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Aaron Gruen
What musical activities are you involved
in atTeddies?
I play the cello and am involved in the
orchestra, several chamber music groups and
a band.
Where were you at school before and
what made you choose St Edward’s?
Previously I was at the international school
in Munich, where I live. I chose to come to
Teddies not only because of the excellent
music programme, but also because Teddies
enables me to balance music, sports and
academics. Also, the first time I visited the
School and saw the Quad and sport pitches,
I knew that I was going to come to Teddies!
What has been your favourite
musical performance at St Edward’s?
It would have to be when I performed the first
movement of the Haydn Cello Concerto at
St John’s Smith Square in London last year. It
was amazing playing in such a great venue, and
I really felt like all the hard work of practising
paid off.
What are you most looking forward
to about the new Music School?
I’m really looking forward to the large new
recital hall and the spacious practice rooms
because, as a musician, you need space to
think, and spread out, and you need the sound
you produce to resonate.
Which teacher has had the most
influence on your musical development?
That’s a hard choice, and I would of course say
that both my parents and my cello teachers -
at Teddies (Mrs Amherst) and back in Munich
- have helped me enormously. But I also have
to give a lot of credit to Mr Damiani, who has
given up so much of his time to rehearse with
me and is always there to provide extra help.
What music do you listen to in your
spare time?
It really depends on what I’m doing, but most
of the time it is a mixture of classical music or
modern pop.
What do you want to do after school?
I plan to take a gap year and hopefully study at
a music conservatory, either in the UK or in
Germany. Afterwards I plan to study Medicine
in the United States.
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