London’s Creative Conservatoire will mark the end of Age Against the Machine, Lewisham’s brand-new festival of creative ageing, with a day of free events around the award-winning Laban Building on Silver Sunday (6 OCT 2019). The celebration includes the world premiere of Finale!, a specially-commissioned music and dance work created in collaboration with 90 Lewisham residents.
This autumn the London Borough of Lewisham will play host to a radical new arts festival centred on the subject of growing old, designed to spark debate, challenge perceptions, champion older artists and celebrate the positive impact of creativity on our lives as we age.
The festival is supported by a Cultural Impact Award given to the London Borough of Lewisham as part of the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture programme and is produced by south east London’s arts centre, the Albany, and participatory arts company Entelechy Arts.
Running from 13 September, Age Against the Machine has a programme of nearly 70 events – most of which are free – culminating in the Grand Finale at the iconic Laban Building in Deptford, home to Trinity Laban’s Faculty of Dance.
In partnership with the Positive Ageing Council, the family-friendly afternoon will feature pop-up performances, workshops and exhibitions created by local groups and artists, as well as a specially-commissioned performance piece created by British composer Liz Lane and choreographer Lizzi Kew Ross, alongside Lewisham residents of all ages.
Trinity Laban Dance Lecturer and Choreographer Lizzi Kew Ross explained the genesis of Finale! –
“The piece has been created from building relationships with local groups, connecting with their ideas on personhood and ageing. A joint devising day at Trinity Laban with me, composer Liz Lane, members of the groups and dancers from Trinity Laban’s BA programme was instrumental in working through ideas.”
Liz and Lizzi have worked with over 90 older adults from seven different local groups to generate original music, movement and poetry, a method that emphasises the power of collaborative creativity. The Befrienders, Voices in Motion, Young at Heart and Boundless are part of Trinity Laban’s Inspired Not Tired programme, and Meet Me at the Albany Choir, Sydenham Singers and Living in Harmony, are all Lewisham choirs.
Members of the groups will be joined onstage by 15 Trinity Laban musicians and dancers for the intergenerational Grand Finale performance in Laban Theatre on 6 OCT 2019.
“This project has been one of my most rewarding musical commissions to date. The groups I have visited for workshops are very diverse in their approaches and this variety and their creative talents have been integral to the lyrical and musical content of Finale!. It really is a co-creation between many people. It has also been a delight to collaborate with choreographer Lizzi Kew Ross – we have spent many a happy hour on train journeys sharing ideas and concepts as the sessions evolve.”
As well as hosting the Grand Finale, the Conservatoire will also be involved in a cutting-edge international symposium entitled Creative Ageing and the City on 20 September as part of the festival. Contributors from across the globe will unite to debate societal approaches and attitudes towards aging and share aspirations.
Trinity Laban’s Head of Community & Professional Development Kate Atkinson comments –
“Trinity Laban are delighted to be producing the finale event for Age Against the Machine, with 150 Lewisham residents contributing to the activities. The day will be a culmination of exciting projects bringing together people across the borough and a chance to celebrate older people’s creativity.”
Held in the cultural heart of Lewisham on Silver Sunday, an annual day of celebration of older people, the Grand Finale promises to bring different generations together to create connections and shared experiences, rounding off the festival with a bang.
Leading London Conservatoire Trinity Laban has launched a new award celebrating creative entrepreneurship. The Dragon’s Den-style competition sees students pitch artistic and business projects to an expert panel and win professional mentoring and seed funding. The award confirms that innovation is at the heart of Trinity Laban training.
The Innovation Award provides a unique opportunity for final-year undergraduates to access professional development support and forms part of Trinity Laban’s strategy to help emerging artists find their voice and innovate in the cultural industries, one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy.
In March, shortlisted applicants had their chance to pitch to internationally renowned movement director Kate Flatt, creative producer and former Associate Director of Serious Martel Ollerenshaw, and Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne in a bid to win one of six awards.
Trinity Laban is delighted to announce that the 2019 winners are:
Matthew Crisp
Rhys Davies and Toby Carswell
Sahra Gure
Mass Hysteria (dance collective)
James Layton
Megan Storer
The diverse and innovative proposals span female artistic expression, boundary-pushing genre development, and the power of the arts for positive change in the community.
