Music Partnership with Bath Philharmonia Continues for a 7th Year

King Edward’s School is delighted to announce that its unique Side by Side partnership with Bath Philharmonia is set to continue for a seventh year.

The year-long annual instrumental partnership involves an unrivalled programme of musical events that sees KES musicians learn from, and being inspired by, professional artists at the top of their profession through a series of workshops, joint rehearsals and concerts.  Partnership highlights this year include:

• A joint Gala Concert - A Night at the Musicals - at The Forum in Bath
• A KES Orchestral workshop involving Bath Philharmonia principals led by Jason Thornton, Music Director at Bath Phil
• Complimentary tickets for KES pupils to select Bath Philharmonia concerts
• Attendance at the afternoon rehearsal of Lauren Zhang, the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2018, ahead of her concert with Bath Phil on 5 December.  During the afternoon KES musicians will also enjoy an exclusive Q&A session with Lauren.
• A piano masterclass by Lauren Zhang at King Edward’s School on 4 December.  Lauren, who has been described as ‘a total phenomenon’ by Julian Lloyd Webber, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in her hometown of Birmingham in 2018.  Following her success in the competition, Lauren was invited to perform at the BBC Proms and is in demand as a soloist throughout the UK and further afield.  The piano masterclass is the third such exclusive masterclass with a BBC Young Musician of the Year winner or finalist to take place at KES and follows a saxophone masterclass led by Classic Brit Award winner, Jess Gillam, and a cello masterclass by Laura van der Heijden.

“This year’s exciting programme centres around the desire to extend the impact of the orchestral partnership to our KES singers and will culminate in a rousing Gala Concert at The Forum,” said Rupert Drury, Director of Music at KES.  He added: “Our Senior Orchestra, KES Senior Singers, MEN, the Parents Staff choir, top KES vocal & instrumental soloists as well as elements of many of our other ensembles including KES Soul, will come together to perform much-loved numbers from the likes of West Side Story, Les Miserables, Oklahoma and Into the Woods.”

Mr Drury went on to say: “The educational opportunities arising from our partnership with Bath Phil are wider reaching still and include a performance etiquette and preparation masterclass with the orchestra’s leader, Sophie Langdon, an all-day orchestral workshop for the Senior Orchestra with Bath Phil principals, opportunities for our orchestral players to attend Bath Phil rehearsals with famous soloists, free tickets for KES pupils to attend Bath Phil’s concerts as well as a piano masterclass with BBC Young Musician of the Year 2018 winner, Lauren Zhang.

“It is our aim to not only stretch and develop all our musicians’ skills through working alongside professional orchestral players but to inspire them with wonderful performance experiences.”

In addition to the opportunities afforded KES musicians by the partnership, King Edward’s is further delighted to announce that the Lauren Zhang/Bath Philharmonia concert sponsored by the School will see 50 free concert tickets go out to every school in B&NES so that children and the next generation of musicians across the local community can be similarly inspired by Lauren’s performance.  The ticket offer has been organised by Bath Phil as part of its Creative Learning Project.

This is the second such Bath Philharmonia initiative to be supported by King Edward’s, with the aim of helping broaden local primary school access to orchestral music. In 2018 Bath Philharmonia and Classic Brit winner saxophonist, Jess Gillam, presented workshops funded by the PRS Foundation’s Resonate Scheme to pupils from St Keyna and Roundhill Primary Schools as part of Bath Philharmonia’s commitment to making orchestral music accessible to all.  King Edward’s supported the initiative by hosting the day’s events.

Rupert Drury said: “It is wonderful that our partnership with Bath Philharmonia will enable 50 pupils from every school in B&NES to access first-rate classical orchestral music through free tickets. To be able to help young people from all over Bath to explore new musical genres and watch inspirational young classical musicians such as Lauren in action, is a natural extension of King Edward’s School’s musical and artistic aims and reflects the role we play within the local community.”