Scotch College

An international musical relationship flourishes

Nine members of the Scotch College Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players visited Shanghai in China earlier this year, to study and perform chamber music at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s Specialist Music School.

Scotch’s relationship with the Shanghai Conservatory Music School dates from 2003, when I was invited to present a paper at the school’s conference for principals of specialist music schools. (The Chinese seemed to think I fitted into that category!)

The standard of performance is exceptional at the Shanghai school, and we were delighted to receive an invitation to visit, study and perform some chamber music at the school this year. Although we took a program of our own, which included the Dvorak ‘American’ String Quartet and the Poulenc Piano and Wind Sextet, there was much emphasis on combining to rehearse and perform items such as the Mendelssohn Octet and the Mozart Serenade for 13 wind instruments.

As well as rehearsing and performing these works, the Scotch students attended music instrumental classes, played with the orchestra and had specialist tuition on their instruments in some cases. This was therefore an extension program for some of our most advanced students.

I conducted the Shanghai orchestra, rehearsing French and English music that we took with us. The Chinese are still fairly standard in Western repertoire, and value broadening their experience of composers who are less well known in China. We took orchestral works by Delius and Fauré.

During this trip, we offered a scholarship to a student to come to Melbourne, and a young cellist, Shen Ze Xun spent a productive Term 3 at Scotch. It is also planned that a party of students from Shanghai will visit us at the end of the year and perform in the Summer Prom Concert.

As well as enhancing the musical (and international) education of our boys, our Chinese counterparts benefited from out visit, and the excellent relationship between our two schools was further strengthened. We can’t wait for the next trip!

John Ferguson
Director of Music