Tamar is Co-Artistic Director of con spirito with cellist Penny Driver, an innovative chamber music programme for young musicians in North London. con spirito chamber music Sundays provide weekly 90-minute sessions for strings, piano and wind players. The ethos of con spirito is to encourage the development of collaborative and expressive chamber musicians, drawing out each student’s creativity and unlocking their musical imagination.
Recent con spirito highlights include the commission of a new piano trio from composer Lee Sollory (‘Blind Willow’, inspired by a short story by Murakami), participating in a masterclass at the Guildhall Chamber Music Festival and launching a creative project at Mary Feilding Guild, a residential home for the active elderly. A unique aspect of the project is the improvised and devised pieces which students create together with the residents, sometimes using the stimulus of poetry or art.
As chamber music coach at Highgate School Tamar works with many ensembles weekly and is proud of her students’ ongoing successes. Groups regularly win first prizes in the North London Music Festival and perform as Finalists in the South East Schools Chamber Music Festival at St John’s, Smith Square. In 2019 two groups were finalists in the national Pro Corda Schools Chamber Music Festival, and Highgate School was awarded the coveted Founder’s Trophy for their contribution to the Festival. Tamar is currently working with her students to design and prepare chamber music workshops to take into local primary schools.
Highgate School – Beethoven Archduke Piano Trio
Performed by Amos Sharp, Aris Sabetai, Taiki Ono
As Head of Chamber Music at Ingenium Academy International Summer School held at Winchester College, Tamar has created an immersive week-long course for talented international young musicians. Designed to inspire enthusiasm and to open the door to imaginative and expressive interpretation, the course nurtures every participant’s musicianship. Spending a day of coaching and masterclasses with a professional quartet (the Carducci Quartet in summer 2019) gives students a valuable insight into life as a chamber musician. Students’ high-level performances are celebrated in a final concert at the historic Holywell Music Rooms in Oxford.
“It goes without saying that I’m improved as a chamber musician. I learned to be open, honest, helpful and friendly with everyone you play with. I’ve learned how to think and debate about the music you are playing, about the character, story and mood of the music. I’ll never forget my experience at Ingenium!”
Polina, Violin Student, Latvia