Classical pianist Alexis Ffrench to address Wolfson College, Cambridge
One of the country’s finest classical pianists, composers and producers, Alexis Ffrench will be appearing at Wolfson College this evening (Thursday, October 28) at a formal hosted by the Cambridge University African Caribbean Society.
The event will include a pre-dinner drinks reception, a live performance – though Alexis himself will not be performing – and a keynote speech given by the founder of Black History Month UK.
Alexis, the UK’s biggest-selling pianist of 2020, will give his speech, followed by a Q&A on his experience and artistic journey as a black man in the classical music industry, as well as the sources of inspiration for his latest album, set to be released next year.
Alexis, who has previously headlined the Royal Albert Hall and also worked with pop star Paloma Faith, was invited to speak at the college. “It just seemed appropriate at this time to engage in those kind of discussions actually,” he says. “I’m usually quite a private person when it comes to sharing my opinions.
“I wouldn’t call it a political debate as such but it’s to talk about Black Lives Matter and I suppose the political landscape that has emerged in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. I’m just very keen to engage in that discussion now.
“I feel ready to have that discussion now, and I think much of it is about liberation, of one sort or another, and I’m looking forward to hearing what they have to say and of course looking forward to speaking myself.”
Alexis will also be discussing the history of black musicians in classical music, a subject he is exploring at the moment for Scala Radio, where he works as a presenter. “Just look at the code of silence which has hung over black composers throughout the ages,” he says, “particularly if they’re involved in areas of the arts which are widely considered to be ‘white’ pursuits, for instance classical music.
“There have been so many incredible [black] classical composers throughout the ages: William Grant Still, George Walker, Florence Price, you could go on and on, whose work received a mixed response at the time.
“Some of the composers were hugely successful – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor for instance was celebrated in the UK and the US – but invariably their work falls silent and hasn’t really entered the western classical canon, certainly not as much as their white counterparts.
“There are, I think, interesting observations to be drawn from that, not only from the past but also in terms of how black composers are able to work now – but also looking to the future of classical music, in particular black composers and where they might find success in the future.”
A gifted musician from a young age, Alexis started playing the piano at the age of four, winning a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 10. He also studied at The Purcell School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In his music, Alexis often seeks to combine styles. “The music I make, I call it ‘classical soul’. It’s classical music but it’s imbued with a kind of soulful aesthetic – the sort of music that I synthesised in my youth, listening to Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, but also Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder.
“I think for that reason it has a particular signature to it which people of all walks of life, all persuasions, all ethnicities are drawn to and I think the same is true for many types of classical music. It’s soulful music at its heart, and I think that resonates deeply in many people far and wide.”
Alexis recently announced a partnership with Sony Music to launch two scholarship positions to study at the Royal Academy of Music. The scholarships are for black UK or international undergraduate students and are funded by the UK arm of Sony Music Group’s Global Social Justice Fund.
“It’s a very exciting initiative,” says Alexis, who notes that the students will begin studying at the academy next year. “It’s in any discipline; so it could be singers, instrumentalists, producers,
musical theatre artists.
“We’re just looking for artists who feel that they have an original message, something beautiful to share with the world. We’re not looking for the old, outdated prerequisites of Grade 8 and if you jump through these hoops you might get in...
“We’re looking for artists who have music in their soul and have something to share with the world, and are willing to work hard. I think auditions are due to start quite soon. So we’re going to field applicants and then we’ll see two new scholarship students take up their places in September 2022, which is hugely exciting.”
The organiser of the event at Wolfson College said that it is mainly for students from the African Caribbean Society (ACS), as well as some black lecturers and fellows, adding: “ACS events are not exclusive in that way, however we do look to create a safe space where students from Afro-Caribbean heritage can feel comfortable in the space that they take up, so we direct most of our events – the Black History Month formal in particular – towards just our members.”
Find out more on the ACS’s social media pages: @cambridgeacs on Instagram, at facebook.com/CambridgeACS and on Twitter at @CambridgeACS.
Read more:
Black History Month: Why the flag of the Bahamas is flying above St Catharine’s College, Cambridge
Paloma Faith announced for next summer’s Newmarket Nights