Trinity Laban’s Head of CoLab and co-founder of the Innovation Award, Joe Townsend commented –
“The Innovation Award winners are just a few of the incredibly talented Music and Dance students that graduate from Trinity Laban every year and are contributing to the UK’s rich cultural landscape.We want to continue to support students with the transition between life at Conservatoire and launching a sustainable career in the performing arts. The Innovation Award has been specifically designed with this in mind.”
Funded by Trinity Laban’s Higher Education Innovation Fund allocation, each winning project receives an award of £1,700 to use on development and will benefit from a specially tailored mentorship programme delivered by acclaimed Trinity Laban alumni:
Cimeon Ellerton – Chief Operating Officer at mission-led charity The Audience Agency
Edward Henderson – Composer and part of composition collective Bastard Assignments
Max de Lucia – Founding Partner and Client Director at sonic branding agency DLMDD
Richard Meads – Orchestra and Music Department Director at English National Opera
Jennifer Raven – Co-founder FairBeats and Deputy Director Sound Connection
Gitta Wigro – Co-director of Independent Dance
Communications and Alumni Relations Manager and co-founder of the Innovation Award Lucy Nicholson commented –
“Trinity Laban alumni have hugely successful careers across the creative arts industry. We are honoured that these experienced and influential individuals will be involved with the award, supporting the winners by sharing their insight and expertise.”
Principal Anthony Bowne commented –
“As London’s Creative Conservatoire Trinity Laban champions innovation and looks to create resourceful, enterprising and adaptable artistic leaders with the multiplicity of skills needed to flourish. Our selection of 2019 Innovation Award winners encapsulate this in their creativity, ambition and scope.”
The National Flute Association honours Trinity Laban professor of flute Susan Milan for her commitment to music
Trinity Laban professor of flute Susan Milan has received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award for her profound commitment to music and a dedication to the flute community from the National Flute Association (NFA).
NFA President Joanna Bassett commented –
“Susan Milan is an international soloist and orchestral flutist who was a pioneer in the male-dominated music world. Her artistry has inspired musicians and audiences alike, and the National Flute Association is thrilled to award a Lifetime Achievement Award to her at our 2019 convention in Salt Lake City.”
London-born Susan has led an extremely successful career as an orchestral musician, soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, writer and teacher. She was the first female principal flutist of both the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the first woman to serve as professor of flute at the Royal College of Music, the first woman to chair the British Flute Society, and the first woman jurist for the Kuhlau Flute Competition.
Susan is also Director and Founder of the British Isles Music Festival, where outstanding young musicians explore chamber music under the direction of established performers and teachers.
Susan comments –
“To receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the greatest flute association in the world will be an honour, a privilege and a high point in my career. I shall treasure the moment and look forward to continuing to share my passion for the flute with my American friends, colleagues and young flutists in future visits.”
Since its inception 1972, the NFA has grown to be the largest flute organisation in the world, with more than 4,000 members from 50 countries. To find out more, visit the NFA website.
Susan is one of the many world-class teachers who make up Trinity Laban’s Faculty of Music, inspiring students to develop as creative individuals. To learn more about studying flute at Trinity Laban, visit our departmental pages.
The Mercury Prize is an annual music award for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It celebrates artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres.
Following her graduation from the BMus Composition programme at Trinity Laban in 2015, composer, arranger and saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi formed London-based SEED Ensemble.
The 10-piece collective features rising stars of the Capital’s jazz scene, including several fellow Trinity Laban alumni: Sheila Maurice-Grey, Chelsea Carmichael, Cherise Adams-Burnett and Joe Armon-Jones.
In an interview earlier this year with TL-Life Crosscurrent, Ivors Academy Award winner Cassie said –
“I am working with some amazingly talented alumni from Trinity Laban who either graduated from the BA Jazz or MA in Jazz.”
Released in February 2019, the collective’s debut album Driftglassmixes old and new beats with spiritual, Afro-centric jazz.
The album impressed the Mercury Prize judging panel to make it onto the 2019 shortlist. The panel, which includes broadcaster Annie Mac, jazz legend Jamie Cullum and Glastonbury 2019 headliner Stormzy, praised the “rousing and inspiring” album –
“Cassie Kinoshi and her exuberant ten-piece band effortlessly combine homage to jazz history and celebration of today’s London’s jazz scene.”
The 2019 winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 19 September at the iconic Hammersmith Apollo in London.
