Autumn News

After a very busy summer, we're all set for some great music-making this autumn.  Keep in touch via Facebook and Twitter to see what we're up to.

Autumn Workshops Booking Now!
Introducing our 'Tasty Bites' series...

We are now taking bookings for our next workshops, which will be on Sunday 12th November at Widcombe Junior School in Bath and Sunday 26th November at Wiltshire Rural Music School in Trowbridge. 

Places will be limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

These workshops take the form of four taster sessions, each aimed at providing a ‘tasty bite’ of something different to each group from brand new beginners to advanced players. Come along and try:

• A Tasty Bite of First String Group
• A Tasty Bite of Folk Music
• A Tasty Bite of Chamber Music
• A Tasty Bite of Pop for Strings

Find out more and Book

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Summer Fun!

It may seem a distant memory, but Bath Strings Academy had a very busy summer! 
Our inaugural summer school at Wiltshire Music Centre was a great success, with 21 young musicians joining us for three days of chamber music, orchestral playing, performance workshops, mindfulness, meditation and lots of fun! 
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As one parent put it:  “The three days whizzed by for [our daughter] and she didn’t want it to end.  [She] absolutely loved it and the enthusiastic and encouraging approach that I witnessed at the two concerts were like a breath of fresh air.  We couldn’t have asked for any more, thank you!”
 
Put next year’s summer school dates in the diary now: 
29th – 31st August 2018.
Check out our Twitter feed for more about what we got up to!

Musical Inspiration

​Playing music affords us so many wonderful opportunities.  Michelle spent much of the summer touring abroad playing chamber music, starting with the Mendelssohn Octet in France  playing alongside famous violinist Corinna Belcea, then stopping off in the Czech Republic to play Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht with members of the Martinu String Quartet and finishing up with a tour of China with London Arte Chamber Orchestra, playing viola in the Tango Fantasy show that took her to concerts from the border of Vietnam in the south to the northern reaches of Inner Mongolia!

​Ruth enjoyed being inspired herself at the National Youth Orchestra Inspire Project, taking part in a conducting masterclass with Gerry Cornelius before whisking herself off to sample the delights of the touring Street Orchestra of London. 

Meeting our Idol!

At the end of September, a group of Bath Strings Academy students were privileged to meet world-famous violinist Nicola Benedetti, before watching her in action with Bath Philharmonia, playing the Elgar Violin Concerto. 
After welcoming us into her dressing room, Nicola answered questions from the students and gave some great advice on how to practice when you get ‘stuck’ on a piece, and how to prepare for auditions.  She reminded us all to think of the ‘bigger picture’ and focus on what we want to say to other people through our music.  She also joked that everyone should always listen to their teachers!
Read more about our trip in this feature by Bath and Wiltshire Parent Magazine

Upcoming Events

Ruth will be performing the Concerto for Two Violins by JS Bach with Sara Stagg at a concert by Bath Concertino on Saturday 14th October at St Bartholomew’s Church, in aid of the Dorothy House Foundation. 
To date, the orchestra, founded by Tim Robb, has raised over £30,000 for this wonderful charity.  Tickets are £10; kids go FREE!

We’ll be going along to a Finnish Fiddle Tunes Workshop with fiery Finnish fiddle septet Frigg at Wiltshire Music Centre on 25th November at 5pm.  It’s open to all string players, not just violinists.  Tickets for the workshop are £5, and kids’ tickets for the evening concert are only £1.  Hear their infectiously energetic music here.