Director of Music quits Yehudi Menuhin
NewsThe British pianist Ashley Wass has informed the Yehudi Menuhin School that he intends to leave at the end of the present academic year.
Wass, 47, has been commuting for the past two years between his wife and two children in Paris and the school in the English Home Counties. That situation was unsustainable. He asked to resign a year ago, but was persuaded by the governors to stay on after the head of the school left in November 2023.
Now, he has been offered a professional opportunity in Paris that looks too good to refuse. Wass will leave YMS in July 2025.
UPDATE: Here’s the resignation letter sent to staff and parents this week:
Monday 25 November 2024
Dear all,
I vividly remember the fateful Monday afternoon, almost exactly one year ago, when the Chair of Governors called me and delivered two bombshell pieces of news: one, that the former Head had resigned, and two, that the governors were eager for me to reverse the decision I had made several months earlier to leave YMS. I was humbled and genuinely excited by the prospect of continuing my work, for it felt like a wonderful opportunity to build on the foundations that we had strived so hard to establish over the previous years, aided by a wave of optimism that was sweeping across the school. And sure enough, it has proven to be a particularly productive twelve months, during which the school has enjoyed an immensely fruitful period of musical successes.
It feels strange, therefore, to be writing to inform you that I have decided to step down from my position as Director of Music at the end of the current academic year. Although being part of the YMS community is a source of great pride, I was recently presented with a life-changing opportunity to lead on the development of an ambitious platform that aspires to provide much-needed support to musicians around the world. It is a project that excites me massively, and it is a chance that I must grab with both hands. I look forward to sharing more in the months ahead, and I hope very much that we will continue to collaborate, albeit in a different way, long into the future.
I vividly remember the fateful Monday afternoon, almost exactly one year ago, when the Chair of Governors called me and delivered two bombshell pieces of news: one, that the former Head had resigned, and two, that the governors were eager for me to reverse the decision I had made several months earlier to leave YMS. I was humbled and genuinely excited by the prospect of continuing my work, for it felt like a wonderful opportunity to build on the foundations that we had strived so hard to establish over the previous years, aided by a wave of optimism that was sweeping across the school. And sure enough, it has proven to be a particularly productive twelve months, during which the school has enjoyed an immensely fruitful period of musical successes.
It feels strange, therefore, to be writing to inform you that I have decided to step down from my position as Director of Music at the end of the current academic year. Although being part of the YMS community is a source of great pride, I was recently presented with a life-changing opportunity to lead on the development of an ambitious platform that aspires to provide much-needed support to musicians around the world. It is a project that excites me massively, and it is a chance that I must grab with both hands. I look forward to sharing more in the months ahead, and I hope very much that we will continue to collaborate, albeit in a different way, long into the future.
I care deeply for YMS and have given it my all for the past four and a half years, but the time has come for me to prioritise my family, and this development will enable me to do just that. I am aware that my decision may bring a period of uncertainty to the school, but I am comforted by the fact that the school is full of remarkable people who are hugely invested in its future, and the camaraderie which now exists across the community places it in good stead to tackle the challenges ahead.
I intend to devote my remaining terms to working as much as I can directly with the pupils, and I look forward to some exciting musical projects in the months ahead. Although we still have plenty of time left together, I would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues across the community for the joy and inspiration that you have given me. It has been an epic adventure. Let’s make the next few months a blast.
Thanks and best wishes,
Ashley
Nothing to do with VAN’s Shorworld investigation, then… or is it?
VAN just published another detailed investigation regarding this departure: https://van-magazine.com/mag/shorworld-ashley-wass/
You might be right! There is also a more recent VAN investigation into Wass. That too might have hastened his departure.
This? https://van-magazine.com/mag/shorworld-ashley-wass/