This week, we were delighted to welcome harpsichordist Carole Cerasi to the College for special pupil masterclass and Autograph Concert. Below, two of our pupils give us their thoughts on the experience.
"On Wednesday 12 February, we were privileged to welcome harpsichordist Carole Cerasi to the College to give a masterclass. In the masterclass, two other pupils and I performed our pieces for Carole, all composed by Bach, who originally wrote the music for harpsichord. For all of us, it was our first time trying the instrument and Carole gave detailed advice on how we could adapt our playing as it is quite different from playing the piano. I learned some techniques specific to the harpsichord, such as how to compensate for the lack of pedal by sliding the thumb over the keys or holding on chords for longer without the notes clashing. The masterclass was very inspiring and informative and I would like to thank Carole for taking the time to come to the College and share her wonderful playing with us."
- Elizabeth
"On Wednesday afternoon we were lucky to have harpsichord player Carole Cerasi visit the College. Carole is one of the most prominent harpsichord players of her generation, having established herself at the very front rank of performers over the past 25 years. She began the afternoon by kindly running a masterclass for pianists of all levels, working through pieces with them and giving advice on how to incorporate different techniques used by the harpsichord into their playing. She then proceeded with a wonderful performance that evening, giving a wide-ranging repertoire of pieces from the Baroque period consisting of composers from Handel to Purcell. I particularly enjoyed her rendition of Scarlatti’s Sonata K2 in G major, which perfectly exhibited her extraordinary talent and mastery of the instrument. Thank you once again to Carole for giving up her time to give us such an amazing performance."
- Georgina
