Education

Brecon Baroque Festival workshops

Rachel Podger is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. During the Festival weekend and in the weeks leading up to it, Rachel Podger, Alison McGillivray and Tim Cronin will be working with pupils from schools in Powys, members of South Powys Youth Orchestra, and students from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, as well as students from some of the London music colleges.

These outstanding students and young musicians will be performing at Caffe Florian over the weekend and they will also perform in the final concert of the Festival on Monday evening. The Monday afternoon rehearsal may be open to ticket holders.

Baroque Dance workshops

There will be an opportunity to participate in an 18th century dance workshop, in preparation for the Baroque Tea Dance.

The Mozart Music Fund

Aside from involving South and North Powys Youth Music orchestras in the Festival, the Brecon Beacons Music Trust also acts as an umbrella for the Mozart Music Fund.

This was set up in 2006 (the 250th year of Mozart’s birth) by Rachel Podger and her partner Tim Cronin, to provide financial support for children from low-income families, enabling them to benefit from instrumental lessons which they could otherwise not afford. Some of the children are highly talented, some are not, but the Mozart Music Fund is there to help level the playing field so that every local youngster can have the same opportunity when it comes to being offered a chance to learn a musical instrument.

Rachel herself and other musicians including Alison McGillivray (cello), Jane Rogers (viola) and the Cambrian String Quartet have all given concerts to raise money for this fund, which relies on donations and legacies to keep going. Those children who do continue to play their instruments and become part of either South or North Powys Youth Music, may eventually take part in the final concert of the festival, an opportunity which would never have come their way without help at the start. Other children who do not go so far, have still had a chance to learn something about music, a fundamental part of their education.