Liverpool Performing Arts Festival 2011

MUSIC

How to apply

Adjudicators

• Kathryn Page

  Area  -  Music

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  Kathryn Page has given over 20 recitals at the South Bank and Wigmore Hall, both as soloist and chamber music pianist. She has toured Norway, Italy, Ireland and Australia where she gave seven recitals at the Sydney Festival and broadcast for ABC. At home Kathryn has performed at many of the leading music festivals and has given numerous live broadcasts for BBC radio 3 from Broadcasting House, St Georges, Bristol and St Davids Hall, Cardiff.

  Her interest in contemporary music has led to many world premieres including works by Gary Carpenter, Alisdair Nicholson and Django Bates.

  She has worked with many established artists including David Campbell, Joanna MacGregor and Sting! TV work has ranged from a live recital from Paris on CNN, An appearance on the Korean broadcasting network, several performances on Irish TV and a much treasured Blue Peter badge.

  Kathryn now lives in Cheshire and has 5 children ranging in ages from 5 – 18. She is kept very busy as administrator for EPTA UK, the Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists and the Manchester International Concerto Competition for Young Pianists.

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• Robin Munday

  Area  -  Music

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  Robin was a native of Hampshire and started playing the piano at the age of 5, accompanying choirs at the age of 11, made his first broadcast a year later and became a church organist when 13. He was awarded a BSc degree in Geography at Nottingham University, where he learnt the clarinet, and then, after doing his two years original research, gained an MSc in hydrology. He then worked for many years in the North West until 1994 when he made a ‘life change’ to concentrate on music.

  Robin competed for many years at music festivals wherever he was living, both as a piano soloist and choral conductor until he became an adjudicator and accompanist member for the festival movement in the early 1980’s. In this capacity he has travelled extensively throughout the UK and Ireland. In June 2006, he travelled to in Sri Lanka for six weeks to adjudicate throughout the whole island at a series of competitive festivals.

  Robin lives in Cheshire where he has an extensive piano teaching practice with pupils of all abilities and ages. He is also a choral conductor of church, children’s, male and mixed voice choirs who have broadcast on national radio, and toured in the USA, Sweden, Germany and his male voice choir had their own television programme in Finland! When he is not conducting or teaching the piano, he prepares individual singers and instrumentalists for local, national and international competitions.

  Robin is looking forward to adjudicating at the Liverpool Performing Arts Festival and firmly believes that all music is there to be enjoyed. So start practising, wear a smile and come and enjoy yourselves!

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• Luan Shaw

  Area  -  Music

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  Luan trained at Birmingham Conservatoire and later read for a Masters Degree in Psychology for Musicians at the University of Sheffield. In 2001, she was awarded an honorary degree from Birmingham Conservatoire ‘in recognition of distinguished work within the field of music'.

  Luan has performed clarinet concertos and chamber music at festivals and recital venues throughout the UK, on BBC radio and as part of the Banff International Festival in Canada. She plays Principal clarinet for Longborough Festival Opera, is Co-principal clarinet of Orchestra of the Swan and also freelances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

  Luan is committed to music education and has been teaching children and adults of all ages and abilities for over twenty years; posts held include Co-ordinator of Woodwind and Brass at Birmingham Conservatoire Junior School and Head of Music at Hallfield Preparatory School. Past students have gained places in various prestigious ensembles and establishments, including the National Children's Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra, the Royal College of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Welsh College of Music and Drama and Birmingham Conservatoire.

  Luan runs her own series of Live Music Workshops for all ages and abilities - MUSICSCOOL for Foundation Stage through to Year 6, SPECIAL OCCASIONS for special schools, BANDSTAND BABIES for children aged 0 - 3, FUNKY FAMILIES for 0-7 year old and their families and CURRICULUM SUPPORT for teachers. She also collaborates on education and community projects with Orchestra of the Swan and the CBSO. Her clarinet duo, Carousel and quartet, Maskarade are involved in giving concerts on behalf of the Council for Music in Hospitals and the Lost Chord Project for Dementia Sufferers.

  Luan qualified as an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals in 2001 and has worked as a specialist and a generalist throughout the UK, including the National Festival of Music for Youth. Her most recent venture has been into the field of assessment; moderating performance components for GCE (AS Level) Music and examining Diploma candidates for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. She also works for the ABRSM’s Professional Development Mentor Panel, helping to deliver teaching courses.

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Accompanist Biographies

• John Peace

  is a music graduate of Durham University also gaining the LRAM piano recital and ARCO diplomas. Director of music at several schools before moving to Liverpool he was a senior music lecturer in the FE performing arts department, and a visiting piano tutor at Liverpool University.

  John performs as soloist, accompanist, ensemble pianist and organist, with extensive and often adventurous repertoire. He has frequently performed with members of RLPO & Halle Orchestras; also is pianist with Ensemble Liverpool. He directed the lunchtime recital series at Liverpool Parish Church for ten years and has been MD with two Merseyside opera groups.

  John's many piano pupils over the years have included the 1981 Leeds International Piano Competition winner, Ian Hobson. He is author of a book on pianism/piano technique, and founder-organiser of Merseyside group of European Piano Teachers Association. Most recently John performed the Grieg Concerto with St Helens Sinfonietta, 'jammed' with an Indian classical singer, and has given recitals in Liverpool, Dorset and Sweden.

• Richard Lea

  is Organist and Assistant Director of Music the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool.

  He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Christ’s and Notre Dame College in Liverpool and was Organ Scholar at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral studying with Noel Rawsthorne, Terence Duffy and Philip Duffy. He was then Organist at the Church of St. Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. He was appointed Organist at the Cathedral in 1999 working with Mervyn Cousins, Keith Orrell ,Terence Duffy and Timothy Noon. He continues to direct various ensembles including the Brixi Singers, and the Metropolitan Cathedral Cantata Choir.

  He has made numerous broadcasts and recordings. He has recorded three discs of the music of Lefebure Wely (featured in BBC Radio 2’s The Organist Entertains), the complete organ works of the Welsh composer William Mathias and his most recent disc has received excellent reviews such as - ‘it is Richard Lea’s superb playing that steals the show’ (Organists’ Review)’ ‘really first rate playing’, ‘masterful’ (Gramophone), ‘Here is music and playing that will lift your spirits (American Organist), ‘the performances are brilliant…and genuinely moving’ (International Record Review), ‘exemplary performances – 5 stars’ (Orgelnieuws). He has recently returned from a recital tour of Estonia.