The Royal Hospital School mark the delivery of £250000 worth of new pianos with a world premiere performance

08 Apr 2013

Yesterday ten pianists – including four Royal Hospital School pupils, 2 music teachers, one professional pianist, the Director of Music, the Head of Academic Music and the Headmaster, James Lockwood – played a world premiere of ‘Pianoscape’ by Iain Farrington on ten first-class brand new pianos worth £250,000.
This event was held in the School’s Recital Hall to celebrate the day that the Royal Hospital School took delivery of the world’s finest piano – the Italian Fazioli Grand of which only 110 are hand-crafted each year in a family-run factory in Rome – as well as two impressive Bechstein Grand pianos and ten Hoffman Uprights to replace some well-loved, but worn, instruments.
Peter Crompton, Director of Music, said: “The Royal Hospital School has been building upon its strong musical tradition with a commitment to investment in musical education. A state-of-the-art music school was opened in 2009, a number of music scholarships have been awarded to the most talented pupils joining the School and this new piano scheme will attract even more first-rate musicians and enable our young pianists to develop to an even higher level.”
William Saunders, Head of Academic Music said, ‘Pianoscape’ was the perfect choice to show-case the incredible sound and pitch of these world-class instruments through a kaleidoscope of sounds building from the first simple notes played by the Headmaster to an impressive climax expertly performed by Peter Crompton on the ‘Ferrari-of-pianos’ – the Fazioli”.
The new instruments will feature in an inaugural concert at the school’s recital hall from 7pm on Saturday, September 21.
For more information about music at the Royal Hospital School, Suffolk, contact Admissions on 01473 326136 or admissions@royalhospitalschool.org or music@royalhospitalschool.org