorgeClass of 2012 BMus graduand Alexandra George has been awarded a major scholarship from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to fund her graduate studies at the London School of Musical Theatre.

Staving off fierce competition, Alex underwent a rigorous audition procedure that included a callback with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s celebrated casting director David Grindrod.

The London School of Musical Theatre is an elite institution that nurtures exceptional talent through intensive training with industry practitioners, offering them a unique path into the musical theatre profession.

While at City, Alex benefitted from solo performance tuition with a professor from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and wrote her final-year dissertation on the current status of West End musical theatre under the supervision of Dr Christopher Wiley.

Ben Schoeman features in 90th birthday celebration of South African composer Stefans Grové

Ben SchoemanDMA student and pianist Ben Schoeman has found himself in great demand during the celebrations of the 90th birthday of one of South Africa’s foremost composers, Stefans Grové, on 23 July 2012.

At the Stefans Grové Symposium in Bloemfontein, South Africa on 10-12 August, Ben will give the world premiere performances of two new works by Grové: My Jaargetye/My Seasons (Piano Suite, 2012) and the Piano Quintet (A Venda Legend, 2012). Ben will also present a lecture recital on the composer’s piano music.

Ben was also recently invited to conduct an interview with Stefans Grové as guest journalist for the ClassicSA website: http://www.classicsa.co.za/site/features/view/classicsa_composer_stefans_grove_90/

Ben Schoeman is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Ronan O’Hora and at City University London with Dr Christopher Wiley, preparing a thesis entitled ‘Pedagogical Elements in the Piano Works of Stefans Grové and their Potential Value in the Education of Pianists in South Africa’.

DMA student Annie Yim in Val Tidone International Music Competition and London concerts

Annie Yim
DMA student and pianist Annie Yim recently participated in the Val Tidone International Music Competition, and progressed to the semi-final round for the ‘Silvio Bengalli’ Piano Prize.

This month, Annie features in two Concordia Foundation chamber music concerts in London on 8 August (St. James’s Piccadilly) and 21 August (St. Martin-in-the Fields).

For further details and programmes, please see the following webpage links: http://www.concordiafoundation.com/concerts/edgar-bailey-violin-annie-yim-piano
http://www.concordiafoundation.com/concerts/minerva-piano-trio

Hong Kong-born Canadian pianist Annie Yim has broadcast live on CBC Radio 2 in Canada, BBC Radio 3 and Portuguese Radio Antena 2. By invitation of pianist Angela Hewitt, Annie performed at the 2011 Trasimeno Music Festival Young Artists Concert in Italy.  Increasingly in demand as a soloist and chamber musician in the UK and Europe, Annie has performed in concert series and music festivals including Chelsea Schubert Festival (London), Dean and Chadlington Summer Music Festival (Norfolk), Gaia International Music Festival (Portugal), and Geneva Music Festival (Switzerland).  Annie won the CBC Debut Competition (Canada), Christopher Duke Piano Recital Competition (UK), Concordia Foundation’s Serena Nevill Award (UK), and Friends of Chamber Music Competition (Canada). She studies piano with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and musicological research with Dr Christopher Wiley at City University London. 

Ben Schoeman awarded top honours in the Ibla Grand Prize Competition, Sicily

Ben Schoeman and Anzél GerbertookDMA student and pianist Ben Schoeman and his duo partner, cellist Anzél Gerbertook, have been awarded the joint first grand prize in the Ibla Grand Prize International Music Competition in Sicily.

The prize includes a concert at the Kurt Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York along with other concerts in the USA.

Further information is to be found here:  http://www.classicsa.co.za/site/features/view/schoeman_gerber_earn_top_honours_in_sicily/
http://www.city-maps.it/focus/proclamati-i-vincitori-dellibla-grand-prize (in Italian)
http://www.beeld.com/Vermaak/Nuus/SA-duo-verower-musiekprys-20120724 (in Afrikaans)