The Solent Music Festival’s second £3000 Lawson May Award for Composition is now open for entries. Click on the SMF logo for details.
Congratulations to Eduardo Soutullo, the winner of the 2020 award.
Sam Haywood has performed to critical acclaim in many of the world’s major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Philhamonie de Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus and the Wigmore Hall. He embraces a wide spectrum of the piano repertoire and is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician or with accompanying Lieder. Regular chamber music partners have included Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis.
Passionate about early instruments, Sam recorded a Chopin album on the composer’s own Pleyel piano to celebrate his bicentinary in 2010. He has also composed several instrumental miniatures and co-wrote a children’s musical. He is Artistic Director of the Solent Music Festival, which takes place annually in Lymington, Hampshire. This year’s festival included concerts by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Tenebrae.
Facebook Post 3rd Feb, 2021
As it was so unusually warm today I practiced on the balcony. I miss having a real piano here in locked-down Thessaloniki, but I love the way you can record directly from my Yamaha P515 – AND it never goes out of tune! So I thought I’d share this Chopin Polonaise with you – and our street…
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FEATURE: Women Composers
These reflection shots of works by women composers were recorded on an iPhone at a rehearsal for a recital at the beautiful Vellake Barn in Devon. Many thanks to Shelley Phillips and also to Mike and Wendy Gluyas.
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) The only female member of the French group Les six, championed by Jean Cocteau and inspired by the music of Satie. Satie in fact referred to Tailleferre as his ‘musical daughter’.
Agathe Backer-Grøndhal (1847-1907) Norwegian pianist-composer and a contemporary of Grieg, a close friend with whom she performed. She was a pupil of Liszt and wrote some 400 works.
Lily Boulanger (1893-1918) The first woman to win the Prix de Rome composition prize at the Paris Conservatoire. She lived a tragically short life, plagued by ill health.
Teresa Carreño (1853-1917) A Venezuelan pianist, composer, soprano and conductor. At the age of nine she performed for Lincoln at the White House. She composed around 75 works, including the Venezuelan National Anthem.
Solent Music Festival
Some of the wonderful artists we’ve had over the years.
2020 dates: 14-20 September
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I recently tried Memorystars out on my 7 year old son who was learning a short beginners piano piece. He is the kind of kid who is usually glued to the music and finds it challenging to memorise music.
The result – miraculous! I kid you not, within 15 minutes he’d memorised his little piece.