The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is delighted to announce the appointment of three new International Chairs in Music and Drama, supported by the Hodge Foundation:
Jeremy West as Hodge International Chair in Historical Performance, Gilad Hekselman, International Chair in Jazz and Tim Routledge as an International Chair in Drama.
Gilad Hekselman. Photo Josh Goleman
These highly respected professionals will join the seven other Hodge International Chairs who come to Cardiff regularly to share the benefit of their knowledge and experience with the new generation of performers and artists training at the Royal Welsh College.
Graduate portrait: Tim Routledge
‘‘Our newly appointed International Chairs reflect the College’s commitment to Historical Performance, Jazz and Stage Management.” said Principal, Professor Helena Gaunt.
“Jeremy West, Gilad Hekselman and Tim Routledge are internationally acclaimed exponents of their art, and their appointment will build on the profound impact made by the Hodge International Chair programme on both the experience of the students and the national and international profile of the College.”
Jeremy West
The Hodge International Chairs at the Royal Welsh College are:
Uzo Iwobi, International Chair in Diversity
Pamela Howard, International Chair in Drama
Matthew Rhys, International Chair in Drama
Michael Sheen, International Chair in Drama
Simon Stephens, International Chair in Drama
Tim Routledge, International Chair in Stage Management
Martin Constantine, International Chair in Opera Directing
Jeremy West, International Chair in Historical Performance
Gilad Hekselman, International Chair in Jazz
Carlo Rizzi, International Chair in Conducting
Jeremy West: Hodge International Chair in Historical Performance
Since the mid 1970s Jeremy West has played a leading role in re-establishing the cornett as a recognised virtuoso and ensemble instrument. Now, with more than forty years of playing and recording experience with many of Europe’s leading renaissance and early baroque ensembles, he is often regarded as a ‘pioneer’ of his instrument. Jeremy is a founder member of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, the leading ensemble of its kind, and Principal Wind Player with The Gabrieli Consort and Players for their early repertoire. He has more than 60 recordings to his credit and concert performances have taken him to 35 countries across four continents.
In addition to his playing career, since 1991 Jeremy has directed the instrument-making workshops of the late Christopher Monk. These workshops are devoted to the research, development, reproduction and world-wide distribution of all members of the cornett and serpent families. His most recent challenge and interest lies in playing music of the 19th and early 20th centuries on original brass. To this end Jeremy plays with the newly-formed Queen Victoria’s Consort, playing on a French alto horn which dates from 1855.
Jeremy, who is also a Fellow of the College, has already played a key role in enabling RWCMD brass students to perform on reproductions of renaissance and early baroque instruments, in an historically informed style. The RWCMD cornett and sackbutt ensemble has become a core ensemble with the consort also playing for Robert King at Southwark Cathedral and, in summer 2018, going on tour to Israel and Palestine playing in Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, leading to a recording of the works performed. Plans for this next academic year include a tour to Singapore with Girton College, Cambridge, and summer tour to Cremona and Venice.
Gilad Hekselman: Hodge International Chair in Jazz
Gilad has been developing a reputation as one of the leading guitarists on the New York City jazz scene since his arrival there in 2004. He has already shared the stage with great artists including Esperanza Spalding, Tigran Hamasayan and many others. Gilad regularly plays in the major clubs including the Blue Note and The Jazz Standard, and is constantly touring worldwide, playing festivals such as Montreux, North Sea Jazz, Montreal and San Francisco.
Born in Israel in 1983, Gilad studied classical piano from the age of 6 and began studying guitar at the age of 9. He won a scholarship from the America- Israel Cultural Foundation to attend The New School in New York where he completed his BFA in Performing Arts in 2008.;
In 2017 he was placed 1st in the Rising Star category of Downbeat Magazine and in the same year won the 7 Virtual Jazz Club competition. In 2018 he was asked by guitar legend Pat Metheny to perform at his NEA Award ceremony at the Kennedy Center, alongside some of Metheny’s favourite young guitarists.
As International Chair, Gilad visited the College in November 2018 for a masterclass with students and a concert with his trio ZuperOctave. In January he will return to work with the students for three intensive days of workshops and masterclasses, and in June will spend a week developing a new project with students which will culminate in performances in Cardiff and London.
Tim Routledge: Hodge International Chair in Stage Management
Tim, a graduate and Fellow of the College, is a multi-award winning lighting designer and lighting director for Broadcast, concert and Event. His many awards include Lighting Designer of the Year, 2015 Total Production International Awards (as well as being shortlisted 2016 & 2017 & 2019)
In music Tim has designed the Beyonce 2016 Formation World Tour, Sam Smith World Tour, Florence & The Machine World Tour, Jeff Lynne’s ELO World Tour, Take That Tours, Rita OraTour, Gary Barlow Arena Tours, among many others.
In broadcast Tim has been Lighting Director for the X Factor Live Shows, Ball & Boe for ITV, The BRITS Launch 2018 (ITV), BBC Radio 2 In Concert, Proms in the Park, Gary Barlows Big Ben Bash for BBC1, BBC 6 Music Festival, BBC 1’sConcert for Heroes, BBC1 and many more.
In 2014 Tim was lighting designer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies Glasgow Commonwealth Games and this career progression has followed on from his work as Lead Lighting Programmer on the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Beijing Olympics Handover Ceremony.
Tim is currently working on BBC’s The Greatest Dancer and will be lighting designer on the Spice Girls tour later in the year as well as working on Stormzy’s Glastonbury headline.
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RWCMD
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, the National Conservatoire of Wales, and part of the University of South Wales Group, competes alongside an international peer group of conservatoires and specialist arts colleges for the best students globally, enabling students to enter and influence the world of music, theatre and related professions. In June 2011 the College opened its £22.5 million new performance and rehearsal spaces. The world-class facilities include the Richard Burton Theatre, the Linbury Gallery, a café bar, rehearsal studios, and the Dora Stoutzker Hall.
The Hodge Foundation
The Hodge Foundation is a grant making charity, originally established with a gift of £2.5 million as the Jane Hodge Foundation, in 1962, by the late Sir Julian Hodge in memory of his mother. The Foundation has since derived its income from the businesses controlled or managed by the Hodge Family. Sir Julian had a long career in banking and finance and set up many businesses in Wales including Julian Hodge Bank Limited, which is based in Cardiff. The Hodge Foundation support a wide range of charities involved in health, education and religion, both locally, in South Wales, and across the UK.
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