As London’s Creative Conservatoire, we embrace and celebrate jazz tradition whilst being contemporary in outlook, enabling students to become the artists they want to be.
To find out more about studying at Trinity Laban, visit our composition and jazz pages.
We caught up with South African French Horn player and music educator Chris Bishop to find out what he’s been doing since graduating from Trinity Laban in 2005.
Why did you choose to study at Trinity Laban?
My journey into music study came late compared to many of my peers. I had already left school and spent a year studying politics and economics before I decided I couldn’t overlook the (however remote) possibility of pursuing a career as an orchestral musician. I had to return to school, get my Grade 5 theory, my Grade 8 in horn and my Music A Level before gaining a place at the University of Southampton.
The moment I arrived for my audition at Trinity Laban I felt excited by the fantastic environment of the Old Royal Naval College, and Greenwich itself. It was the only audition in which I felt like the panel was on my side and could sense my determination to succeed. I signed up for a foundation course and, encouraged by the audition process, I had improved significantly and was transferred to the Postgraduate Diploma when I arrived.
Trinity Laban’s course content had great appeal. It was clear that they wanted not just to produce fine musicians, but also to produce graduates with the ability to survive in their chosen industry. There was the added bonus that a few of my horn heroes were – and still are – on the staff: Mike Murray (BBC Symphony Orchestra), Roger Montgomery (Principal Horn of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House) and Stephen Stirling, who I admire for his approach to chamber performance.
What were the most valuable things you learnt from Trinity Laban?
The most important skill is self-management. It takes real (and continual) effort to balance practice, travel, rehearsals, concerts, classes, auditions, consultation lessons, teaching and personal time. Trinity Laban also taught me to adapt and diversify. I spent as much of my time playing big band jazz, wind quintet and small group contemporary concerts as I did sitting in an orchestra. I tried to make the most of every learning opportunity from teachers and peers. Inspiration was the other fundamental aspect of my time at Trinity Laban. There was such a high level of investment from my teachers in my progress, as well as other sources of motivation including visiting artists, professional development schemes and a wide range of performance opportunities.
How has your career as a professional musician developed since graduating?
I had a relatively short freelance career in London before winning a position as Associate Principal (3rd/1st) in the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It was a very steep learning curve, but the motivation and discipline gained through my studies made the process manageable.
The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, like many orchestras globally, has faced significant challenges in recent years. It found itself in dire financial straits in 2012 and we are no longer a full-time orchestra, having reduced to 20 weeks or so a year of symphony and ballet work. Obviously, this has had a huge impact on our careers in a city where there is little additional playing work to fill the gap. However, the JPO is a courageous family with a collective desire to keep the orchestra alive.
There has still been the chance for diverse performance experience here in South Africa – I’ve played in a big band with Gregory Porter and accompanied Nas in a stadium performance celebrating 20 years since the release of his debut album Illmatic.
Image: Chris rehearsing with the JPO horn section (courtsey of Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra)
You are the Director of Music for Morris Isaacson Centre for Music, a non-profit music centre in Soweto, South Africa. Can you tell us more about the Centre and how it came to be?
I am very proud to be the Director of Music for the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music (MICM), Soweto. I developed my skills as an ensemble and performance coach in London and later in Johannesburg with organisations including MIAGI (Music Is A Great Investment). In 2013 I began coordinating the curriculum at a newly built centre, founded by MIAGI and Cape Gate in Soweto. MICM now has 16 teachers, 114 students and a full programme of activity that covers classical, rock and traditional African music. We provide ensemble and choir rehearsals and theory lessons to ensure broad support for students’ instrumental studies. Excitingly, we’re developing our own syllabi for penny whistle and djembe studies.
Our partnership with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the Arco Project, facilitates additional teaching time each week for many of our string students via the internet, and allows for additional expert advice through courses each year at MICM. Arco has also created opportunities for some students to take part in events and courses in the UK.
Over the past few years we have become increasingly integrated into the local community and we have regular free concerts from our students and from visiting local and international artists. There are frequent workshops with visiting musicians and weekly drum circles open to the public. Our programme now offers psycho-social support for students, parents and teachers through the South African College of Applied Psychology, and additional reading classes to help with students’ literacy.
