András Šifs is known as a pianist who has focused on supporting young talent, mainly by offering young and promising musicians the opportunity to perform in his established concert cycle. When building bridges. András Schiff is also a lecturer at the Barenboim-Said Academy and the Kronberg Academy, giving regular lectures and conducting master classes. Riga Jurmala He will perform at the festival on July 18 in the Dzintari Great Concert Hall together with the Marisa Jansons Festival Orchestra, playing the Robert Schuman Concerto for Piano with Orchestra in the Laminator (op.54).
“With the idea of organizing master classes for young musicians from the Baltics and elsewhere in the world, the festival team came up last spring. Investing in the education of young musicians is one of the festival’s goals – to leave something permanent – to meet, meet and learn from the world’s most renowned classical music masters,” Zane Čulkstēna, festival Riga Jurmala executive director. “Seeing how successful the collaboration with the artists who performed in the first season of the festival was and how open they were to various initiatives, including teaching face-to-face master classes during the festival, announcing the second season of the festival, master classes for young musicians were an integral part.”
On August 6, the master classes will be taught by the famous French violinist Reno Kapisons, while on August 28, pianist Jefim Bronfman, and on September 3, pianist Leif Ūve Annnesnes.
With the onset of the pandemic, a rather courageous decision was made to hold master classes remotely, which from today’s perspective might seem obvious, but in the world of classical music there was daring. It was also possible for other interested people to watch them on the Facebook platform. For the master classes to be successful, the priority was technical performance and sound quality. Almost all students admitted that, although nothing could replace a face-to-face meeting, the feelings are reminiscent of face-to-face master classes, as the undivided attention of the teachers was guaranteed.
“This educational program is organized in cooperation with the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music – piano, string and wind performers, the world’s greatest conductors and vocal art stars. Also with orchestral musicians who are invited to perform or have already performed at a music festival Riga Jurmala, “says Toms Ostrovskis, Associate Professor of the Piano Department of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and Riga Jurmala head of the academy. “We are pleased that these master classes have earned the attention of both professionals and the press, but most importantly – it provides an opportunity for young musicians to learn from the world’s greatest musicians, establish international contacts and promote the exchange of culture and good practice.”
Since May 2020 until now, online platform Facebook More than 90 individual masterclasses have already taken place with 28 different teachers, including French violinist Reno Kapapis and baritone Benjamin Apla, cellist Misa Maiska, classical guitar virtuoso MILOS, Norwegian pianist Leia Uves Annnes, soprano Olga Peretyatco and mezzo-soprano Alice and others. The master classes have also been led by orchestra musicians – teachers from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The masterclasses held this year alone have reached almost one hundred thousand viewers online.
This summer, Riga Jurmala During the festival, master classes will be held in person, their recordings will be available after the festival. Online masterclasses will resume in September.
The festival is supported Amber Beverage Group as an official beverage partner, Food Union and ice cream Your Excellency, Balticovo, Rietumu Banka, RTP Global, Forta Pro, LSC, Uniting History, Ola Foundation, Zuzeum, Riga City Council, Jurmala Municipality Council, State Culture Capital Fund, BMW, FBO Riga, airBaltic, publishing house Waves of Riga and an international partner Swiss credit.
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