In a socially-distanced event at Blackheath Halls, the winners of the inaugural Carne Trust Chamber Competition, which celebrates the technical prowess and musical creativity of talented student ensembles, were announced on Wednesday. This high-profile chamber music prize, new for 2020, is delivered by Trinity Laban with generous support from The Carne Trust.

A highlight of Trinity Laban’s first Chamber Music Week, the live final of the inaugural Carne Trust Chamber Competition took place on 21 October 2020 at Blackheath Halls in front of a socially distanced audience and adjudicating panel of Trinity Laban experts led by Chair of Governors Alan Davey CBE.

Celebrating the incredible wealth of chamber music happening at London’s creative conservatoire, the 2020 competition saw Big Smoke Brass UK, Levedy, SE Guitar Quartet and The Undercroft Trio compete for share of a £3000 prize fund, with Levedy and The Undercroft Trio named joint winners.

All-female vocal and harp ensemble Levedy formed in early 2020 at Trinity Laban. Members Madeleine Todd (Soprano), Olivia Bell (Soprano), Helen Daniels (Mezzo Soprano), Rhian Davies (Mezzo Soprano) and Laudine Dard (Harp) greatly enjoy exploring underperformed works for upper voices with harp. The five-piece group – whose name is a Middle English word meaning ‘lady’ – is particularly interested in the juxtaposition of solo and ensemble voices with harp, and in cultivating a rich and unique blend. They delighted judges with their performance of Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) Ceremony of Carols Op.28.

Tom Crofton-Green (Violin), Maddy Hamilton (Cello) and Tom Knowles (Piano) have been performing together as The Undercroft Trio since their first year of undergraduate study at Trinity Laban. They have enjoyed two informal recitals at Wigmore Hall and been finalists in the Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition at Chetham’s School in Manchester. They performed Antonín Dvořák Piano Trio No.2 in G Minor Op.2 to impress the panel.

Announcing the winners, Chair of Trinity Laban Alan Davey CBE said –

“Both winning ensembles are characterised by their authenticity, nuance and sensitivity, their ownership of their programmes and the way in which they communicate as musicians and with the audience. In chamber music you hear individual performances, you hear a collective, and you hear atmosphere being weaved between musicians. That’s what makes it so special and important. Everyone here tonight has achieved something marvellous. Myself and the other judges were entertained, enthralled and transported.

“This is my first public appearance as Chair of Trinity Laban, a post which is a huge honour and responsibility for me. I’ve admired the conservatoire for a long time. The musicians and dancers and choreographers who have emerged from Trinity Laban are making a real difference to the world and changing things for the better.”

The competition is generously supported by The Carne Trust. Since its inception in 2006, the Trust has helped numerous talented young artists across the performing arts and supports The Carne Trust Fellowship for an Individual and The Carne Trust Ensembles in Residence at Trinity Laban.

Trustee of The Carne Trust, Philip Carne MBE commented –

“Working in ensembles is at the core of a musician’s training. The Carne Trust is delighted to be able to support a new competition dedicate to recognising these talents and skills.”

Chamber music is a central focus of training at Trinity Laban. Music students receive frequent coachings led by the internationally acclaimed staff, many of whom perform in the country’s leading ensembles. Each term instrumentalists also have the chance to work with The Carne Trust Ensembles in Residence: the Carducci Quartet, the Linos Trio and the Smith Quartet.

In addition to structured chamber music, students are also encouraged to create their own opportunities and are able to showcase their talents in venues such as St Martin-In-The-Fields, Wigmore Hall, St James’s Piccadilly, The Old Royal Naval College Chapel and The Queen’s House.

The full concert programme for The Carne Chamber Competition is available here

The Carne Trust Chamber Competition 2020 Programme

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Image credit: JK Photography

Meeting of Cultures has been nominated for a Chicago Indie Film Award 2020.

Each year second-year undergraduate students undertake Trinity Laban’s Historical Project, a module which offers the opportunity to integrate theory and practise exposing students to significant dance works of the 20th and 21st centuries. Students discover the artistic, historical and cultural contexts in which works were originally created and performed, immersing themselves in important artistic legacies.