I am excited by our achievements so far, and draw great inspiration from our students. Several of our students are music scholars at the National School of the Arts, and we are represented in local and national youth orchestras. Our first students are now looking towards further education in music, and taking their next steps into the world of professional performance. Our potential is only limited by our funding; in order to meet demand, we must continue to source income from various avenues, including committed donors who can help us to deliver a high-level programme for as many students as possible.
Image: Chris outside MICM (credit: Lungile Zaphi)
How do you balance being a performing musician with your work at MICM?
Given our reduced duties at the orchestra, I have a good balance between my playing work and my responsibilities at MICM. Changing from 46 weeks to 20 weeks per year means that we have to follow additional avenues for income. As a result, we have far less time for personal practice and we also spend far less time on stage which make some skills more difficult to maintain. I find that my dynamic range is particularly difficult to rehearse away from the orchestra. A triple forte at the back of the band is like nothing you can replicate in a practice room. I have recently experienced a few instances of crippling performance anxiety which have taken me quite by surprise. Moving from experiencing the pressures of the principal chair in live performance every other week to only once every few months is clearly also starting to take its toll.
As I address these new challenges, I can see that my approach to the orchestral profession has developed. Having been part of the industry for 15 years, I realise it is not about being the perfect instrumentalist, although you of course have to be highly proficient. It’s also about having the personality, commitment and adaptability to be a reliable colleague.
Trinity Laban’s Head of Music Education Tim Palmer visited you in June 2019. Can you tell me more about sustaining relationships with Trinity Laban? Why did you invite Tim over to train your teachers?
As a musician and as Director of Music at MICM, it is important that I seek out opportunities to develop and to offer development opportunities to our teaching faculty. I first noticed The Teaching Musician course through Trinity Laban alumni emails. Seeking more information about it, I learned that Tim Palmer had already taught the foundation course in India and decided to see if we could get him here. This week-long programme offers ground work in teaching philosophy, psychology and practice. It promises useful material for all our teachers and is the perfect starting point as we expand our training in different directions.
Advice for aspiring musicians?
Be confident that you have the emotional strength to sustain your career. Practice often but, more importantly, efficiently. Seek out every single teacher and colleague you can for advice and keep doing that throughout your career. You can always be learning ways to improve, and having an open mind keeps you ready to address unexpected challenges. Keep fit and look after your body. Read, and sleep for as long as possible.
What’s next?
Anti-anxiety work! I need to seek out performance opportunities away from the orchestra to keep my hand in at the pointy end of stress levels and I will be looking into a few solo recitals. I’ve also decided to refresh my orchestral excerpts on a regular basis, and I’m planning to start posting videos on Instagram (@chrisbishophorn) in order to ‘expose’ myself to public scrutiny in another way. So, keep an eye out for #ProbespielProject (or #ExcerptsForAnxiety!).
For the rest of 2019, the JPO has another few sets of symphony concerts and a two-week run of Giselle with the Joburg Ballet. There is good news about funding for 2020 too, I believe, so I’m looking forward to sharing the same joy on stage with my colleagues next year, and for many years to come.
My time away from work is increasingly important to me, so I spend as much time as possible with my beautiful wife Rozanne and our two energetic children. I also exercise every day if I can, partly as a mechanism to de-stress and also partly to keep myself in working order for as long as possible!
At the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music, our aim is to attract as much investment as possible to open up opportunities for every child in the area who wishes to take advantage of our programme. My hope is that we can have a lasting positive legacy in the community. We owe it to our industry, and to the students themselves, to produce future generations who are appreciative of the arts, and who have experienced first-hand the huge advantages of music education.
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Learn more about Trinity Laban’s alumni on our Alumni pages.
To find out more about our brass music faculty, visit our Wind, Brass and Percusssion department pages.
More information on Trinity Laban’s The Teaching Musician and other music education programmes can be found on our study pages.
Trinity Laban is delighted to announce the appointment of Sonia Rafferty as Programme Leader for the new undergraduate degree in Dance Science.
Having offered the world’s first Masters degree in Dance Science in 2001, London’s Creative Conservatoire is an established pioneer in the rapidly expanding field of Dance Science. Building on this expertise, we now offer an exciting BSc programme which will be led by dance artist, researcher and educator Sonia Rafferty.
With over thirty years’ experience in the dance profession, Sonia has been a member of the Faculty of Dance at Trinity Laban since 1991 and has contributed to many different programmes in a diverse range of roles, combining her technical expertise, performance and choreographic experience and her dance wellness research.
