News

Don’t miss the BYO Concert on Sunday (13 May, 5.00pm, All Saint’s, Hove) at which Berniya Hamie will be performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto. She is stepping in at the last minute after Hazel Nguyen had to withdraw due to injury.

 

We would like to congratulate Berniya Hamie for making it through to the National Final of the Rotary UK Young Musician Competition. She won the Regional Final last weekend with a performance of a Bach Prelude and Fugue the Chair of judges described as “very special”, and an “amazing” rendition of Ravel’s Miroirs no. 4. The judges were also impressed by Milan Beckett’s “great command” of his cello.

We wish Berniya all the best for the National Final in Edinburgh on 19 May.

As part of their prize from the Brighton Phil, last year’s Springboard Festival winners Berniya Hamie and Natasha O’Flynn chose to attend the Brighton Phil’s rehearsal at Brighton Dome on Sunday 11 February 2018 and met guest conductor Howard Shelley.

Natasha was accompanied to the rehearsal by her piano teacher, and grandmother, Nicola Grunberg, and a fascinating family connection to Howard Shelley was revealed. Nicola studied piano with Lamar Crowson at the Royal College of Music alongside Hilary Macnamara, Howard Shelley’s future wife.

Read more here

Springboard was treated to a series of wonderful performances by some highly accomplished young string players this weekend. Two cellists, Dilara Sahin (pictured) and Milan Beckett, won the Corin Long recital classes (senior and junior), and adjudicator Mark Messenger picked cellist Riya Hamie to receive the Cecil Aronowitz cup for the most promising string player.

But they were just three among many players whose musicianship and skill (developed through hours of dedicated practice) those of us in the audience felt privileged to have the chance to experience.

 

 

Following her wonderful performances  in the Piano and Concerto sections at Springboard last year Hazel Nguyen is set to represent Springboard in two forthcoming events.

She will be playing Hummel’s Piano Concerto with the Brighton Youth Orchestra as part of the Brighton Festival  and will compete in the Emanuel Trophy Competition at the North London Festival of Music and Dance on 21 April.

 

Saturday at Springboard saw teenage pianists (and some rather older participants) playing in a range of musical styles, from Bach to boogie-woogie, and giving much pleasure to all who attended. The day was rounded off by the Senior Championship Final, which was won by Freya Clarke.

 

 

 

Eleanor Voak, Springboard Most Promising Woodwind Player, treated us to an inspired performance of recorder music, including haunting birdsong, which the adjudicator, Rosanna Whitfield, said transported her to a rainforest!

We were delighted to hear of the success of both of the representatives selected by Springboard to take part in the Rotary Young Musician District heat yesterday.

Berniya Hamie won the instrumentalists section and Milan Beckett was runner up.

They have both qualified for the Regional final in Reading in April.

We were saddened to hear of the death of cellist and teacher, Caroline Brown.  Caroline managed the Old Market Arts Centre in Hove for many years where Springboard Festival was based.  She also ran the Hanover Band.

We are delighted that two winners selected from last year’s Springboard Festival are to take part in the Regional Championship of the Rotary Young Musicians Competition on 25 February.  Berniya Hamie will be playing piano and Milan Beckett, cello.

Good luck to both of them!