In 2018, guided by Tanusree Shankar and Protima Chatterjee, students explored the iconic 1923 partnership between Prima Ballerina Anna Pavlova and the then-unknown Indian painter turned dancer Uday Shankar. Shankar went on to become an international star and pioneer of modern Indian dance.

The process of discovery was captured on film by Abundant Art for Meeting of Cultures, a documentary which interweaves the student experience with rare archive footage and interviews to investigate a historic cross-cultural collaboration which remains an inspiration to the diverse cultural scene in the UK.

Among the academics, dance practitioners, historians and artists interviewed for the film are TL’s programme leader Colin Bourne-Collins and former Director of Dance Mirella Bartrip.

The film is a part of a heritage project supported by the National Heritage Lottery, Trinity Laban, Sampad Arts and Heritage and Roehampton University.

Meeting of Cultures has recently earned a nomination for a Chicago Indie Film Award. The body’s annual festival celebrates Independent films of all genres.

The UK premiere will be screened at SOAS Festival of Ideas on 22 October 2020. For more info, and to register, visit the event page.

Dancer and Trinity Laban alum Dave Toole has passed away aged 56.

Jacob Fowler has made it through to the live rounds of Little Mix: The Search

The show sees the multi-award-winning girl group Little Mix create six bands and become mentors to a new wave of talent as they search for a support act for their next tour.

Successful singers who are chosen to join the new bands will live together and gain access to the team that made Little Mix international best-selling performers, including vocal coaches, song writers, producers and stylists.

Jacob, who has just entered his final year as a Musical Theatre student at Trinity Laban, first performed on Sunday’s show, winning a place in the next round. He will move on to the live shows and sing in front of industry professionals for his chance to be in the UK’s latest band.

Jacob comments –

“I’m so excited to be a part of this show – it’s not every day you get to be on prime-time BBC One! I just hope the journey can continue as far as the process goes as I’ve had the most amazing time so far.

“I wouldn’t have been prepared for this opportunity had it not been for my training at Trinity Laban, where I have grown in confidence over the last two years.”

Watch Jacob’s episode on BBC iPlayer.

Picked by BBC Music Introducing as one of their Hot For 2020 artists, Jacob has released singles ‘Now Warning’ and ‘Do You Ever’. They’ve received radio play, and even made an appearance on This Morning.

Watch Jacob and his band (featuring TL alum Elliot Labbate) perform two tracks on The Beat at Mount Street Studios for BBC Music Introducing in The East Midlands:

Find out more about Trinity Laban’s Musical Theatre Department.

Trinity Laban welcomes Joseph Arnold, Rachel Brown, Anneke Scott and Nigel Thomas to its roster of distinguished educators.

London’s creative conservatoire Trinity Laban is delighted to announce the appointment of four new teaching staff in the Wind, Brass & Percussion department.

Joseph Arnold has been Principal Bass Trombone of English National Opera since 2012. During his career he has worked with the major London Orchestras including the Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and spent a year with the pan-European Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Joseph learnt trombone with Alan Hutt, former trombonist of the Royal Opera House, before studying with Bob Hughes (London Symphony Orchestra) and Keith McNicol (Royal Opera House) at Royal Academy of Music.

Flautist and recordist Rachel Brown is an international soloist and seasoned recording artist specialising in Baroque and Classical Music. A dedicated teacher, she is a professor of historical flute at the Royal College of Music and has given masterclasses worldwide. Rachel is the author of The Early Flute, a practical guide (CUP) and has composed cadenzas for the new Bärenreiter edition of the Mozart Flute Concertos. She is currently preparing a book on Baroque dance for musicians, the result of an extensive collaboration with dancer Mary Collins. She is currently is working on a disc of Vivaldi Concertos & Arias.

A leading exponent of historical horn playing, Anneke Scott is principal horn of internationally renowned period instrument ensembles including Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and The Orchestra of the Sixteen.  She has expertise in baroque horn repertoire and her critically acclaimed solo recordings include three discs focussing on the music Jaques-François Gallay. She a key member of chamber music ensembles including The Prince Regent’s Band and Syrinx, and regularly works with leading period keyboardists, including Steven Devine, and period harpist Frances Kelly. In addition to teaching at Trinity Laban, she also teaches Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and University of Birmingham. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, she was a recipient of the International Horn Society “Punto Award” in 2019.