Co-author of seminal text Safe Dance Practice: An applied dance science perspective, Sonia co-founded the organisation Safe in Dance International (SiDI) in 2013, with the aim of raising awareness of safe and healthy dance practice and to support dance practitioners worldwide.
Sonia (pictured below) is also an established and highly respected dance technique teacher and has regularly delivered workshops, masterclasses and company class in the UK and internationally, working with high-profile companies including BalletBoyz, Candoco Dance Company, and Siobhan Davies Dance. She has choreographed for her own company, Blueprint Dance Company, and co-directs Double Vision Dance Company with Amanda Gough, working on several large-scale site-specific community commissions.
Sonia completed her dance training at the Laban Centre, gaining a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre in 1983, becoming a founding member of Transitions Dance Company in 1984. In 2004, she was part of the first cohort for Trinity Laban’s MSc Dance Science, graduating with Distinction.
Sonia took up her new post as Programme Leader this July. On her appointment she comments –
“This new BSc adds to the innovative and forward thinking training programmes offered by Trinity Laban. Dancers who are interested, like myself, in understanding more about the way the body and mind are honed in readiness to dance, will enjoy investigating and applying new ways of appreciating the dancing body. Graduates will take their comprehensive knowledge forward as informed practitioners and contribute to the future development of dance training and participation. I’m excited to be part of this new venture and look forward to collaborating with our first pioneering cohort!”
Head of Dance Science Professor Emma Redding comments –
“I’m delighted that Sonia will be joining the Dance Science team at Trinity Laban to lead our new three-year BSc programme. A respected author who is highly regarded within the international field of dance science, Sonia brings an extensive knowledge of safe dance practice, alongside professional performance and choreographic experience at the highest level.”
The new undergraduate programme in Dance Science will enable students to build on their passion for dance by enhancing their technique and creative skills whilst also developing a deeper understanding of how the body works, how movement is learned and how to support people participating in dance.
Situated within the dynamic artistic community of a conservatoire, students will study areas such as biomechanics, exercise physiology, performance psychology, fitness and wellbeing. The course is taught by leading research-active academics and practitioners and will equip graduates with the skills and knowledge to be able to work in a range of roles within dance and within the health and fitness industries, or to progress to further study.
Learn more about studying Dance Science at Trinity Laban by visiting our pages.
The MP for the Rhondda visited the Faculty of Dance to see world-class training in action
Trinity Laban was delighted to welcome Chris Bryant, Labour Member of Parliament for the Rhondda and former Shadow Cabinet Minister, to the Conservatoire’s award-winning Laban Building on Thursday 11 July.
Guided by Principal of Trinity Laban Professor Anthony Bowne, Chair of Governors Harriet Harman MP, and Director of Dance Sara Matthews, Chris toured the Faculty of Dance facilities including the specialist Dance Science Lab, where he had the chance to talk to Head of Dance Science Professor Emma Redding and observe research in action.
“It was a pleasure to see Trinity Laban’s world-class dance facilities first-hand and learn more about the leading research activity and internationally celebrated training happening at this centre of excellence.
The Welsh Labour Party politician is a strong advocate for raising adequate healthcare standards and has called for major improvements to neuro-rehabilitation services in order to increase aftercare for brain injury patients.
He continued –
“It was particularly encouraging to hear about the great work Trinity Laban is doing with dance in healthcare settings, from their pioneering physiological and psychological screening techniques used to support professional dancers to Dancing for Health, a weekly dance class for adults recovering from acquired brain injury or stroke.
“Trinity Laban is a great example of how an institution can make a hugely positive impact beyond higher education.”
Trinity Laban runs Dancing for Health in collaboration with Headway Lewisham and King’s College Hospital. The project aims to improve participants’ wellbeing and movement capabilities in a fun and safe environment and is one of many wider community and public programmes delivered by the Conservatoire’s Learning and Participation team.
London’s Creative Conservatoire was Highly Commended for Best Low Budget Initiative at the 29th annual awards for Higher Education marketing.
Known informally as the Higher Education Marketing Oscars, the Heist Awards celebrate the creative efforts of UK’s Higher Education marketing teams.
