KATHRYN PAGE

14th and 15th MAY 2010

Kathryn Page has given over 20 recitals at the South Bank and Wigmore Hall, both as soloist and chamber music pianist. She has toured Norway, Italy, Ireland and Australia where she gave seven recitals at the Sydney Festival and broadcast for ABC. At home Kathryn has performed at many of the leading music festivals and has given numerous live broadcasts for BBC radio 3 from Broadcasting House, St Georges, Bristol and St Davids Hall, Cardiff. Her interest in contemporary music has led to many world premieres including works by Gary Carpenter, Alisdair Nicholson and Django Bates. She has worked with many established artists including David Campbell, Joanna MacGregor and Sting! TV work has ranged from a live recital from Paris on CNN, An appearance on the Korean broadcasting network, several performances on Irish TV and a much treasured Blue Peter badge.

Kathryn now lives in Cheshire and has 5 children ranging in ages from 5 – 18. She is kept very busy as administrator for EPTA UK, the Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists and the Manchester International Concerto Competition for Young Pianists.

MARY POWNEY

21st and 22nd MAY 2010

Born into a family of talented musicians in the North of England, Mary Powney’s early training was shaped by her involvement in the Mary Wakefield Festival – one of the oldest festival in the country and one which combines competitions with large scale choral concerts directed by eminent conductors and accompanied by our finest orchestras.

At the age of 18 she was accepted at the Royal Academy of Music to study both piano and singing as equal first studies and remained there for four years, specialising in piano accompaniment. On leaving the Academy she remained in London and built up a successful free-lance career as an accompanist and coach to the singing profession, working regularly with distinguished artists such as Elizabeth Harwood, Marion Studholme, Adele Leigh, Kenneth Bowen, John Mitchinson and John Lawrenson. The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company employed her on numerous occasions for private rehearsals given to their new principals and she also worked for the late Astra Desmond’s teaching practice, thus gaining the rare and invaluable opportunity of observing one of the world’s finest singing teachers.

In 1967 she returned to her native town of Kendal and established a large private teaching practice, specialising in piano and singing. She also concentrated on her own solo singing and, over the next 20 years, appeared as a recitalist and soprano soloist in many choral works

From 1969 to 2000 she was the conductor of the K Shoes Male Voice Choir which came to be recognised as one of the finest choirs of its type in England through its many Festival successes both at home and abroad.

Through her continued involvement with her local Festival she was for many years Chorus Master for the large concerts and worked closely with Sir Charles Groves, Grant Llewellyn and Jacek Kasprzyk.

Shortly after returning north, her reputation as an accompanist began to spread and she worked for many years as official accompanist for many Festivals in the North West.

In 1991 she was accepted as a music adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals, specialising in piano and choral music but able to offer an informed opinion on a variety of musical categories, due to her own varied musical career. Since then she has been regularly engaged by many Festivals throughout the United Kingdom both as a general adjudicator and as a vocal specialist.

Early in 2000 she was one of the first 30 adjudicators to be awarded the Post Graduate Certificate of Adjudication.

Her deep commitment to the Festival Movement and her practical knowledge of Festival organisation mean that she is thoroughly at home with all types of marking methods and recognises the need for cheerful, concise, educative and encouraging critical assessment of performers.