Nigel Thomas is the principal timpanist of The London Symphony Orchestra and founder member of The Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He holds the distinction of being the first Percussion Scholar at The Royal College of Music and is a past winner of the prestigious Shell LSO Music Scholarship Gold Medal. Having been a guest professor of Timpani at Trinity Laban, Nigel now joins the Wind, Brass and Percussion department as a full-time member of staff.

On the appointment of new tutors, Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion Andrew Dunn comments –

“We are delighted to welcome Joseph Arnold, Rachel Brown, Anneke Scott and Nigel Thomas who are joining our vibrant musical community and continuing the innovative and artistically excellent work we have been championing in the Department.”

To find out more about our teaching staff and programmes, visit the Wind, Brass and Percussion department page.

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Main image: credit Tas Kyprianou

Trinity Laban welcomes Princeton graduate Lauren Auyeung, a Chicago-born dancer, choreographer and artist, to its Faculty of Dance as the newest Fulbright-Trinity Laban Postgraduate Scholar.

Lauren will complete her MFA in Creative Practice, researching the histories, aesthetics, and politics of the hip-hop dance movement in the UK.

Lauren is interested in the intersectionality of art and politics, and over the course of this academic year she plans to foster meaningful connections between London’s underground dance community and dance institutions, culminating in the creation of a collaborative, immersive dance work.

On receiving the Fulbright-Trinity Laban Postgraduate Award in Music or Dance Lauren comments –

“I am excited to start my degree at Trinity Laban in this challenging and unprecedented time. Now is the perfect opportunity to dive back into my own research, consider new questions, and discover innovative ways to create real change in the dance world.

“Studying hip-hop in the context of Trinity Laban will put me in connection with unique artists and thinkers that I would never have met otherwise, offering the flexibility to learn from experienced dance practitioners and experiment with my own self-directed projects. I am excited to take advantage of all of the resources available and build lasting relationships.”

Lauren’s senior thesis Over Exposure was the first full-length hip-hop work produced by a student in the history of Princeton’s Dance Department. Watch the performance. After graduating in 2019, Lauren was invited to curate and teach her alma mater’s first ever hip-hop technique curriculum, creating a lasting impact in the Princeton dance community.

Sara Matthews, Director of Dance, comments –

“Trinity Laban is thrilled to welcome Lauren Auyeung to the Faculty of Dance as this year’s Fulbright Scholar, continuing a rich tradition of cultural exchange and innovation. The international community Lauren is joining will help support her development as an innovator and change-maker, as she continues to take exciting steps to advance the art form of dance.”

Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne comments –

“Trinity Laban is proud to continue its longstanding partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission by being part of this next stage in Lauren Auyeung’s artistic journey. She is an exceptionally talented individual doing extraordinary work and we are excited to see the positive impact she will no doubt have on the Conservatoire and wider industry over the course of her tenure.”

US-UK Fulbright Commission Executive Director Maria Balinska comments –

“We are thrilled that Lauren Auyeung will be bringing her unique expertise and American perspective to explore the world of British hip-hop. Her commitment to learn from and bring innovation to the international world of dance is exactly what we look for in our Fulbright scholars – a compassionate approach to leadership and an eagerness to be engaged in social change.”

This is the fifth year Trinity Laban have worked with the US-UK Fulbright Commission, the only international education exchange programme to go both ways across the Atlantic and whose vision is a world in which there are no obstacles to learning, understanding and collaboration.

Previous Trinity Laban recipients include US Marines veteran and Artistic Director of Exit12 Dance Company (New York) Roman Baca, who was awarded the Fulbright Association’s Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Award, and Washington-born pianist Garrett Snedeker who recently won a Barzun Prize for Youth Engagement to pioneer a music project to engage under-served teenagers in Southeast London.

Find out more about the Fulbright Scholarship, including how to apply for 2021, on our Fees and Finance pages.

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Image credit: Emily Northrup

Introducing a new collaborative online conference supporting work by performing arts researchers of colour

Recognising the breadth and quality of performing arts research produced by researchers and practitioners of colour, Shared Narratives offers a platform to support and showcase academic voices that are often hidden.