At this year’s awards, Trinity Laban’s Letter from the Principal campaign impressed the panel of industry experts, receiving Highly Commended in the Best Low Budget Initiative category for a “simple but effective campaign that delivered personalisation on a shoestring, and achieved excellent results!”
The “Letter from Hogwarts” style initiative saw 723 talented young dancers and musicians receive personalised letters from Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne congratulating them on their offer to study with us.
The campaign was spearheaded by Trinity Laban’s Student Recruitment and Marketing teams, who recognised the positive impression a personalised, low-tech communication could make on today’s digitally fatigued young performers.
For the campaign, our talented in-house Design team created an official Trinity Laban crest which was incorporated into a letterhead that that conveyed our modern, fresh outlook while also reflecting the Conservatoire’s history and heritage. Coupled with bespoke text tailored to each offer holder, the Letter aimed to make prospective students feel excited and wanted.
Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne comments –
“Being Highly Commended at the Heist Awards 2019 for this campaign recognises the innovative and rigorous work of our brilliant staff who demonstrate a superb level of care and attention.
“The campaign was an authentic gesture that balanced formality and warmth to reach out to offer holders and ensure they could feel proud, excited and reassured, secure in their decision to accept a place at Trinity Laban.
It is a great example of the commitment and passion Trinity Laban has to ensuring each student is valued as an individual, from the moment they consider applying to their graduation day and beyond.”
The award was accepted by Senior Graphic Designer Adam Hypki at a black-tie ceremony on Thursday 11 July at The Principal Hotel, Manchester (pictured).
In addition to achieving recognition for a Best Low Budget Initiative, Trinity Laban was also shortlisted for Best PR or Comms Campaign for Venus Blazing, our commitment to championing female composers across the 2018-19 academic year.
Gary Crosby OBE has been announced as the recipient of The Queen’s Medal for Music 2018, making him the first-ever jazz musician to receive the prestigious award.
The Queen personally presented the award to Gary – double bassist, bandleader and Co-Founder & Artistic Director of Tomorrow’s Warriors – in a special Audience at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday 10 July 2019.
The honour is in recognition not just of Gary’s prodigious musical talents, but of the impact he has had on the fabric of jazz creation in the UK.
Chair of the award committee and Master of the Queen’s Music Judith Weir commented –
“Looking around the UK’s currently thriving jazz scene, the name of Gary Crosby is constantly cited as the person who has encouraged a whole generation to look again at jazz and become involved. Gary has achieved this over many hard-working years, as part of his own practice as a bass player and teacher. His career is an inspiration to musicians and educators in every area of music, and I am delighted to see him awarded The Queen’s Medal for Music in recognition of this.”
On receiving the award, Gary Crosby commented –
“I’m delighted and honoured to receive The Queen’s Medal for Music, and humbled to join such a distinguished group of Medal recipients. It’s wonderful to receive professional recognition, though I believe, more than anything, it recognises the transformative impact Tomorrow’s Warriors has had on the many young jazz musicians we’ve worked with over the years, and the contribution to making our industry and audiences more diverse and inclusive.”
First presented in 2005, The Queen’s Medal for Music is presented annually to an outstanding individual or group of musicians who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation. Former recipients include Sir Charles Mackerras CBE, Nicola Benedetti CBE, Sir Bryn Terfel CBE and Thea Musgrave CBE.
In recognition of Gary’s contribution to music education and his 15-year relationship with Trinity Laban, the Conservatoire awarded him an Honorary Fellowship in December 2018, which was celebrated in May 2019 with a specially curated programme of live music by an all-star ensemble of British jazz artists.
Tomorrow’s Warriors and Trinity Laban are organisations which have laid the foundations for much of the current UK jazz scene. Together, we will continue to inspire and support future generations to pursue excellence, reach beyond boundaries and achieve successful, sustainable careers as leaders on the world stage.
Gary’s other awards include an OBE for Services to Music, a BBC Radio Jazz Award for Services to Jazz, a Parliamentary Jazz Award for Music Education, a Special Parliamentary Jazz Award for Outstanding Contribution to Jazz and a BASCA Gold Badge Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry.
Our monthly round-up of some of the successes for Trinity Laban alumni.
