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Springboard Returns:
The Best Emerging Classical Musicians In An Impressive One Day Festival

Music at Oxford and the Jacqueline Du Pré Music Building join forces again to present Springboard 2009, a unique festival-in-a-day for the best emerging UK classical musicians on Saturday 16th May. The festival aims to give carefully chosen young artists new skills and experience. With internationally renowned musicians, pianist Melvyn Tan and violinist Levon Chilingirian, as mentors the young musicians have the superb opportunity of solo showcase recitals. Closing the festival is a fantastic evening performance, in which they perform with their mentors with industry professionals attending to make Springboard more than just a music festival for the performers. The audience is also given a special experience; Springboard presents the classical stars of tomorrow, lets the audience explore the hidden world of a beautiful riverside Oxford college, plus it offers musical talks/demonstrations, an art exhibition, lawn games and delicious food. Full festival details can be found at www.springboardoxford.com.

This year’s musicians are picked from the premier UK music Colleges and Universities and some are already performing with top orchestras and venues. Springboard is particularly pleased to have Oxford University undergraduate, Daisy Fancourt (piano), performing. Representing the finest new musical talent from the city, she regularly performs solo recitals in London and in January this year she recorded a CD for Classic FM. The Cavell String Quartet attend the Royal College of Music and Leonard Schreiber (violin) graduated from RCM and has performed in fantastic venues including Buckingham Palace. W3 Wind Trio was also formed at RCM and the group is passionate about educational and outreach work, currently holding the position of Ensemble In Residence at Bousfield Junior School. Allan Smith (baritone) is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He is already carving an impressive career, having performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC National Chorus of Wales and recorded Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb with AVIE.

Springboard has worked closely with the young artists and mentors to choose a wonderfully wide-ranging programme of music. The recitals and evening concert span from Beethoven to Barber and even include a world premiere by Gerald Busby (Rules of Sleep), performed by Allan Smith. The evening concert programme has works to impress, giving the young artists the opportunity to wow their audience with their ensemble performances. Joined by their mentors, this is a truly exciting opportunity for the newcomers to perform with world-class musicians at this point of their burgeoning careers. The concert opens with Barber’s Dover Beach (Baritone and String Quartet) and Poulenc’s Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano Op 43. Musicians and mentors are then brought together for Messiaen’s extremely moving and technically demanding Quatuor pour la fin du temps. Tan, Leonard Schreiber and Jonathan Rees (cellist of Cavell String Quartet) then perform Haydn’s virtuoso Gypsy Rondo (Piano Trio No 39 in G major, Hob XV25. The climax to the concert is Chausson’s gloriously Romantic and symphonic Concert for Piano, Violin and String Quartet Op 21.

This year’s schedule of musical talks and demonstrations are chosen to enlighten festivalgoers about the recital programmes and to explore string and woodwind instruments. There are two Composer Focus talks: the first at 10.50am will be given by Corrina Conner, a musicologist who is frequently commissioned by Music at Oxford to write programme notes. She will talk about the works performed by the Cavell Quartet: Bach’s 2 Fugues from The Art of Fugue and Beethoven’s Rasumowsky Op 50 No 2. W3 Wind Trio will take the second Composer Focus and discuss their diverse recital programme of Haydn, Ibert, Szalowski and Canteloube. Springboard is delighted to have Andy Lamb, Curator of the Bate Collection, talking about the fascinating Serpent instrument at 1.20pm. Finally, local bow makers Jutte Walcher and Peter Oxley talk about the art of bow making at 4.20pm.

Once again, there will be an exhibition of contemporary art in the glass Brian Duke Foyer. Details of the artist will be posted on the Springboard website soon (www.springboardoxford.com).

Last year's musicians have been achieving great things since their appearance at the festival. The Vardanyan Quartet received great acclaim in St Jude's Proms and they have been invited to take part in the international competition at Trondheim International Chamber Music Academy this year. They are giving several performances of the Mendelssohn Octet with the Chilingirian Quartet, participating in the Greenwich International Quartet Festival at Trinity College of Music and performing at Bernard Haitink’s recital series in Switzerland. James Meldrum takes up a soloist residency with the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme at Snape Maltings this year. William Berger continues to perform with English National Opera's Young Singers Programme, which enables talented singers to be part of a major opera company while still continuing with their training. Dominic John will perform at the prestigious Wigmore Hall for its Platform series in June.

Our mentors have played a vital part in Springboard and have been wholly enthusiastic and supportive of the festival. They selected this year’s performers and helped to choose the programmes being performed. In the two days leading up to the festival they will tutor our young musicians, giving them valuable performance advice to help hone their skills and career advice for the future. Both Tan and Chilingirian believe that young artists’ projects are important and Chilingirian in particular has worked with a number of them over the years. Projects have included a master class for BBC Young Musician of the Year, organizing competitions for string players in Armenia and he is Artistic Director of the Mendelssohn on Mull festival, which encourages the artistic development of young professionals through performances with more experienced mentors. Both have exciting personal performances coming up. Tan recently made his directorial début in Italy touring Mozart concerti with the Orchestra Filharmonica Marchigiana and began a collaboration with the London Chamber Orchestra, directing Beethoven and Mozart. This collaboration continues through 2009/10 with performances of Chopin, Hummel and Beethoven in Italy, India and in London. In the same season he returns to the Royal Festival Hall to perform Poulenc with the LPO. He will also mark Chopin’s 200th birthday with a series of performances on both modern piano and fortepiano. Chilingirian performs with his world-class quartet for Music at Oxford in a special Good Friday concert at the beautiful St Barnabas Church in Jericho, Oxford. Future plans include tours throughout Europe and North and South America. For a full biographies visit www.springboardoxford.com or contact Victoria Bosher (Sales & Marketing Administrator): 01865 242865 / victoria@musicatoxford.com.

Springboard is funded by The Arts Council and by Oxford City Council.

ENDS

For further information and print quality images or to request press tickets contact:
Victoria Bosher
Tel. 01865 242865
Email victoria@musicatoxford.com

Date: 2nd April 2009