<<  -- 3 --  Tess Crebbin    MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS

To coincide with Poland's inclusion, on 1 May 2004, into the expanded European Community, one grant goes to finance internships for five young musicologists from Poland to travel to Germany and train as music journalists there. The internships will last six months, at German daily, weekly or monthly publications.

The Nash Concert Society in London received a grant to support its unusual musical events like the 'Coffee Morning Concerts' at Wigmore Hall. The focus is on ten new compositions by the younger generation (David Horne, Jonathan Cole and others) and by more established names (like Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Elliot Carter). In cooperation with the universities of Princeton and Denver there will also be some master classes.

The International Musicians Seminar (IMS Prussia Cove) in London received a grant for the years 2004 to 2006. The IMS Prussia Cove was founded in 1972 by Sandor Vegh from Hungary and since 1997 is under the directorship of Steven Isserlis. This year, two three-week seminars will be held in Cornwall, for students between the ages of sixteen and thirty from all over the world. András Schiff, György Kurtág and Ralph Kirschbaum will instruct. In September, there will be a three-week 'Open Chamber Music Seminar' that unites forty musicians each week. At the end of each week, the public will have a chance to hear the works studied and rehearsed.

The evening's award ceremony was somewhat long, lasting two and a half hours without break. Not an easy thing to do when once considers that lots of drinks were on offer before the concert started...

But any momentary discomfort was made up for by the discovery of the evening, the acclaimed young pianist Milana Chernyavska, who looks like an angel and plays like the devil. This young lady, whose début CD has been released by EMI Classics, is certain to be going places and the general consensus among the many important music personalities present in Munich was that 'she is an exceptional pianist and a delight to look at.'

Also interesting was the cello performance of Brendel's son, Adrian, who will be working with his famous father on some interesting projects in the future.

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