My head is still buzzing as I sit down to write a few words about an amazing week I spent at the Birmingham Conservatoire in November. I’m a private viola teacher living in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, teaching from a small studio in my back garden.

For months I have been looking forward to pressing the pause button on my life and attending the Cecil Aronowitz Viola Competition and Festival. A chance to totally immerse myself in two of the things I am really passionate about: teaching and the viola. What an opportunity........Violists travelling from across the world to play and share their love and enthusiasm for all things viola. 

Saturday

I arrived on the first day to smiles and a warm welcome. My personal hope for the week was to watch as much viola teaching as I possibly could. Masterclasses would be running alongside the competition all week and this was a perfect opportunity for me to learn from some of the best violists, playing and teaching under one roof. 

The opening recital was from three young students on an exchange from the Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music in Soweto. They had flown in from South Africa the day before and yet still managed to stand up in turn, to bravely perform and talk about how it felt for them to have the opportunity to learn an instrument and visit the UK. We were treated to a wonderful film all about the inspirational work they do at the ARCO project and some short speeches from supporters and benefactors. The whole thing was extremely moving, another example of music bringing people together to achieve great things. 

Later that evening I returned for the first of the judges’ recitals. 

Thomas Riebl was playing his 5 string tenor viola, an instrument I haven’t heard played live before. I was transported by his beautiful and sensitive playing. The Bach Cello Suite No. 6 and the Schubert Arpeggione are both really familiar to me but every now and again he would dip down onto the bottom F string; each time it would take me by surprise! It was strangely thrilling and I left feeling that maybe four strings would never quite be enough again.

Sunday

I returned on Sunday morning to watch a little bit of the competition before embarking on the day’s masterclasses. The competitors had all been required to prepare some unaccompanied Bach, the first movement of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Kreisler’s Liebesleid to finish. I remember thinking what a great choice of repertoire and how comforting it must have been to feel supported by both the piano and a violin in the Mozart in between the Bach and Kreisler which left them with nowhere to hide.

I had to tear myself away from competition to go and watch the Martin Outram masterclasses that ran from 11am - 6pm. What a fascinating day!! Some great ideas and tips on releasing tension in the bow hold, shifting, playing chords, as well as working on finding the mood and shape of a piece.

Sunday evening brought with it another wonderful recital with Timothy Ridout, the first winner of the Cecil Aronowitz viola prize. I had seen Tim play before at his Wigmore Hall debut and so knew I was in for a treat. As Tim is a former pupil of Martin Outram, I thought it would be fascinating to hear him perform, after watching Martin teaching all day, to see if I could recognise that influence on his playing. All that went out of the window very quickly as Tim’s awesome sound and musical interpretation left you no choice but to just sit back and drink it all in. The last movement of the Mendelssohn was particularly thrilling. 

Monday

I attended Tim Ridout’s Masterclasses first thing on Monday morning. There was no doubt Tim was a very gifted performer and I was interested to watch someone teaching at the beginning of their career, aged 21. It was fascinating and a real insight into how he approached learning a piece. It was immediately obvious that sound was his top priority. He demonstrated often to the students, partly to help them hear how it could sound and partly, I felt, because he just needed to be playing his viola. It was a total joy to watch, his enthusiasm was infectious and the students benefited greatly from what he had to give. He was a really natural teacher. A pupil of mine, who was also attending for the whole week, said that Tim was by far her favourite teacher! You can’t beat youthful enthusiasm, totally energising! I would have loved to stay and watch his other two masterclasses but there was an overlap with Roger Chase, who was one of the primary reasons I was there. It was interesting to go from someone starting out in teaching to someone who is so very well established. I have watched Roger’s teaching online and really like his approach. His masterclasses from 11am – 6pm did not disappoint! We were regaled with tales of his teachers, Bernard Shore and Lionel Tertis, a full range of technical tips from ‘dead fish’ bow holds to G’s being pregnant with Bb’s and pushing them out to help a shift! I realise that this, out of context, may seem a little strange but I can assure you it was an extremely entertaining day!

The evening brought another wonderful recital from one of the panel: Robin Ireland. A versatile programme of music ranging from Bach to Shostakovich. The highlight for me was a chance to hear him play one of his own compositions: Pairings II for Two violas, written for himself and Louise Williams.

Tuesday

This was going to be an interesting day for me as two of my former pupils were coming in to do masterclasses with Gary Pomeroy. He had a very gentle, thoughtful approach and used some lovely analogies to help pupils visualise what he was describing. He gave great advice for getting the best out of slow detailed practice and how to differentiate this from practising performing. Abby had come up from the RAM where she is in her final year. She is emerging from music college like a beautiful butterfly and gave a really classy, controlled and thoughtful performance of her Bach. It was heart-warming to think back to her at 6 years of age, my first viola pupil after I left college and here she was, about to embark on her own exciting viola journey. Teaching is a wonderful process. Izzy played next; I also remember her at 6. She left school and arrived at Birmingham Uni this September at the start of a physics degree, before realising after a week that music really was where her heart lay. Perfect timing for her to fall straight into viola heaven - it has given her a really clear idea of what is on offer while she auditions for music college. It was great to catch up with them both and see how well they were doing.