Events

In “Tales from the Arabian Nights”, Miss Zhou Mi’s solo performance on GPA Holdings’ 1780 Giuseppe Guadagnini cello got a rousing ovation to a packed hall at the Yong Siew Toh Hall on Saturday, 3 January 2009.
 

Tanglewood Music School held its annual concert, “Maestros @ Work” on 6th December 2008 at the Alliance Francaise Theatre.

Four of the nine Tanglewood candidates have scored distinctions in their ABRSM examination. Tanglewood Music School sent in a total of nine candidates for the annual ABRSM examination in September this year and has continued to achieve 100 per cent passes in all examinations.

The school’s Dean of Curriculum, Dr. Wilson Goh, is proud of its latest batch of candidates who have maintained Tanglewood’s perfect pass rate for the ABRSM examination.

When Karen approached me to do a story on Professor Dora’s Masterclasses, I was hesitant. After hearing so much and reading about her accomplishments, how was I, someone who is not musically-inclined, able to do justice to our guest Professor at Tanglewood?

And Sean Tay came to my rescue.

Sean Tay is a 12-year-old violin student who has been with Tanglewood Music School for the past three years. It was Karen who recommended I speak to Sean for the story, who said that Sean, being a pleasant boy, would be agreeable to help out.

Tanglewood Music School had the honour of hosting violin and cello masterclasses for two established professors from the Bulgarian State Academy. Professors Bogomil Karakonov and Dora Ivanova have been conducting masterclasses under Tanglewood Music School in Singapore since June 2008.

Professor Bogo conducting a cello masterclass

One of the most influential pedagogues of the 20th century once said,

“Any child can be developed; it depends on how you do it”.

On 26 April 2008, 32 budding maestros proved that statement to be true. From Bach’s Minuet No.1 to Haydn’s cello concerto in C played by a nine-year-old, the students at Tanglewood Music School made their parents and teachers proud by lighting up the YMS Auditorium with their string performances.

What you have seen on stage on December 1, 2007 was the finished product. But what you did not see is the sweat, sacrifice, and toil that went behind this concert.

In June 2007, a team of six, including me, journeyed to Sofia, Bulgaria, for ten days, of which five were spent attending intensive masterclasses.

Our cello teacher for that duration was Professor Bogo, and the lessons that were conducted proved to be very practical though at times tiring. Following this trip, many thoughts were left imprinted on my mind, and penning it down, I hope it would give you a glimpse of what masterclasses were like.