Concerts and Workshops for Schools
All four members of the Primrose Piano Quartet are highly skilled teachers with current DBS certification, have decades of experience working in Schools and can offer a number of interactive schools’ projects.
- Specialist instrumental masterclasses
- Educational concert presentations
- Student composition/recording workshops
- Primrose Plus Workshops
- Ed Hughes project
Specialist instrumental masterclasses
The group comprises violin, viola, cello and piano, so can offer specialist instrumental masterclasses, either public or one-to-one as well as chamber music coaching or orchestral sectionals. This will best suit more advanced students (grade 7/8 upwards).
Educational concert presentations
The Quartet presents informal concerts tailored in content and length appropriate to the age range, typically this is between 40 mins and an hour to fit in with timetabling requirements.
At primary level this can include varied and popular programming, informal and entertaining introductions and even fancy dress (see our Children’s concerts page).
At Secondary level, though the presentations are still varied and entertaining, the Quartet can also link up the programming with current set woks and requirements for GCSE and A level; for instance the Clara Schumann Piano Trio (currently a set work) is in the quartet’s repertoire.
Student composition/recording workshops
The quartet can workshop and perform student compositions.
With many decades experience of working with contemporary composers including Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Anthony Payne and many young composers in colleges and universities, the Quartet can provide invaluable feedback on writing for strings and piano. Workshops can also be recorded and although this needs careful planning, it can lead to exceptional recorded performances for examination submission.
Primrose Plus Workshops
If the school has unusually talented musicians (Grade 8 plus), the Quartet can workshop a programme that might include them sitting in with the group to rehearse and play a movement of a chamber work. For instance: a talented violinist could join the group as second violin in a Piano Quintet.
Ed Hughes Project
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All four members of the Primrose Piano Quartet are highly skilled educators with decades of experience behind them.
Susanne is regularly invited to teach and give masterclasses at many UK music colleges and summer schools. From 1993-2000 she was visiting lecturer of violin and chamber music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, and between 2002 – 2006 Head of Strings at the London College of Music and Media. She now teaches violin and chamber music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Dorothea teaches viola and chamber music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and is an instrumental and ensemble coach at James Alleyn’s School in South East London. She has given masterclasses and coached ensembles in most music colleges and universities throughout the UK as well as Pro Corda and Benslow.
Andrew was a visiting teacher at the Birmingham Conservatoire until 2003 and taught cello at Cranleigh School until 2015. He is much in demand as an orchestral coach including at the Royal Academy of Music and with London and Ulster Youth orchestras. He is a regular chamber music tutor at Benslow and other summer schools.
Formerly Head of Piano at Christ’s Hospital School, John’s more recent teaching career includes posts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Purcell School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since 2010 he has been Head of Keyboard at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, transforming the department into one of the most thriving in the UK. He is Course Director of the Cadenza International Summer Music School, a piano and strings festival resident at the Purcell School
