Talented young pianist Gen Li will be making his debut at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in November, after winning the 2015 Jaques Samuel Pianos Intercollegiate Piano Competition.

Gen Li became the second Trinity Laban student to win the competition within three years, after Jenna Sung’s success in 2013. They were vying with the best candidates from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music.

The winner performs recitals at both the Wigmore Hall and the Fazioli Auditorium in Italy. In addition, an official CD release is produced from recordings of the concert at the Wigmore Hall.

Gen commented on his time studying with us:

‘Trinity Laban were very supportive of me in finding my own voice in my piano playing and in my performance. My teachers helped me to develop a lot of my own skills and my own unique colour when I play.

I think Trinity Laban is a place where all musicians should go if they can, because in Trinity Laban the environment is very positive, and the staff extremely helpful; no-one is cold or unfriendly, everyone is very friendly and supportive and the facilities are brilliant. The academic environment and the teaching levels are superb.’

Described as ‘the golden fingers’ by BBC Radio 3 presenter Sean Rafferty, Gen has won numerous prizes in piano competitions and has performed at some of the world’s finest venues, receiving high praise from both public and critics alike.

The recital will take place on 27 Nov at 7.30pm. For more information and to book tickets, visit the Wigmore Hall website.

For more information about studying piano at Trinity Laban, visit our Study Music pages. 

2016 graduate Zoe Rogers will join in the ensemble of 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

The production will be directed by the show’s co-author Mark Bramble – director of many award-winning previous productions of 42nd Street on Broadway and around the world. 42nd Street will arrive in London at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in April 2017 with an all-singing, high-kicking cast of over 50, ready to explode on to the West End’s biggest stage.

Zoe commented on her time at Trinity Laban:

‘Because Trinity Laban offers courses for musicians, dancers and musical theatre performers, there is a great range of talent to see and mingle with.

The conservatoire provides supportive tutors and a safe working environment where students can experiment and push themselves to successfully achieve goals. This has certainly boosted my confidence in my ability!’

Our BA3 musical theatre students will be bringing acclaimed musical The Clockmaker’s Daughter back to life at the Laban Theatre on Fri 2 & Saturday 3 December.

Opening last year Off-West End, The Clockmaker’s Daughter quickly sold out and became one of the most popular and highly acclaimed shows of the year. For more information and to book tickets visit our events page.

You can also experience what life as a musical theatre student at Trinity Laban at our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance Open Day, on Thursday 1 December 2016.The day will include a range of activities that will help you gain an insight into the vibrant Musical Theatre Department, including workshops in all three disciplines, meeting with members of the faculty and students and a Q&A session.

For more information and to book, please visit our Musical Theatre pages.

As part of the London Jazz Festival, Trinity Laban’s Shapeshifter will perform Mark Lockheart’s brand new work Brave World. The piece is an adventurous and glorious collaboration between jazz and contemporary classical music, jointly commissioned by the London Jazz Festival and Trinity Laban.

Shapeshifter will also be performing this piece in a double bill performance with Trinity Laban’s Chamber Choir, at Blackheath Halls in December.

Trinity Laban Alumni who are headlining or listed at the festival include: Partikel (Duncan Eagles and Max Luthert), Mark Lockheart, Martin Speake (both also TL staff), Moses Boyd (Binker & Moses), Phil Meadows, Peter Edwards, Nerija, Empirical, Steve Rubie, Ruben Fox, Laura Jurd, Elliot Galvin, Ezra Collective, Emilia Martensson, Samuel Eagles and Rory Simmons. Other alumni playing at the festival include Conor Chaplin, Mark Kavuma, Daniel Casimir, Corrie Dickand Tom Hewson.

The London Jazz Festival is a 10-day celebration of jazz, delivering a mix of world-class artists and emerging stars and taking the music to a massive and ever-growing audience. The Festival has a reputation for bringing the best and freshest music to the capital, with a wide-ranging programme of concerts, commissions, club events, talks, and an expansive learning and participation programme. 

For more information on Shapeshifter’s performance visit our event page.
To find out more about the London Jazz Festival visit their website. 

Alumnus James Darch has joined the cast of Wicked on London’s West End.

James trained for a year on the Foundation Degree in Musical Theatre at Trinity Laban, leaving in 2009 to complete his training. He went on to work in various musical theatre productions, including the role of Sky in London West End’s Mamma Mia!. He has now joined the cast of Wicked as ensemble, and recently had his debut performance as first cover of the lead, Fiyero.

James says: ‘The show is challenging me in different ways, I am now dancing more than I have since some of my first jobs. It’s interesting to work on such a large show, and I’m performing in eight shows a week!’

James has also taught as a special guest tutor on Trinity Laban’s Musical Theatre Summer School for the past couple of years. Participants have been able to watch him live in performance before working with him on putting together a number from the show.

