 |
British-born pianist Rachel Franklin is
much in demand as performer, music lecturer
and teacher. As a Pro Musicis International
Award winner, she gave her solo debuts in
Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, and Jordan
Hall, Boston. The Boston Globe enthused
about her "beautiful differentiations of
color, touch and texture" and described a
performance on her solo debut CD as "not
inferior...to the recorded performances by Cortot and Rubinstein." She has also given
European Pro Musicis solo debuts in Paris
and Rome. At the Wigmore Hall, London, where
she has given several recitals, critics
applauded her "stunning individuality,"
"exquisite dynamic control," and
"amazing
power and solidity of technique." The
Washington Post has praised her "cool-headed
bravura and panache." Following a widely
acclaimed chamber concert with members of
the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the
Baltimore Sun wrote: "Franklin demonstrated
a flawless crystalline technique, and warmth
and electricity in her playing." Recent
successes have included concertos with the
Piedmont, Frederick and Johns Hopkins
Symphony Orchestras. Her 2012 performances
include concertos with the Annapolis
Symphony Orchestra and the Amadeus
Orchestra. As a soloist and ensemble
artist, she has concertized in Great
Britain, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Israel,
Canada and the US, and her chamber music
recordings can be found on such labels as
Sony and Sonoris. Among Rachel Franklin's
many awards are top prizes in the Florence
International Chamber Music Competition and
the Louise B. McMahon International Music
Competition. Her performances have been
broadcast on BBC Radio 3, on WQXR and WNYC
in New York, WJHU in Baltimore, and Radio Telefis Eireann in Ireland. In addition, she
has been the subject of a feature on
National Public Radio's "Performance Today,"
with whom she has given frequent spoken
broadcasts. She is doubly talented as an
accomplished jazz pianist, having performed
with many jazz ensembles, including her own
classical/jazz chamber ensemble SONOS.
Deeply committed to musical outreach and
education, Rachel Franklin also enjoys a
busy dual career as a popular music
lecturer, having given courses and
pre-concert lectures for such venues as the
Library of Congress, the Annapolis Symphony
Orchestra and the Smithsonian Associate
Program among others. As an extension of
this work, she was awarded a prestigious
grant by the Arts and Humanities Council of
Montgomery County, Maryland, to develop her
unique new website, "Speaking Of Music."
This video blog, featuring short films of
Dr. Franklin discussing and demonstrating
well-known pieces of concert music, was
launched in 2010.
Her teachers have included Louis Kentner,
Irina Zaritskaya, and Ann Schein with whom
she gained her Doctorate of Musical Arts at
the Peabody Conservatory of Music. As a
child, she studied at the Yehudi Menuhin
School and subsequently at the Royal College
of Music, London, and the Rubin Academy of
Music, Tel Aviv University, where she won
First Prize in the school's piano
competition and received highest honors upon
graduation.
Dr. Rachel Franklin has been a highly
successful artist-teacher for many years.
Her students have been accepted to major
music institutions in the US and abroad,
both at the Undergraduate and
Masters/Doctoral levels. She has taught at
the Royal College of Music (London), the
Peabody Conservatory of Music, the
University of Maryland, and many other
institutions. She is frequently invited to
give master classes and judge competitions
for gifted young musicians throughout the
region, and she maintains a private studio
in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Dr. Franklin is dedicated to helping her
students explore the joy and passion of
classical and jazz piano, and developing a
rich core of performing confidence. Her
experience as both concert pianist and
public speaker enables her to bring a
uniquely broad professional viewpoint to her
lessons with intermediate/advanced players
of all ages. Humor, high expectations and
constant creativity are the bedrock of her
teaching technique.
Rachel Franklin also has decades of
experience successfully preparing students
for Associated Board of the Royal Schools of
Music exams, or ABRSM. The ABRSM is the
world's leading provider of graded music
exams and assessments, and its high
standards are internationally known and
respected. Working towards these exams from
grade 1 to 8 provides students with a
tremendously focused and rewarding study
experience.
|
