'Grand concours'

The notion of a “prize-winning sonata” may seem bizarre to us now, but in the first decade of the Paris Conservatoire, the confusion would have been unavoidable: which dazzles us more—the polished playing or the difficult composition? During our first Historical Piano Summer Academy (3 - 12 July, 2018), we have rehearsed a repertoire of piano pieces that won a premier prix for students and their teachers between 1797 and 1819.

With our 1803 Erard as its centerpiece, this ten-day workshop has explored what it meant to be a young and ambitious piano student at a new and revolutionary French institution that made professional performance its core business.

A GRAND CONCOURS featuring all participants

at the Ceremonial Room of the Hotel D’Hane-Steenhuyse, Veldstraat 55, 9000 Ghent (BE):

Wed, July 11

Session 1, 14:00 Sonata Op. 7 No. 3 – J. B. Cramer & Sonata Op. 33 No. 3 – M. Clementi

Session 2, 15:30 Sonata Op. 2 No. 1 – H. de Montgeroult & Sonata C Op. 8 No. 2 – L. Adam

Session 3, 17:00 Fantasy Op. 18 – J. N. Hummel & Sonata Op. 5 – P. Zimmermann

Session 4, 18:30 Sonata Op. 1 – F. Hérold & “Dagobert” Variations – L. Adam

Distribution des prix, 20:00

July 3 - July 12, 2018

Directed by 
Tom Beghin (Orpheus Institute) & Erin Helyard (University of Melbourne)

Participants
Hannah Aelvoet (Belgium), Domitille Bès (France), Shin Hwang (USA), Luca Montebugnoli (Italy), Márcio Reverbel (Brazil), Liselotte Sels (Belgium), Joshua Villanueva (USA), Akkra Yeunyonghattaporn (Thailand)

Special guests
Jeanne Roudet (Sorbonne Université, IReMus), Frédéric de La Grandville (Université de Reims), Prach Boondiskulchok (Orpheus Institute), Ellie Nimeroski (Orpheus Insitute)