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Educational Events

| Masterclasses | Workshops | Children's Concerts |

The Cossington Concert Trust is deeply committed to developing younger audiences through masterclasses, workshops and specially tailored children’s concerts.

Masterclasses

Sometimes the artists who perform in Cossington Concerts are also prepared to give masterclasses, among them the cellists Janet Anthony and Jennifer Ward Clarke, the violinist Ben Moore and the trumpet player Crispian Steele-Perkins and the viol and baryton player José Vázquez. 

In 2009 we offered two masterclasses specifically for young Somerset musicians:  the cellist Steven Isserlis gave a masterclass on the afternoon before his recital on Sunday 22 February at Millfield School and fortepianist Malcolm Bilson gave a masterclass on Sunday afternoon 26 April at The Manor, Cossington. 

In 2010 the members of The Gwilym Simcock Trio gave a masterclass for young jazz musicians at Queen’s College, Taunton, on the afternoon of their Cossington Concert, held in Queen’s Hall. 

These events were open to the public without charge.

Workshops

The Trust also hosts day and weekend workshops.  The Salomon Quartet and The Brook Street Band have worked with ensembles of young musicians and José Vázquez with adults.

In 2009 the fortepianist Malcolm Bilson conducted a day-long keyboard workshop on 25 April for pianists and fortepianists that concluded with a recital in St Mary’s, Cossington. 

This season, a half-dozen top-level students from Chetham's School of Music (Manchester) - a young violinist, cellist, clarinettist, singer and pianist along with trombonist Peter Moore (winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2008) - will give a workshop for student members of CoSMIC, the Centre of Somerset Music Club. The workshop will take place in Cossington Village Hall and will be offered free-of-charge.  

Children's Concerts

In the early seasons, Cossington Concerts offered Saturday afternoon performances, in advance of the evening concert, for younger and older audiences. 

In May 2008 we hosted our first schools concert, given by Diana Ambache and Jeremy Polmear at St Mary’s, Cossington, for children from four local primary schools.