In recent years Trinity Laban has developed an unparalleled reputation for its unique Musical Theatre performance training experience. To find out more about our Musical Theatre programmes, please visit the study pages.

Trinity Laban string alumni Elin Parry (viola), Andrea Montalbano and Claire Sledd (both violin) have been appointed to the Southbank Sinfonia for 2017.

Southbank Sinfonia brings together 33 outstanding graduates from all over the world to communicate the power and worth of classical music in the 21^st century. Each year, the musicians tackle a wide range of musical styles as part of an intensive nine month programme. Southbank Sinfonia performs across Britain and Europe, making a blazing case for why classical musical matters.

Central to the experience are partnerships with leading arts organisations, enabling players to connect with wider audiences. The Southbank Sinfonia is providing live orchestral accompaniment to the National Theatre’s current production of Amadeus, which features alumnus Peter Willcock.

Andrea Montalbano commented:

“This was one of my goals and dreams after my studies and I’m glad I’ve made it a reality! I would like to thank all the teachers who supported me at Trinity Laban, my time there was great and I changed a lot – both as musician and a person.”

Elin Parry added:

“I’m really excited, this is an amazing opportunity which will help me prepare for life as a professional violist. I’m looking forward to covering a huge variety of repertoire, working with outstanding conductors and playing with other young musicians from around the world!”

Head of String Department Nic Pendlebury congratulated the students:

“All three have worked extremely hard towards achieving this goal and this opportunity will be extremely beneficial in building professional foundations for what I am sure will be exciting careers. I wish all three the very best of luck and look forward to hearing of more of their success.”

To find out more about studying at Trinity Laban visit our Study Music or String Department page.
For more information on Southbank Sinfonia visit the Southbank Sinfonia website.

Trinity Laban is delighted to announce the acquisition of the Tertis-White Collection, an archive of material relating to the renowned violist Lionel Tertis, collected by fellow violist and author John White.

Lionel Tertis is renowned as the foremost champion of the viola as a solo instrument. He inspired and performed many new works for the instrument, and was a prolific arranger of works for the viola. This collection comprises Tertis’ manuscript arrangements and annotated copies of music he owned, along with photographs, correspondence, concert programmes and other memorabilia. It was the life’s work of the much-respected violist John White whose definitive biography of Tertis was published in 2006.

The archive of material is housed at the Jerwood Library of the Performing Arts, based at the Faculty of Music. Trinity Laban’s Faculty of Music played a formative role in the development of Lionel Tertis’ career. He studied piano, harmony and violin on an ad hoc basis between 1892 and 1894 at the then Trinity College of Music. Much later, at a dinner given in his honour in 1962, Tertis spoke of the ‘benefit and musical enthusiasm’ he had received during his studentship at Trinity.

Carol White, wife of the late John White commented:

“This archive will appeal not only to viola enthusiasts but to instrument makers and musicologists. John would have been delighted that all this material has been kept together and has been added to Lillian’s small collection. His wish was that it should be appreciated by, and available to, researchers for years to come.”

Researchers are welcome; please contact the library on jlpa@trinitylaban.ac.uk to make an appointment.

Trinity Laban will also be holding an exhibition based on the collection in spring 2017, which will be open to the public.

For more information on the collection visit the Archives Hub. 

As always, Trinity Laban is strongly represented at the 26th Annual Conference of The International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), taking place in Hong Kong from 20 to 23 October.

More than 30 Trinity Laban staff, students, researchers and alumni will be presenting on a wide range of topics, including:

• Warm-up and cool-down habits
• Dietary and exercise behaviour
• Injury prevention
• Uses of technology in dance science
• How to build a career
• Mindful moving in choreographic contexts 

Emma Redding, Head of Dance Science of Trinity Laban, will be presenting a movement session based on the collaborative research into mental imagery and creativity. As a member of the Board of Directors, she will be assisting to create the association’s strategic plan for the next five years.

Also at the conference, Edel Quin, Programme Leader of the MSc and MFA Dance Science, will be reflecting with Brenton Surgenor (of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts) on the first cross-cultural dance science academic exchange, which saw them swap institutions for a semester earlier this year. Edel will also be joining a panel as part of “A Day for Teachers” – which runs parallel to the conference – discussing “What is Dance Science and how it can benefit dancer education?”

There will be movement sessions led by graduate intern Seema Chopra and dance lecturer Naomi Lefebvre Sell, who will also be presenting her postdoctoral research into mindful moving.

For more information about Trinity Laban’s ground-breaking Dance Science programmes – including our new MFA – please visit the Trinity Laban website.

To learn more about the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science visit the IADMS website.

This autumn, Trinity Laban and English Touring Opera (ETO) are teaming up to create a dramatic performance of a great masterpiece, and an outstanding learning opportunity for talented students.

On 6 November, Trinity Laban’s Early Music Vocal Ensemble will perform in association with English Touring Opera in a new translation of Bach’s St John Passion.

