Pianists shine for small audience at Queen's Hall

The fingers of the young pianists glided, almost effortlessly, across the keys of the grand piano at the 33rd Biennial Music Festival hosted by the TT Music Festival Association on Monday.

The piano duets made up the afternoon session of the ninth day of the festival which runs from March 1 to 21 at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s Road, Port of Spain.

The young pianists showed their skills in three categories: 13 and under; 17 and under and 21 and under. The players, however, played to only a handful of people in the audience.

For adjudicator Satanand Sharma, a number of the emerging pianists showed a lot of promise. Sharama is the holder of a bachelors and masters in music education and lectures at the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Department of Creative and Festival Arts.

But two particularly shone for him: Nicholas Gooding and Matthew Newallo, the winners of the 17 years and under category.

Speaking to Newsday after the afternoon session had ended, Sharma said he was encouraged seeing them play.

“They were exceptionally intelligent performers. Very stylish. A number of them emerging have a lot of promise.”

Sharma said he wished more people had opportunities in schools to learn the piano.

The piano duets began with the 13 years and under category shortly after 1.30 pm. There were only three pairs in that category. Judah Manswell and Amanda Grace Marie Frances; Azariah Stapleton and Jiada Adams; and Rhea Lewis and Emma Lewis played Gavotte from French Suite, Number five by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The pianists were from various music schools across TT.

Sharma, before announcing the winners in that category, said, “I am very pleased at all the performers this afternoon. They captured the sense of the Gavotte style of French Baroque Suite.”

He said the piece is a piano solo but was adapted for the duet.

“It is a lovely piece and I am happy no one tried to play it too fast.”

Manswell and Frances were the winners in that category with 85 points. Stapleton and Adams were second with 78 points and Lewis and Lewis got third place with 74 points. Manswell and Frances go on to the championships.

In the 17 and under category, the pianists peformed Gabriel Fauré Dolly number one Berceuse.

Sharma in his comments to the six participants said, “Piano duets always have the challenge of staying together, staying in time. The previous class was all steady tempo but in this one, the tempo fluctuated.”

He told them that the piece was a lullaby and was supposed to be very romantic in feel.

“Even though it is marked allegro moderato (moderately quick), it must still have that sense of quietness and smoothness all the way through.”

Sharma said the piece had lovely phrasing with high climactic notes that come back down.

He said some of the participants did very well while a pair did it exceptionally well and that is why they got first place. First place winners, Gooding and Newallo got 88 points.

There was a tie for second place with Kaeden Hull and Chaela Lewis and Danielle Suite and Ilori Waithe getting 75 points. Third place went to Lucas Brady and Roisin Brady who got 74 points.

The 21 years and under category, not originally scheduled for that day was also done and only had one pair performing; Nicole Simmons and Dionne Phillips.

Asked about the audience turnout, Sharma said there needed to be a way to make events like those more marketable.

He added that the Music Festival and the piano duet in particular was a “great way to access the performances of young people to pace them on their way to performing excellence.

“But how do we get audiences to be as excited about this as a challenge. I wish we could find some snazzy way of getting people in here.

"Supporters and a few patrons always come, but to get that public support at large is really challenging especially for classical music.”

He said there were a number of young people getting involved in piano but it was not as attractive as it seemed.

“We need to explore ways of doing class piano and have a bunch of keyboards in a room so that everyone gets involved.”