News

Our monthly round-up of some of the successes for Trinity Laban alumni.

This May, mezzo-soprano Kate Howden competed in the final of the 2019 By Voice Alone opera competition, held at Kings Place in London. She was selected from over 400 entrants nationwide.

Trumpeter Lily Carassik released a single, What If, inspired by her experiences of mental health, via Bandcamp. The proceeds from downloads of the song will all go to Samaritans. Carassik commented –

“Having battled with depression for seven years and had moments where I thought suicide would be the only option for me, I’m lucky enough to say that [I have] come out the other side. Looking back, something that always stopped me from going through with it was the thought, ‘but, what if this gets better?’ So I wrote a song to remind people to keep asking that. Because it can.”

Carassik, who is now touring Europe as a trumpet player with mainstream artist George Ezra, is not the only alumnus performing alongside internationally renowned artists. Jazz guitarist Oscar Jerome played as special guest at a series of tour dates throughout the UK supporting American jazz virtuoso Kamasi Washington. He also released a music video for his latest single, Misty Head / Sunny Street, exploring themes of gender, identity and self-expression. The video stars his brother Alfie Lawrence, also known as drag performance artist Moth. Jerome commented –

“The main reason for starring Moth was … a desire to help people see what a creative, multifaceted art-form drag can be. I hope we can challenge perceptions of … gender expression and … open some people’s eyes, as my brother has done for me.”

A host of jazz alumni performed at a special event at Trinity Laban’s King Charles Court celebrating the Honorary Fellowship of Tomorrow’s Warriors Co-Founder and Artistic Director Gary Crosby. He was interviewed by jazz saxophone tutor and alumnus Martin Speake. Performers included Cherise Adams-Burnett (voice), Moses Boyd (drums), Peter Edwards (piano), Camilla George (saxophone), Axel Kaner Lidstrom (trumpet), Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet), Alam Nathoo (saxophone) and Rosie Turton (trombone).

Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning alumnus and former Principal of the Royal Ballet Sarah Wildor was one of six judges on the panel for the English National Ballet’s tenth annual Emerging Dancer competition. Held at Sadler’s Wells in London, the event was live-streamed worldwide.

Dancer Olly Bell performed with Rosie Kay Dance Company in 10 Soldiers, a new work telling the stories of men and women serving on the front line in the British Army. Featuring Kay’s trademark intense athleticism, 10 Soldiers takes a fresh look at issues of equality and diversity in the armed forces.

Luca Silvestrini is artistic director of Protein Dance. He has developed a new programme working with refugees, young people in pupil referral units and older people in care homes, helping them find expression through dance.

Tamsyn Butt has been running a six week course of contemporary dance classes for beginners at the University of Bath. She has worked as a professional dancer and dance teacher for over 19 years and was co-founder and artistic director of XS Dance Theatre. She is currently proposing her practice research PhD.

Olivia Paddison joined Fertile Ground, a premiere touring dance company based in the North-East of England. She is one of four dancers performing in the Twilight Dances 2019 tour which includes works for film, with live music and workshops with students. She commented –

‘Joining Fertile Ground … has been the start of a very intensive period of professional development for me as a dancer. I feel that I am being presented with many opportunities to increase my versatility and grow in confidence with the skills necessary to progress in the profession.’

Musical Theatre alumnus James Darch joined the cast of the touring production of The Rocky Horror Show. Playing the role of Brad Majors, he will be performing at venues across the UK until the end of October.

Our piano alumni have been giving performances across Europe. Pianist Giulio Potenza gave a musical lecture as part of the A Master Speaks Young Artists Piano Solo series for Roma Tre University in the Italian capital. He was praised for his ‘supreme sense of colouring and … subtle use of the pedals to create a very particular atmosphere.’ Potenza plays regularly in a prize-winning piano duo, Volt & Potenza, with fellow alumnus Oda Voltersvik.

Pianist Plotinos Micromatis performed a concert of Italian songs alongside two singers at Technopolis 20 Cultural Centre in Paphos, Cyprus and Theodoros Iosifidis performed music by Mozart as soloist with the Athens Youth Symphony at the Varonos Kimonos Rallis Hall in Athens, Greece. Violin alumnus Jesper Gasseling performed music by Mozart and Brahms at the opening concert of the Bürgenstock Resort’s Classics with a View four-part concert series in Switzerland of which he is Artistic Director. He invited fellow young musicians from around the world to join him at Lake Lucerne, including star soloist and fellow alumnus Lana Trotovšek.

Our composition alumni have been building their reputations at home and abroad. Cassie Kinoshi was listed in DJ Mag’s 12 Emerging Artists You Need To Hear This May and Anna Stereopoulou presented her project, SYN, as part of the Sonora Series at the Real Antico Casino in Castellón, Spain. SYN is the most recent of her ‘Cymatic Environments’ which she describes as ‘moving sound images’. It is an audio-visual installation that questions the extent to which ‘the human mind (brain and soul) perceives infinite realities … existing and moving con-currently’.

Alumnus composer Ben Corrigan’s podcast, Excuse the Mess, won bronze in the Best Arts and Culture Category at the 2019 British Podcast Awards. He commented –

‘It’s really amazing to get recognition for all those cross-fades.’

Excuse the Mess, in which Corrigan collaborates with a different artist each episode to create an original work, will return for a new series in 2020.

Our alumni have also been busy working on new albums. The Elliot Galvin Trio, featuring alumni Elliot Galvin (composition), Tom McCredie (bass) and Corrie Dick (drums), released their fourth album, Modern Times, which was live-mixed and recorded direct to vinyl, each side in one continuous take. The album was launched with a performance in the Brunel Museum’s Tunnel Shaft.

Ibrahim Aziz released his debut solo album, Risonanze, on the First Hand Records label. Featuring music for viola da gamba, the album includes works by J.S. Bach, Carl Friedrich Abel and Johan Schenck alongside the contemporary works Summer Suite by Carlos Martinez Gil and Journeying by Rebecca Rowe, written especially for Aziz.

 

DON’T MISS

South London’s Cross the Tracks day festival will feature a host of Trinity Laban alumni including Oscar Jerome, Joe Armon-Jones, Nubya Garcia and Steam Down, a Jazz FM award-winning collective founded by Wayne Francis. They will join mainstream acts including Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Masego and Chaka Khan.

Cross the Tracks Festival
SUN 9 JUN 12.00 – 22.00
Brockwell Park, London