Benedetti Foundation announces New Year Sessions

Following the Virtual Sessions in May last year, the Global Violin Sessions: A Cultural Exchange Part One and the Christmas Sessions, the Benedetti Foundations is kickstarting 2021 with the New Year Sessions on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January; as well as mini-sessions, which will run until March.

There will be three different sessions across the weekend for beginner, intermediate and advanced string players of school age, all delivered live on Zoom.

Beginner Strings (pre-Grade 1 – 3): Saturday 16 January, 1 – 4.30pm

• Join the Benedetti Foundation for an afternoon exploring a brand-new piece of music by Joelle Broad whilst resetting technique at the start of the year.
• During the afternoon participants will work both together and separately in individual sections finishing with a full play along.

Intermediate Strings (approx. Grade 3 – 5): Sunday 17 January, 1 – 4.30pm

• Join the Benedetti Foundation for an afternoon discovering the Dance (3rd movement) from Holst’s Brook Green Suite.  
• During the afternoon participants will work both together and separately in individual sections with a chance to reset technique, enjoy storytelling through music making together and finishing with a full play along.

Advanced Strings (GRADE 6+): Saturday 16 January, 1 – 5pm and Sunday 17 January, 1 – 4.30pm

• Join the Benedetti Foundation for two sessions exploring the 1st movement of Elgar’s Serenade for Strings.
• Across the two days, participants will have the opportunity to work both together and in individual sections looking at ensemble skills, the structure and story of the piece, harmony, interpretation, and healthy playing, as well as the technical details within each instrumental part.

Sign Up

• To join the New Year Sessions, please visit www.benedettifoundation.org/new-year-sessions and sign up by Sunday 10 January.
• Admin fee of £10 for Beginner and intermediate strings and £15 for Advanced strings. Full financial support is available, and no one will be prevented from attending due to financial circumstances.

Mini Sessions: January to March 2021

The Mini Virtual Sessions are short, focused workshops designed to provide in depth and detailed exploration on a wide variety of topics. There are practical sessions concentrating on technique, physicality and wellbeing, as well as discussion sessions and a focus on personal and professional development for students and teachers. All sessions are delivered on Zoom.

From January to March the following workshops will be delivered:

Children/Young People – School Age

• Pulse and Rhythm Basics for beginners with Elsa Bradley on Monday 18 and 25 January, 5 – 5.30pm
• Introduction to Harmony for all musicians with Robin Michael on Monday 18 and 25 January, 6 – 6.45pm
• Violin and Viola Left-Hand Reset for all upper strings with Nicola Benedetti on Tuesday 19 and 26 January, 5.15 – 6pm
• Cello and Bass Left and Right Hand Reset for all lower strings with David Munn and Alice Kent on Tuesday 19 and 26 January, 6.30 – 7pm
• Introduction to conducting for all musicians age 15+ with Natalia Luis-Bassa and Alex Laing on Saturday 23 and 30 January, 3 – 4pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced violinists and pianists aged 15+ with Elena Urioste and Tom Poster on Saturday 30 January and 6 February, 4.30 – 5.30pm
• Scale Exploration for violinists approx. grade 3 – 6 level with Andrea Gajic on Tuesday 2 and 9 February, 5.30 – 6pm
• Scale Exploration for cello and double bass players approx. grade 3 – 6 level with David Munn and Stewart Wilson on Tuesday 2 and 9 February, 6.30 – 7pm
• Memorisation for all musicians with Nicola Benedetti, Laura van der Heijden and Rachel Cooper on Thursday 4 February, 6 – 7pm
• Improving Improvisation for all instrumentalists with Richard Michael on Saturday 6 and 13 February, 1.30 – 2.30pm
• Approaching Sight Reading for beginner strings with Rachel Cooper and Stewart Wilson on Monday 8 and 15 February, 5.30 – 6pm
• Approaching Sight Reading for intermediate strings with Ruth Nelson and David Munn on Monday 8 and 15 February, 6.30 – 7pm
• Advanced Vibrato Reset for upper strings grade 6+ with Nicola Benedetti and Andrea Gajic on Tuesday 16 and 23 February, 6 – 6.45pm
• Advanced Vibrato Reset for cellists’ grade 6+ with Robin Michael on Tuesday 16 and 23 February, 7.15 – 8pm
• Beginner Upper Strings Posture for violins and violas with Rachel Cooper and Joelle Broad on Monday 1 and 8 March, 5 – 5.30pm
• Introduction to Shifting Upper Strings for intermediate violins and violas with Alex Laing on Monday 1 and 8 March, 6 – 6.45pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for advanced violinists aged 15+ with Alex Laing on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for advanced cellists aged 15+ with Robin Michael on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 6 – 7pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced cellists and pianists aged 15+ with Leonard Elschenbroich and Alexei Grynyuk on Thursday 4 and 11 March 7.30– 8.30pm

Music Student/Recent Graduate

• Getting in to Teaching: Where to Start? with Rachel Cooper, Joelle Broad, Andrea Gajic, David Munn and Stewart Wilson on Monday 18, 25 January and 1 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Introduction to Conducting for all musicians age 15+ with Natalia Luis-Bassa and Alex Laing on Saturday 23 and 30 January, 3 – 4pm
• Teaching Upper Strings Bowing Technique with Andrea Gajic and Jenny Lewisohn on 26 January and 2 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced violinists and pianists aged 15+ with Elena Urioste and Tom Poster on Saturday 30 January and 6 February, 4.30 – 5.30pm
• Music and Mindfulness open to all with flautist and mindfulness expert Lee Holland on Thursday 11 February. 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for advanced violinists aged 15+ with Alex Laing on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for advanced cellists aged 15+ with Robin Michael on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 6 – 7pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced cellists and pianists aged 15+ with Leonard Elschenbroich and Alexei Grynyuk on Thursday 4 and 11 March 7.30-8.30pm