For this performance, ETO have commissioned new English translations of the chorales from writers of different faiths and of no professed faith, including former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Nigerian novelist Chibundu Onuzo, mindfulness guru Maitreyabandhu and John McCarthy, a hostage in Lebanon for five years.

In addition to this performance, Trinity Laban’s collaboration with ETO will give several students and alumni the chance to cover operatic roles for ETO’s autumn tours. The Trinity Laban singers will attend rehearsals and learn solo roles in the operas La Calisto and Ulysses’ Homecoming, ready to step in to perform if ETO soloists are indisposed. This outstanding learning opportunity will help these brilliant young performers make the leap from study to the professional world.

Principal of Trinity Laban, Professor Anthony Bowne, commented:

“Here at Trinity Laban, we pride ourselves on our numerous collaborations with prestigious organisations such as English Touring Opera. I’m thrilled that our outstandingly talented students and alumni will get to experience life inside one of the UK’s leading opera companies, and to perform the St John Passion in what promises to be a truly magnificent concert.”

The performance at Blackheath Halls will be ‘Pay What You Decide’ – ticket booking is essential, but payment is decided after the show, based on how much you enjoyed it.

For more information, please visit the Trinity Laban ‘What’s On’ pages. 

Image: English Touring Opera

The UK government has today confirmed that EU students commencing studies at UK universities in 2017 will continue to be eligible for student loans for the entire duration of their studies.

The decision will mean that students applying to study in 2017 will not only be eligible for the same funding and support as they are now, but that their eligibility will continue throughout their course, even if the UK exits the European Union during that period.

This confirmation follows on from Trinity Laban’s commitment to continue to charge UK rates to EU students starting in 2017, also for the entire duration of their studies.

Professor Anthony Bowne, Principal of Trinity Laban, said:

“We are all incredibly proud and honoured to have so many European students and staff. In fact, we have one of the highest percentages of EU students of any university in the country. I’m delighted to make this pledge to our European friends, so that future generations of students can continue to contribute to our wonderful international community.”

Applications are now open for 2017 entry onto all of Trinity Laban’s music and dance programmes. For more information see the study section of the Trinity Laban website.

Image: Dave Kellam on Flickr

Read more: Financial information for EU students

Trinity Laban is pleased to announce a major new funding award for its Grade II listed performance and rehearsal venue, Blackheath Halls.

A transformative donation from The Hearn Foundation of £2 million will enable a continuing investment into an extensive programme of capital works that will be rolled out over the next two to three years. Trinity Laban’s vision is to transform the Halls into a flexible and creative performance venue, serving the needs of artists, audiences, and our local community.

Principal of Trinity Laban, Professor Anthony Bowne commented:

“Trinity Laban is proud of its estate and we are delighted that we are able to invest in the future of the Halls together with the support and generosity of The Hearn Foundation. Together we look forward to an ever more vibrant Blackheath Halls, supporting training of our elite conservatoire students, as well as offering an outstanding performance and community programme.”

This award from The Hearn Foundation complements an award from Arts Council England’s small capital grant programme of £499,999 for improvements focused on the main performance space – The Great Hall – including new seating, modern stage equipment, and improved backstage facilities.

These awards follow on from successful fundraising to renovate the Blackheath Halls roof during summer 2016. This work is generously funded through a grant from Viridor Credits of £234,832 with the support of the Friends of Blackheath Halls, an active village network that exists to support the Halls both by providing audiences and raising funds.

This week, we are delighted to welcome the very first recipient of the Fulbright-Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance, which offers US citizens the chance to pursue postgraduate study at Trinity Laban.

Madison McGrew, a student from the University of South Florida, is studying on Trinity Laban’s world-renowned MSc in Dance Science.

When she learned that she had received the Fulbright Scholarship, Madison says “I was speechless! Sylvia Plath, Linus Pauling, James D. Watson…they were all Fulbrighters. And now I am one too? I cannot believe it!”

Madison is looking forward to studying in London, “a pulsating, centralized hub of culture and innovation”, has said that “nothing quite like Trinity Laban exists in the States”. She is also excited by being “surrounded by a diverse group of individuals all working toward the common goals”. You can read more from Madison on the Trinity Laban blog.

We are now inviting applications for the 2017/18 Fulbright Scholarship. The Fulbright-Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance offers US citizens the opportunity to pursue a one-year Master’s degree (or the first year of a longer Master’s or Ph.D. degree program) in music or dance at Trinity Laban in London.

Applications close on 11 October 2016 at 5pm (Eastern Time) for US citizens. Candidates are required to complete two separate applications – one to the Fulbright Commission, and the other directly to Trinity Laban via UCAS Conservatoires– in order to be eligible for Trinity Laban’s UK Partnership award. To see the full application procedure, visit the Fulbright website and the Trinity Laban Website for further details.

Photo: Madison McGrew by Megan Moore