SopranoHéloïse Werner was a guest on BBC R3’s This Classical Life podcast, sharing her listening recommendations and discussing her work with host Jess Gillam. Werner is a founding member of contemporary music ensemble The Hermes Experiment which recently won the Royal Over-Seas League Competition (ROSL) for Mixed Ensembles. The group was awarded £10,000 and performed at the ROSL Gold Medal Final at Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Alumnus Jeff Wayne’s 1978 album The War of the Worlds, which has sold over 16 million copies to date, has inspired a new interactive show, The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience. Described in The Metro as ‘part haunted house, part escape room and part interactive performance’, it occupies an underground labyrinth near The Bank of England and features virtual reality headsets, binaural audio and new music composed by Jeff Wayne.
Composition alumnus Soumik Datta hosted Rhythms of India, a three-part television series aired on BBC4 in which he travelled around India, exploring its diverse cultural history through music.
Singer Terry Barber, who graduated from Trinity Laban’s Historically Informed Performance Masters course, released a new album, Mercury – Reimagined, in honour of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s origins. Barber commented,
“Freddie was born in Zanzibar and attended boarding school in Panchgani, India. In this concept recording, it is my intention not only to deliver his art with flamboyance and bravado … but also to include African and Indian elements like oud, sitar and other non-western instruments to enhance the musical landscape.”
Starting in July, Barber will tour the USA with his show MERCURY, a full-on narrative rock-and-roll tribute show.
Two of our Musical Theatre alumni, Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy and Matthew Elliot-Campbell, were announced as new ensemble cast members for the UK and Ireland tour of The Lion King: The Musical.
Dance alumnus Martina Conti’s exhibition, Exercises for a Polluted Mind, is being shown at various venues in Italy and San Marino. The exhibition comprises photo, audio and video material of a series of choreographic exercises and somatic techniques performed by Councillors from varying political backgrounds outside the San Marino Public Palace Council Hall before parliamentary sessions. Conti commented –
“By inviting the political class to be personally and physically involved in an artistic project, I hope to make listening to and working on the body into a political act.”
Exercises for a Polluted Mind is being shown at the Museo MAGA in Gallarate, Italy, the 58th Venice Biennale’s Republic of San Marino pavilion and at the National Gallery of San Marino.
Alumnus Thomas Page’s company, Thomas Page Dances, performed as part of the Offbeat Festival 2019 in Oxford, presenting ‘an intimate duet exploring what it was to be gay in the 1980s in response to Bren Gosling’s play, Moment of Grace.’
Fairytales, a Latin and ballroom-inspired show at Sadler’s Wells, featured works choreographed by alumnus Ivana Ostrowski. She brought together disabled and non-disabled artists to tell stories through dynamic, captivating dance.
Transitions Dance Company alumni Paola Drera and Meilir Osian have both been selected to take part in Laboratori with National Dance Company Wales, working with independent dance artists in Wales to test new choreographic ideas. The programme is mentored, among others, by fellow alumnus Lea Anderson.
Elliott Morris, a 2019 recipient of the Jake Yolanda Award grant and alumnus of Trinity Laban’s certificated The Practice of Music-Making course, released his second album, The Way is Clear, on the Dominoes Club Records label. The album, blending folk, pop and rock and featuring Morris’ ‘strong, honest vocals’ and ‘expert percussive acoustic guitar playing’, was launched at an event at Cecil Sharp House in London.
Jazz saxophone alumnus Nubya Garcia was named ‘the next big thing in jazz’ by Red Bull who featured her in a video for their See. Hear. Now series. She gave an exclusive performance with fellow alumni Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet), Joe Armon-Jones (keyboard), Daniel Casimir (bass) and Femi Koleoso (drums). Meanwhile, another saxophone alumnus, Leo Richardson, played with his quartet at Rochester International Jazz Festival, NY. His group is poised to release its second album.
Afrobeat group Kokoroko played on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury Festival 2019 and were featured on the BBC2 television coverage. The band features alumni Sheila Maurice-Grey, Cassie Kinoshi and Oscar Jerome.
Violinist Harriet Mackenzie gave a performance at the Festival of Chichester with Celoniatus Ensemble, a group she formed during her fellowship at Trinity Laban. She performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons alongside Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and an evocative work by Canadian composer Emily Doolittle, inspired by birds. And in Manchester, piano alumnus Iyad Sughayer performed Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto as soloist with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
DON’T MISS
Together, Not the Same WED 17 JUL 19.30 Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN £12
Sadlers Wells Young Associate and former Transitions Dance Company member Wilhelmina Ojanen presents new work LAND as part of this evening of dance that disrupts the traditional mixed bill format. The work will be performed by dance alumni Theo Arran, Coral Montejano Cantoral, Miia Mäkilä and Gil Ratcliffe with music composed by alumnus Andrew Marriott.
