The Royal Scottish National Orchestra has joined forces with St Mary’s Music School to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Directors' Recital Prize.
The RSNO has made its recording studio available to the four finalists, Cliodhna Scott (age 16), Phoebe Barber (18) Pavlina Gusheva (16) and Sofia Ros (17) who have been shortlisted for the music school’s top instrumental award. Sofia’s performance has been filmed in Spain where she lives. The live recordings will be combined to create the School’s first ever online concert to be streamed at 7pm on Monday July 6, 2020.
For the pupils, who have been continuing their music lessons via Zoom since lockdown began, this is a fitting finale to a challenging term. With social distancing and safety measures in place, it is also a great opportunity for the pupils to work with the sound engineers and the artistic team at the RSNO, some of whom attended the School in the past.
This is the 20th anniversary of St Mary’s Music School’s Directors’ Recital Prize. During the performances we hear from the first ever winner of the prestigious award Philip Higham, currently principal cellist at the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Alistair Mackie (CEO of the RSNO and another former pupil of St Mary’s Music School) said
“We are delighted to be working with St Mary’s Music School in this way. The Directors’ Recital Prize is an important springboard for the School’s senior pupils and finding a means to make it happen during these unusual times gives us all a great sense of purpose and optimism for the future of live performance.”
Working with the RSNO is St Mary’s Music School’s second major collaboration, having established a String and Wind academies with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a great opportunity for aspiring young musicians to work with expert players.
Dr Kenneth Taylor, Headteacher at St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s national music school, added:
“Like all schools we have had to adapt and find new ways to deliver music teaching to our students, alongside a full, remote academic timetable. This has been both a challenge and an opportunity to expand our thinking.
“Every level of the school engages with the presentation of recitals at the end of the session as a culmination of their year’s work. The Directors’ Recital Prize is a key event for those pupils looking beyond school and we felt it was essential to create a new arena in which our finalists could perform despite current conditions. I am, therefore, extremely grateful to everyone at the RSNO for generously giving their time and assistance to this project.
"Our first live concert broadcast takes place on Monday July 6 at 7pm and I know that everyone is looking forward to it.”