Impressions of two annual events I organised during the last years
The Intercollegiate Piano Competition of Jaques Samuel Pianos
The Competition
• has taken place annually since 1996
Since 2006 it was my responsibility to organise it.
• is open to piano students of London's four main music academies
(Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance)
• is sponsored
Locations:
Heats: at Jaques Samuel Pianos.
Semi-Final: at St. James's Church Piccadilly, known for their regular lunchtime and evening concerts.
Final: at Wigmore Hall, a well-known concert venue in London. During the last four years the final was streamed live on youtube.
Prize
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A solo recital at Wigmore Hall and at the Fazioli Auditorium, Sacile, Italy
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500 professionally produced CDs.
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Two of the winners also appeared on BBC Radio 3 – In Tune.
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Four entrants play a solo lunchtime recital at St James's Piccadilly.
Adjudicators
The adjudicators are piano professors from the music academies, but also the sponsors, a pianist of name and the director of Wigmore Hall.
The Final 2016
(the whole final at Wigmore Hall on youtube)
Oda Voltersvik
Finalist 2016
The Junior Department Piano Festival of Jaques Samuel Pianos
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The piano festival took place from 2007 to 2015.
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It was open to students from the junior departments of London's main music academies (Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance).
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The participating students ( 8 to 17 years old) all played in front of one or two adjudicators on the festival day.
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Up to 20 were then selected to perform in a lunchtime concert at Wigmore Hall.
The pictures are taken from a documentary that was filmed on December 9th 2012 by pianist and author Melanie Spanswick.