"The spectacular coastline of Cardigan Bay in West Wales is a fine backdrop for this inspirational week of Living Music. Aberystwyth MusicFest is an enticing fusion of Music Festival and Summer School; of experience and learning; of performance and appreciation.

The engagement of audience, student, and artist alike creates the unique community atmosphere of MusicFest.

The Summer School is unique in offering organised, structured chamber music opportunities and coaching, as well as superb learning experiences through the festival of concerts given by the tutors themselves (as resident artists all of them are leading performers as well as inspirational teachers). Based on the ethos of ' learning through listening, practice & performance', courses are run for string quartet, clarinet, saxophone, composition, percussion, brass and piano.

Throughout the week the artists in residence can be found coaching ensembles, leading workshops, giving masterclasses and performing in the Festival concerts.

Students also have the opportunity to perform in public and enjoy freeentry to all festival events. For one week everyone lives, breathes and dreams music.

The daily evening and lunchtime festival concerts, together with student foyer performances and impressive student showcase concerts at the end of the week are powerful reminders of the rejuvenating effect of listening to live music of such a high calibre.

The Jazz Course

The course will begin on Saturday 25 July and will focus on improvisation, group interaction and composition, aural awareness and above all the playing and performance of jazz music. We are looking for people who possess an ability to play their instruments to a good standard and who have a real curiosity to further their knowledge of jazz. The course is open to all instrumentalists of all ages.

The Big Band course

The course will begin on Wednesday 29 July and will focus on the performance of big band music, both standard and contemporary, in full big band, sectional rehearsals and tutorials. Through the playing of material you will study the techniques of big band playing as well as improvisation. The key emphasis of the course will be on playing, performance and acquiring an awareness of style and feel. The big band will be giving several performances throughout the week with the main showcase performance taking place on Friday 31 July in the Great Hall at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Tutors

Richard Turner - Trumpet

24 year old, Richard Turner is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and one of a new crop of creative and imaginative young musicians on the British scene. His ability to move fluently between many styles of music has seen him appear with such artists as Gary Husband, Mike Gibbs, Steve Swallow and Bill Frisell, give recitals for trumpet and organ at major cathedrals such as York Minster and perform on live broadcasts for BBC television and radio. Parallel to his own projects Richard currently plays and tours with drummer Gary Husband in Husband's new quartet 'Drive' alongside saxophonist Julian Siegel and bassist Michael Janisch.

The groups debut album Hotwired, released in January 2009 and their three night residency at Ronnie Scott's club in early February 2009 was met with rave reviews. While pursuing a busy freelance schedule throughout the UK and Europe Richard is also in growing demand as an educator. Many of his students have been awarded places at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music, Trinity College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music, Cambridge University and Oxford University.

Tom Farmer - Bass

Tom Farmer is one of the most highly respected young bass players in the country, most renowned for his work with the award winning ensemble Empirical. He is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied with Steve Watts and Colin Paris (LSO). Tom has played worldwide at festivals such as Newport Rhode Island Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival,and North Sea Jazz Festival, venues such as Bimhuis (Amsterdam) and has supported such prominent artists as John Scofield, Joshua Redman and Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Repertiore to be studied

You Came A Long Way From St. Louis - Sammy Nestico
Blue - Bobby Shew
Porgy and Bess Suite - Sammy Nestico
Good News - Bob Mintzer
One- Finger Snap - Herbie Hancock "

Article written by Sophie Bennett