ITALIAN singer Lara Iacovini bade farewell to Queen Mary’s College (QMC) recently with a special concert.

The jazz vocalist has been at the Basingstoke college as a musician in residence as part of an exchange programme between QMC and the Conservatoire of Verona.

A 30-minute concert was held in the college, in Cliddesden Road, in a new performance space which was opened by Dame Evelyn Glennie in October last year. Lara performed alongside the BTEC music students with whom she worked while resident at QMC.

This self-funded partnership between the college and the conservatoire has been in place for two years.

During that time, two graduates have worked at QMC as musicians in residence for up to three months. Lara was preceded by operatic tenor Tommaso Rossato.

Head of performing arts, Steve Gallagher, said: “Our students have benefitted greatly from the opportunity to work with such talented and experienced performers.

“The musician in residence scheme has become a remarkable asset of the already strong Queen Mary’s College performing arts department”.

The partnership, which will continue for the foreseeable future, is entirely self-funded.

The music students from QMC will perform the jazz numbers they worked on with Lara at the A Place to be Proud of Awards in June.