Piano, jazz piano, organ, harpsichord, accordion
The list of former Chetham's keyboard students reads like a who's who of international performing artists, showing how the department has proved to be of pivotal importance to the landscape of piano playing in particular in the United Kingdom over the past four decades. The fact that artists of the calibre of Peter Donohoe, Kathryn Stott and John Lill visit and revisit the piano department for masterclasses also shows the respect and admiration which Chetham’s students continue to attract at the highest levels of the musical profession.
Above - Piano student Chris Ellis performs Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.4 with Chetham's Symphony Orchestra
With about 50 students, a team approaching 20 tutors and a thriving programme of classes in sight reading, improvisation, performance skills, figured bass and keyboard harmony to complement one to one lessons (normally two hours tuition per week for first study), the department is always focused, vibrant and supportive. It enjoys a particularly close relationship with the Royal Northern College of Music's school of Keyboard studies, and this means that each year Chetham's pianists share platforms with RNCM students in festivals that have included performances of the complete Haydn and Beethoven sonatas, as well as the major works of Messiaen, Ravel and Rachmaninov. Future RNCM/Chetham's plans include participation in collaborative masterclasses between the two institutions, as well as the shared endeavour of performing all of Chopin’s keyboard music for the composer's bicentenary celebrations in 2010.
Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of students who choose to study jazz piano as either their main or second study. Jazz pianists naturally collaborate with instrumentalists from other departments, and have opportunities to study jazz theory to the highest level as well as to develop their instrumental and improvisatory skills in one to one lessons. This has led to numerous masterclasses and workshops specifically for students who wish to pursue jazz rather than classical piano as an option at tertiary level education.
External engagements are of major importance to Chets keyboard students in their educational and artistic development. Recent solo performances have taken place at Manchester's renowned Bridgewater Hall as well as in music clubs and societies throughout the United Kingdom. Students have enjoyed successes in national and international competitions including the Horowitz competition (Ukraine), Waterloo (Belgium), Beethoven Piano Society of Europe (London) as well as in the biannual BBC Young Musician of the Year (Cordelia Williams was the winner of the keyboard section in 2006).
Collaborative music making is of crucial importance for all keyboard students. There are many duet partnerships in the school, as well as several piano trios (three pianists on one instrument) and even ensemble work for four pianists! Pianists also enjoy collaborating with string and wind players for trios, quartets and quintets. There is also scope for exploring baroque repertoire via the harpsichord, and recent years have seen a growth in this area, with harpsichordists enjoying memorable collaborations. There are opportunities too for accordion players to form partnerships with other instruments.
Organists at Chetham's have the unique privilege of working in the monumental splendour of Manchester Cathedral on one of the country’s finest instruments. The close collaboration that exists between Chet's and the Cathedral offers budding organists with tremendous experience for potential future careers in church music.
The keyboard department programme of events calendar for the year includes the annual Beethoven and Chopin competitions as well as a new competition introduced in 2009 by Yamaha which includes bursary money for promising players in the lower, middle and upper sections of the school. The ever-growing outreach programme includes workshops seminars, lectures and concerts in which opportunities for students and teachers outside of Chetham’s can share new ideas and benefit from the superb facilities that Chetham's provides. There is also an annual international recital series, given by outstanding performers. 2009 features concerts by Peter Donohoe, Paul Lewis, Leon McCawley, Murray McLachlan and Stephen Hough - all former students who returned to their old school to support and encourage the next generation of outstanding artists.
Closely associated with the keyboard department is the annual Chetham's International Summer School and Festival for Pianists www.pianosummerschool.com and the new biannual Manchester International Concerto Competition for Pianists www.pianoconcertocompetition.com. Now in its ninth year, the summer school is the largest in Europe devoted exclusively to piano, and brings pianists and piano lovers from all over the world to Chetham's for two weeks each August. Many Chet's students take part in this, as well as the concerto competition, which is in association with Manchester Camerata.
