grades???

[sharonlovespiano]

Hi,

I'd like to participate in the course Dartington Summer School in England and I'd like to get lessons of prof. Stephen Kovacevich.
But he will select students at the beginning of the course and his students are most of times around grade 8 or diploma.
So I wondered what grade 8 means. So what is it for level?
Could anyone judge my "grade"? You can listen some samples on www.sharonniessen.com , my webpage. The recordings are from two years ago...I'm sorry but I have nothing more at the moment 

At the moment I play Schumann Abbeg Variations, Liszt Etude d'execution Transcendante , no.10 in f minor.  Furthermore Mozart Sonata a minor and Ligeti Invention and Capriccios, Debussy Images.

I'm Dutch so I really don't know what grades are, that are terms which I don't understand 

I will really thank you if you gave me an advice to go to Dartington or better not to go..
Thanks!


Sharon

[chopet]

  Id love to go to dartington!!! Its sounds awesome.....I seriously doubt I will go though.
I think you are well and truly beyond grade 8! After grade 8 there is dipabrsm, lrsm, then frsm. Id guess you are around lrsm ( a very good lrsm),maybe frsm. I had a look at your repertoire on your site and it seems to be around that level, you could look up the syllabus if on the abrsm website if you want...
its www.abrsm.ac.uk
Click on exams, then click on diplomas (on the left), then click diploma syllabus from 2005, then click music performance,  repertoire lists.
Someone else might be able to give a better idea, im not the best at judging this kinda thing.....
Of course there are other exam boards that do diplomas, but the standard is more or less the same (or should be) anyway.....someone else might put up links to those.....
by the way...I heard a recording on your website...you sound really talented!!
I think you should go to dartington summer school.

[supertonic]

Hi Sharon, you must be kidding! Of course you are beyond Grade 8 and must have diploma level, no doubt about that. Enjoy your trip!

[virtuoso_735]

Wow! Your recording on your site sound quite good!

You are definetely beyond grade 8.

[sharonlovespiano]

Uuuuuuuh... ok... I didn't expect this reactions..
But I will go to Dartington! 
Thanks!


Sharon