By:  Dr. Ang Mei Foong
       Department of Music

SERDANG, 9 October 2019 - As part of the music department’s chamber course activity, and the department’s outreach program, the music department hosted a talk and masterclass by Dr. Alberto Firrincieli, an Italian pianist, harpsichordist, composer and scholar from the Assumption University, Thailand, on the topic HARPSICHORD- PERFORMANCE PRACTICE AND IMPROVISATION.

Alberto Firrincieli is an Italian pianist, harpsichord player, composer and scholar. Winner of the second prize in the International Contest “SIMM 2018 – New Music for Harpsichord” with the composition 13 New Variation upon Folia theme. He is currently full-time lecturer of the Department of Music Performance at the Assumption University of Thailand where he teaches Composition and Harpsichord Major. He is also piano and harpsichord teacher at Siam Kolkarn Ratchadapisek Music School. He established the IKA - International Keyboard Academy (www.ika.website), and he is the artistic director of Bangkok International Piano Festival, of the early music festival Note Barocche, and of the ITYO – Italian Thai Youth Orchestra. Moreover, he collaborates with the Italian Embassy of Thailand in the realization of artistic and cultural events, and regularly invited as guest speaker, scholar and performer from international institutions in Italy, Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore in order to hold recitals, conferences, masterclasses, workshops.

This workshop is chaired by Dr. Ang Mei Foong, a lecturer from the department of music, faculty of human ecology, UPM. The workshop started with a talk on the historical practice of a harpsichord, the improvisation practice and technique of a harpsichord, followed with a masterclass of three performances on the harpsichord by students, where students played Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata in D Major, K 96 and Sonata in B Minor, K 27, as well as Handel, "Lascia ch'io Pianga", respectively. The workshop ends with a group performance of J. S. Bach's Trio Sonata BWV1039 played by Hai Lin Lee on the baroque violin, U-En Ng on the gamba, and Alberto Firrincieli on the harpsichord.

Participants and observers come from our own UPM music student, as well as the students/alumni from Malaysian Institute of Arts Music Department, UPSI University, and the other music colleges.

Participant playing at the masterclass. Chia Yun Chyi, third year music student from UPM		Dr. Alberto Firrincieli talking about the historical practice of a harpsichord
Attendees paying full attention to the talk and demonstration		Mr. Ng U-En (left) on the gamba and Ms Lee Hai Lin (right) with her baroque violin
A happy group photo after the workshop

Date of Input: 10/10/2019 | Updated: 10/10/2019 | rozlita