ADJUDICATORS
Your Adjudicators for the Birmingham Music Festival 2025 are:
Caroline Clemmow
Caroline Clemmow, ARCM, LRAM, ARAM, was awarded a piano scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where she won many prizes for both solo and ensemble playing. Whilst at music college, she collaborated with many instrumentalists and singers, and became a founder member of the Hartley Piano Trio, which gained international recognition by its concert and festival appearances, broadcasts and numerous recordings, including the complete trios of Spohr on the Naxos label.
While also performing concertos and giving recitals as a soloist, Caroline derives particular pleasure from the field of chamber music; she has worked with such diverse groups as Serenata, Kaleidoscope and the Koenig Ensemble, and collaborated with many artists including the percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie. Over the years, she has covered an extremely wide repertoire, ranging from the classics and romantics to complex twentieth-century works. Throughout her career, her many activities have led to numerous London concerts, regular broadcasts and invitations to major festivals.
A major part of her work was the celebrated piano duo with the late Anthony Goldstone, who died in 2017. Described by Gramophone as “a dazzling husband and wife team”, they were critically acclaimed for their pioneering broadcasts which often included first hearings of unjustly neglected works. In addition, they brought out more than forty CD recordings, including a ground-breaking seven-CD cycle of the complete original piano duets of Schubert. As performers, they played numerous concerts throughout the UK and abroad and built up an international following.
Caroline is a member of the British and International Federation of Festivals; other adjudicating experience includes BBC Young Musician and International Young Concert Artists. For many years she was an examiner for the Associated Board, both at grade and diploma levels. Other activities, such as giving master-classes, teaching and coaching, form part of her varied career.
Since making his professional debut in 1986 at the age of 21 under the baton of Sir Alexander Gibson, Murray McLachlan has consistently received outstanding critical acclaim. Educated at Chetham’s School of Music and Cambridge University, his mentors included Ronald Stevenson, David Hartigan, Ryszard Bakst, Peter Katin and Norma Fisher.
His recording career began in 1988 and immediately attracted international attention. Recordings of contemporary music have won numerous accolades, including full star ratings, as well as ‘rosette’ and ‘key recording’ status in the Penguin Guide to CDs, and ‘Disc of the month’ and ‘Record of the month ‘in ‘Music on the Web’ and ‘The Herald.’ In 2020 he recorded the complete piano works of Edward Gregson for Naxos and 2019 the Ruth Gipps concerto with the RLPO under Charles Peebles for SOMM. 2023 saw the release of a five CD box set world Premiere recording cycle of the complete piano sonatas of Geoffrey Allen (1926-2021).
McLachlan’s repertoire includes over 40 concertos and 25 recital programmes. He has given first performances of works by many composers and has appeared as soloist with most of the leading UK orchestras. His recognition has been far-reaching, bringing invitations to perform on all five continents.
McLachlan is Professor of Piano at the Royal Northern College of Music and visiting Professor of Piano at the University of St. Andrews. Since 1997 he has been Head of Keyboard at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. He has taught many musicians who have gone on to have successful careers as musicians, winning numerous prizes and performing internationally.
In 2001 he founded the world famous Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists www.pianosummerschool.com . Billed as ‘The Friendliest Summer School if the World’ it is the largest event of its kind devoted exclusively to piano and annually attracts over three hundred participants and an international faculty of over sixty celebrated pianist-teachers.
As well as performing and teaching Murray McLachlan is well known internationally for his numerous articles on Piano technique and repertoire. In particular he has written for International Piano magazine in a column which is now in its twenty-second year. His three books on technique ‘The Foundations of technique,’ ‘Piano Technique in Practice’ and ‘The Psychology of Piano Technique’ were published by Faber, have been reprinted several times and received wide international acclaim.
McLachlan is Vice President of EPTA UK, having previously been chair from 2007-2021. Additionally, he was awarded a knighthood by the Order of St John for services to Maltese Music. He is also patron of the Aberdeen Youth Orchestra and Vice President of the Northeast of Scotland Music School. In 2013 the University of Dundee awarded Murray McLachlan an honorary doctorate for services to music and education. www.murraymclachlan.com
Murray McLachlan
Adjudications at the Festival
The adjudication scheme at the Festival is…
There are seven categories of assessment:
EXCEPTIONAL (mark 95+): A superlative performance, displaying exceptional artistic individuality. An astonishingly impressive performance displaying effortless technical control and superlative individuality in its artistry, and profound musical insight.
OUTSTANDING (mark 90 - 94): An impressive performance technically and artistically, displaying spontaneity & clear individuality. A stimulating, imaginative and persuasive performance, showing stylistic flair, interpretative insight, poise and unobtrusive technical command.
HONOURS (mark 85 - 89): An excellent performance, demonstrating fluent technical and artistic skills with emerging individuality. Assured and expressive, demonstrating a high level of technical security, imagination and stylistic insight and with a real sense of communication and performance, although small blemishes may be present.
COMMENDED (mark 80 – 84): A convincing performance technically & artistically, with increasing stylistic & communication skills. Confident, with clear evidence of tonal and stylistic qualities and a developing awareness of communication and performance, although there may be moments of imprecision.
MERIT (mark 75 – 79): A competent performance, showing some artistic awareness and/or technical ability. Mostly fluent and accurate, with some awareness of tone and style, but requiring a sense of communication and performance.
PROGRESSING (mark 70 – 74): A performance showing development of technique and/or communication and commitment. A generally secure performance in notes and rhythm at a reasonable tempo but as yet with limited attention to detail, tonal qualities, and style.
DEVELOPING (mark 65 – 69): A performance demonstrating an awareness of technical skills, requiring more consistency & artistry. An inconsistent performance with an overall need for accuracy and /or continuity and artistic development.
Participation certificates will be awarded to all competitors entering Class 1.
Festival Certificates will also be awarded to the winner plus 2nd and 3rd placed competitors in each class (if applicable).
Only class winners awarded a certificate will be eligible to receive a trophy. Only entrants receiving a mark of 85 or over will be eligible to receive a trophy. Second and third place certificates will only be awarded to classes with 6 or more participants.