RNCM WIND WEEKEND in association with BASBWE
RNCM Wind Weekend in association with BASBWE 2009
Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester 24th - 25th October
2009
2009 Festival Introduction ::
2009 Concert details ::
2009 Participating bands ::
Previous events
This Autumn, the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) will be the setting for
an entire weekend of wind activity as all the college's venues will be taken over
with performances, masterclasses, and educational workshops featuring some of this
country's leading wind performers and teachers.
The RNCM has teamed up with BASBWE to put on the weekend, designed to bring together
wind players of all ages and all standards to learn from the expert advice of the
teaching staff at the college and to hear music of all styles performed by a range
of wind ensembles. The whole weekend will be free, and there will be something for
everyone who enjoys wind music, be they a teacher, an experienced player or a recent
beginner.
In previous years, the RNCM has hosted a one-day event, Woodwind Day, which featured
a series of masterclasses and performances given by the tutors and students at the
college, and also featuring students from conservatoires and local schools. These
events will feature again as part of this extended weekend of events, but there
will be much more on offer this year as the RNCM and BASBWE celebrates wind playing
on a far larger scale, with the RNCM's Wind Orchestra and wind bands from all over
the UK taking part.
A massed performance of a new commission in the RNCM's Concert Hall will open proceedings
on the first day and will be followed by a series of informal performances and workshops
with a range of adult, youth and student wind bands. Patrons will be encouraged
to come and listen to the wind bands as they perform throughout the day and as RNCM
staff conductors Clark Rundell and Mark Heron work with the bands and their conductors.
"I am delighted that, this year, we are able to build upon the success of our Woodwind
Days and host a Wind Weekend.
This development will allow us to showcase solo, small ensemble and Wind Orchestra
performances, whilst maintaining a valuable educational angle in the masterclasses
and other specialist sessions."
Paul Goodey, Head of the School of Wind, Brass & Percussion
Alongside, there will be a series of workshops for teachers and players focusing
on topics such as improvisation, ensemble repertoire, and composition, as well as
sessions for classroom and peripatetic music teachers on a range of topics. There
will also be instrument-specific groups, offering the opportunity for players to
learn more about their instruments in an informal setting. An evening concert with
the renowned RNCM Wind Orchestra will round off the day, in a showcase of the very
best in new wind repertoire.
The second day will feature instrumental masterclasses with members of the teaching
staff at the RNCM, themselves woodwind players of great distinction, alongside a
distinguished guest from the United States, Alex Klein, former principal oboe with
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. These will be aimed at players of varying standards,
and provide a great opportunity to learn from the very best about woodwind technique
and interpretation.
The series of educational workshops will continue throughout the day and there will
be performances from the RNCM's Wind Collective, wind ensembles and members of the
College's teaching staff, in a range of virtuosic solo and chamber repertoire.
Instruments, reeds, and sheet music will be on sale throughout the weekend, as the
RNCM concourses will be filled with stands and stalls from the country's most renowned
instrument makers and retailers. Full details of the RNCM Wind Weekend will be available
in the RNCM Autumn 2009 Events Guide and on the RNCM website
www.rncm.ac.uk in July.