On Saturday, 26 th April the Watford Philharmonic Society’s orchestra, conducted by Terry Edwards, gave their first concert at the Clarendon Muse playing to a large and appreciative audience. The new, well equipped music centre is situated in the grounds of the Watford Grammar School for Boys and includes a concert hall with seating for 200 people.

Susanne Schäffer, soloist in Prokofiev's first violin concerto

The programme began with a rousing and foot-tapping performance of Beethoven’s Leonora Overture No 1. This was followed by Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 1, the opening melody of which was composed during a love affair in 1915 when he was 24. The haunting and romantic theme perfectly suited the style of the young soloist, Susanne Schäffer. Susanne is currently studying at the Purcell School of Music in Watford and was a finalist in last year’s concerto competition. The audience expressed their delight at her performance with well deserved cheers and applaud. This was followed by two pieces by Delius, Brigg Fair and On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring. The programme finished with Schubert’s Symphony No 3, most of which was composed in eight days when he was 18 years old, and concludes with a fast and lively finale. The chosen pieces blended together very well and made for satisfying and rewarding evening.

My first visit to the Clarendon Muse lived up to expectations; it is a wonderful facility for local young musicians, although from a comfort point of view more leg room would have added to enjoyment of the evening.

Ann Janes

This will be the first Watford Philharmonic Society orchestral concert to be given in the Clarendon Muse, the new recital hall in the grounds of the Watford Grammar School for Boys in Rickmansworth Road, Watford. This exciting new venue is the new home for the Watford School of Music, the music department of the Watford Grammar School for Boys and a range of musically led art projects for the wider community.

The programme will include Beethoven’s Leonora Overture No 1, two pieces by Delius, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Brigg Fair, Schubert’s Symphony No 3 and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 1 performed by Susanne Schäffer. Susanne is a pupil at the Purcell School of Music in Watford and was the finalist in last year’s concerto competition.

The concert wil be conducted by Terry Edwards and the orchestra wil be led by Hywel Davies.

Susanne was born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1989. She began to play the violin in 1995 at the Stuttgart Music School and is currently studying at the Purcell School with Prof. Dr. Felix Andrievsky of the Royal College of Music.

She is holder of three First National Awards at 'Jugend musiziert' in Germany in the categories solo, piano duo and trio. Furthermore she is a prize winner of the international violin competitions “Kocian” in the Czech Republic, “Remember Enescu” in Romania and “Julio Cardona” in Portugal. As a chamber musician with the “Trio Phoenix” she has won the First Prize at the international chamber music competition “Charles Hennen” in the Netherlands and the second prize at the “European Music Prize for Youth 2003” in Austria. Since 2005 Susanne has been a regular winner of the Wigmore Hall chamber music and solo recital competitions of the Purcell School.

As a soloist Susanne has performed in Germany with the “Sinfonietta Waiblingen” in 2002 and 2005 and the “Stuttgarter Philharmoniker” in 2004; also with the “Barnet Symphony Orchestra” in 2006 and the “Filharmonca de Stat Oradea” in Romania in 2007.

She has given both solo and chamber music recitals at important music events in Germany and England including the Hamburg Music Hall, the 17th Music Days in Hitzacker and the Wigmore Hall in London. In addition she has given several recitals in the Netherlands and in Cyprus.

As a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Germany she has participated in concert tours to Italy, Germany, Japan and Venezuela. She has taken part in several master classes, including the international violin master courses in Sion and Koblenz, the international chamber music course of the Orlando-Festival 2003, the European Music Academy Bonn and the international violin master courses “Masters of Pontlevoy” and “Keshet Eilon” with Tibor Varga, Felix Andrievsky, Edouard Grach, Stefan Metz, Frank van de Laar, Paul Rivinius and György Pauk.

Susanne has appeared frequently on German, Spanish and Czech Television and has made several CD recordings in Germany, France and Israel. She has also broadcast in Romania and Germany.

Susanne has been supported by many prestigious music foundations, including the Foundation for Culture, Nature and Home Care of the Waiblingen Savings Bank, the Ponto Foundation and the Foundation for German Music life. She is currently playing on a violin made by Andreas Postacchini in 1820, which is kindly lent by the German Music Instrument Foundation which has supported her since 2004.