Don Perera Guitar Concert FRI 19 JUL 19.30 York House Centre, London Road, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire MK11 1JQ £8, £5
Multi award-winning television and film composer John Lunn receives Trinity Laban’s highest honour at the Downton Abbey Live event in recognition of his contribution to music.
The British composer, who is best known for writing the iconic music for global TV phenomenon Downton Abbey, was presented with an Honorary Fellowship on 22 June by Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne at an open air concert in the grounds of Highclere Castle.
Hosted by actor Jim Carter in character as the beloved Mr Carson, the concert celebrated the iconic TV series and was performed by The Chamber Orchestra of London with John at the piano. Among the orchestral musicians were three Trinity Laban Alumni: Violinists Miranda Allen and Calina De La Mare, and horn player Thomas Bettley.
Introducing the Honorary Fellowship presentation was British Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning television producer and executive Gareth Neame OBE. Gareth, who is CEO of Carnival Films and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, is also a patron of Trinity Laban.
Gareth commented –
“Trinity Laban is one of the world’s top creative conservatoires and we are fortunate that it is based here in London. Attracting students from all round the world looking to do individual and innovative work, I am proud to be a patron of this important institution that has done so much for music and dance and developed the most extraordinary talent.”
Speaking during the citation in front of 5000 Downton Abbey fans, Trinity Laban’s Director of Music Havilland Willshire said –
“With multi-awards and a glittering CV John Lunn is not short of honours. This evening Trinity Laban, which is recognised for its artistic adventure and known as London’s Creative Conservatoire, would like to add one of its own.”
On receiving the Honorary Fellowship John Lunn commented –
“I am honoured to become an Honorary Fellow of such an innovative and forward-looking conservatoire as Trinity Laban. You don’t go to art school to learn how to paint like Picasso, you go to find your own unique voice. Music training should be the same. And that is why I am really impressed by Trinity Laban, an organisation that champions creative individuality as well as strong technical grounding. It is an ethos that I share.”
As London’s Creative Conservatoire, Trinity Laban prides itself on encouraging artistic adventure as well as providing pragmatic career solutions and the Composition Department has been extremely successful in producing professional media composers – from the established John Powell, Gavin Greenaway and John Ashton Thomas, to the up-and-coming John Chambers, Mike McLennan and Troy Banarzi.
Each year, the Conservatoire recognises accomplished professionals in the fields of the performing arts and education by awarding them the status of Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban. These individuals are an inspiration for students, as examples of people who have – through vision, dedication and hard work – achieved so much. As an Honorary Fellow John Lunn joins a glittering roster of industry-leading professionals including Gary Crosby OBE, Gillian Moore CBE, Jude Kelly CBE, Richard Alston, Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, founder and Lin Hwai-min.
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Image L-R: John Lunn, Anthony Bowne, Havilland Willshire (credit: Cuffe and Taylor)
About John Lunn
Classically trained yet contemporary in attitude, composer John Lunn combines a highly intelligent and sensitive approach to scoring film and television that connects directly with the emotional heart of each story.
In high-demand, John is best known for writing the iconic music for global TV phenomenon Downton Abbey, which has earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello Award. The score, highly regarded in British television history, has several soundtrack albums and was named the nation’s favourite classical TV theme by Classic FM in 2016.
Over the last three decades John’s output has also included scoring The White Queen and The White Princess for BBC/Starz, Jamestown for Sky/Carnival Films, and three critically-acclaimed adaptations of Charles Dickens classics: Bleak House (2006), Little Dorrit (2008), The Mystery Of Edwin Drood (2013).
Alongside his prolific work in film and television, South East London-based John has composed several operas for Glyndebourne and ENO, as well as a violin concerto, regularly speaks at industry and educational events including Film Music Prague, and takes an interest in the next generation of composers through delivering masterclasses at programmes such as the prestigious Hollywood Music
This year John will score the long-awaited Downton Abbey movie, due to be released on 13 September 2019 and is currently recording the soundtrack of Julian Fellowes’s new series Belgravia.
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