Ivan delighted pupils from Alford Academy and Dunecht and Alford  Primary schools by playing and answering their questions about his musical  life. He arrived in the area for Hamburg by an early flight that morning having performed there the previous evening. The pupils heard music by Grieg,  Beethoven, Haydn and Debussy. The questions, which were collated in advance, were put to Ivan by a senior pupil (Madeleine) and included topics such as how to build confidence for performing, how to practise difficult music, and what advice would he give a young person who wanted to build a career in music. He encouraged young people to believe that they could achieve and not to listen to people who told them they would not succeed. Pupils were encouraged to attend Ivan’s recital at Inverurie Town Hall on Saturday 17th November 2018.