Spearhead by PhD candidates Uchenna Ngwe (Trinity Laban) and Ankna Arockiam (The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) the collaborative conference is jointly hosted by the two Conservatoires and will take place 18 – 21 November 2020.

Supported by Trinity Laban’s Digitally Enhanced Learning team, the four-day virtual event aims to provide a collaborative networking space and will include interactive events, workshops and presentations.

Find out more about the conference from Uchenna and Ankna in their video interview:

The team are currently inviting submissions for presentations including papers, performances and screenings. Disciplines covered include music, dance, acting, musical theatre, filmmaking and theatre production.

To get involved, please submit an abstract of 150 to 300 words to sharednarratives@rcs.ac.uk by Friday 9 October 2020, 5.00pm GMT.

Keep an eye on the conference website and twitter page for further information about the programme.

Facilitated by world-class educators and artists from Trinity Laban and beyond, this year’s virtual taster day offered young female musicians the chance to connect, gain practical advice and be inspired.

Designed as a safe space for young female musicians to encounter jazz music and build community, the interactive Girls and Young Women in Jazz day gave participants the chance to work with expert tutors and explore the fundamentals of jazz.

Participants unpacked favourite pieces, got a taste of improvisation and received tips on technique and practice.

One young musician commented –

“It was a new experience for me, I know very little about jazz, and I felt like I was in a safe environment for me to get started.”

The day began with a live chat with our expert panel: Trinity Laban tutor Andrea Vicary, celebrated alumni Dee Byrne, Cherise Adams-Burnett and Sheila Maurice-Grey, current student Gabrielle Carberry, renowned trombonist Annie Whitehead and Co-Founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors Janine Irons MBE.

The panel shared insight into how to keep motivated and build skills during lockdown, what it’s like studying jazz in a conservatoire, the different pathways into performing professionally and challenges for female musicians:

On the importance of projects like Girls and Young Women in Jazz day, Janine Irons MBE comments –

“Diversity, of all kinds, is important for bringing new and different voices to jazz, and to the music industry. When everyone is represented, it keeps the music fresh and evolving, ensures the widest possible audience and helps build a stronger, more sustainable jazz economy. As women there is longevity in jazz. You will be valued for your skills as musicians, and those are lifelong.”

Dee Byrne adds –

“It’s important to create a nurturing space for girls and young women to explore jazz and improvisation. This day provides exactly that opportunity and could be the catalyst for a lifelong pursuit of the music and provide further inspiration to continue on that path.”

Find out more about our open days or visit our jazz department pages

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Image credit: Tas Kyprianou

Pianist Peter Tuite awarded prominent new fellowship by City of Weimar

Classical concert pianist and keyboard professor Peter Tuite is the inaugural recipient of the Glenn Gould Bach Fellowship, which carries one of the most significant financial awards in Baroque Classical Performance in the world today.

The Glenn Gould Fellowship honours the name of one of the world’s most influential and iconic pianists, famed for his legendary performances of Bach.

Inspired by Gould’s ground-breaking engagement with film and recording technology, this new venture seeks to utilise digital technologies to help established artists recreate the music of the Baroque in innovative ways, establishing a legacy that will inspire future musicians.

Over the course of the Fellowship, Peter will create a series of artefacts that will capture his unique vision and make an enduring statement about Baroque music.

On becoming the Founding Fellow Peter comments –

“It is a singular honour to be awarded this Fellowship by the City of Weimar – a city long synonymous with artistic excellence. As Founding Fellow, I have been tasked with developing the first of a series of films and recordings that will help launch a brand-new archive – an archive that will in turn launch the Projects of all future Glenn Gould Bach Fellows.”

Praised for his “astonishing technical facility” (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Massachusetts) and “engaging self-assurance” (Washington Post), Peter Tuite has garnered international acclaim for his recital and concerto appearances throughout the world. Between 2015 and 2018, he was the Head of Piano and Keyboard Instruments at Trinity Laban and continues to serve on the music faculty.

Find out more about our Keyboard Department.

Image credit: Marco Borggreve