Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance visited Xaverian College on the 31 of March 2022 for the second time this academic year, and spent over four hours coaching A Level Music and BTEC Music Technology students.
The Head of Strings from Trinity Laban, Professor Nic Pendlebury (viola), led the event with two other senior representatives from the department, Sally Pendlebury (cello) and Jan Schmolck (violin). The tutors coached the Colleges string orchestra, string quartet, two string duets, and a variety of soloists, including violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp.
Nic started the masterclass with a presentation about Trinity Laban, where he talked about the audition process, the amazing opportunities on offer, and the life of a musician at a conservatoire. The three tutors then performed a stunning and inspirational recital, instantly captivating the students. The masterclasses took part in three different rehearsal rooms and ended with the string orchestra, who had the honour of the highly acclaimed professional musicians performing with them in the ensemble. The day came to an end with an informal discussion, where the tutors answered questions and shared their knowledge and experiences.
After each performance, students received invaluable verbal feedback about positive aspects of their playing, ensemble skills, solo playing, and they were given targets to improve posture, communication, phrasing, tone, interpretation, technique, ensemble skills, and musicianship.