Adult Learner

• Upper Strings New Year Reset for violin and viola with Suzie Collier and Alex Laing on Wednesday 27 January, 3 and 10 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced violinists and pianists aged 15+ with Elena Urioste and Tom Poster on Saturday 30 January and 6 February, 4.30 – 5.30pm
• Music and Mindfulness open to all with flautist and mindfulness expert Lee Holland on Thursday 11 February. 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for advanced violinists aged 15+ with Alex Laing on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for advanced cellists aged 15+ with Robin Michael on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 6 – 7pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced cellists and pianists aged 15+ with Leonard Elschenbroich and Alexei Grynyuk on Thursday 4 and 11 March 7.30-8.30pm

Teachers – Instrumental and Classroom

There are three training strands for teachers:

• Mini Sessions are large group sessions focused on a group topic for instrumental and classroom teachers
• Chat with Us sessions are one off sessions which provide the opportunity for teachers to discuss a topic with one of the Foundation’s Tutors in a group of 20 teachers maximum.
• Teaching Sessions: Energise, Innovate, Inspire is a new professional development opportunity for both instrumental and classroom teachers working in small groups of 15 – 20 teachers. These sessions are designed to focus on building and developing a specific area of teaching. At the end of the training sessions, teachers may opt to have a 20-30 minute observed session (online) and to receive feedback on their teaching. Teachers will be awarded a certificate to celebrate the training undertaken.

 

Read: Benedetti Foundation presents the first Christmas Sessions

Read: Benedetti Foundation presents the Global Violin Sessions

Read: Nicola Benedetti Collaborates with father Gio Benedetti to provide mental health support

 

 

 

Mini Sessions for Instrumental Teachers

• Instrumental Teacher Start of Term Check in and Q&A with Rachel Cooper and David Munn on Thursday 14 January, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Rehearsing Ensembles Online for all instrumental teachers with Alex Laing and Arlene Macfarlane on Tuesday 19 January, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Introduction to conducting for all musicians age 15+ with Natalia Luis-Bassa and Alex Laing on Saturday 23 and 30 January, 3 – 4pm
• Teaching Upper Strings Bowing Technique for violin and viola teachers with Andrea Gajic and Jenny Lewisohn on 26 January and 2 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced violinists and pianists aged 15+ with Elena Urioste and Tom Poster on Saturday 30 January and 6 February, 4.30 – 5.30pm
• Developing Confidence Singing when Teaching with Lucy Drever and Abimaro Gunnell on Monday 1 February, 6 – 7pm
• Music and Mindfulness open to all with flautist and mindfulness expert Lee Holland on Thursday 11 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for violin teachers with Alex Laing on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Interpretation and Analysis for cello teachers with Robin Michael on Tuesday 2 and 9 March, 6 – 7pm
• Exploring Duo Sonatas for advanced cellists and pianists aged 15+ with Leonard Elschenbroich and Alexei Grynyuk on Thursday 4 and 11 March 7.30-8.30pm
• Developing Confidence Teaching Improvisation with Richard Michael on Saturday 6 March, 3 – 4pm
• Instrumental Teacher Check in and Q&A with Francis Cummings and Andrea Gajic on Monday 8 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm

Chat with Us

• Applying Kodaly Principles to String Teaching with Jo Bradley on Saturday 23 January, 1.30 – 2.30pm
• Supporting Young Students’ Wellbeing for String Teachers with Elena Urioste on Saturday 30 January, 1.30 – 2.30pm
• Why We Do What We Do: A Discussion on Meaningful and Purposeful Teaching with Rachel Cooper on Thursday 4 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Teaching the Basics of Vibrato for Violin and Viola with Alex Laing on Saturday 6 February, 3 – 4pm
• Developing Performance Skills in Young Musicians with Catherine Arlidge on Saturday 13 February, 3 – 4pm
• Teaching the Basics of Shifting for Violin and Viola with Suzie Collier on Monday 15 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Teaching Early Techniques for Cello with David Munn on Monday 22 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Leading Orchestral Rehearsals and Conducting Tips with Natalia Luis-Bassa on Wednesday 24 March, 6 – 7pm
• Coaching String Chamber Music with Jenny Lewisohn on Monday 29 March, 7.30 – 8.30pm

Teaching Sessions: Energise, Innovate, Inspire

• Teaching Beginner Violin for violin teachers with Rachel Cooper on Monday 8, 15 & 22 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm

Mini Sessions for Classroom Teachers

• Developing Confidence Singing when Teaching with Lucy Drever and Abimaro Gunnell on Monday 1 February, 6 – 7pm
• Music in Early Years Settings for Classroom Teachers with Lucy Drever and Rosie Bergonzi on Thursday 18 February, 7.30 – 8.30pm
• Using Instruments in Early Years and Primary Settings with Lucy Drever and Rosie Bergonzi on Thursday 18 March, 6 – 7pm

Sign up

• Sign up at www.benedettifoundation.org/mini-sessions to join in
• There is a small registration fee to participate in the Mini Sessions. Bursary support is available – no one will be prevented from attending due to financial circumstances.
• All times listed are GMT
• All sessions are now open and full details on each session are available here