Pupils at King Edward’s Witley were treated to an exceptional learning opportunity when Alexandra Vaduva, the celebrated pianist, delivered a music masterclass to pupils in Years 9-11. The inspiring coaching, followed by a short recital to students and staff, was made possible by the generosity of The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, founded by The Countess of Munster, a concert pianist herself, to support young musicians of professional calibre to achieve their aims.
Romanian-born Miss Vaduva started playing the piano at the age of four and has performed all over the world, winning numerous accolades, including first prize at the ‘Vienna International’, ‘Pro Piano’ and ‘Carl Filtsch’ International piano competitions. After completing a Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts and Advanced Diploma courses at the Royal Academy of Music Miss Vaduva is now studying for a PhD there. After spending time sharing her skills and knowledge with the pupils, Miss Vaduva’s recital, which took place in the School’s Recital Room, included Kinderszenen by Schumann; two sonatas by Scarlatti and a Suite by Bartók and concluded with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.
Commenting on the special occasion, Stasio Sliwka, King Edward’s Director of Music, said, “It has been a huge privilege for our pupils to be afforded the opportunity to spend time with the incredibly talented Miss Vaduva, and indeed for the whole school to have the chance to attend such a rousing performance. The school enjoys a special relationship with The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, as the Countess kindly financed the building of our Music School which bears her name, and which she personally opened on 29 May 1963. Music has always played a central role in school life at King Edward’s and we remain committed to offering musical tuition of the highest calibre to enable our pupils to maximise their potential. As a result, we regularly welcome talented professionals to inspire our pupils with their talents – indeed the first performance in our Recital Room over fifty years ago was given by world-class violinist Yehudi Menuhin accompanied by his pianist sister Hephzibah.”