Master Class for Concertos

On Saturday, John and Mary had the blessing to be able to take an invitation-only Master Class with Dr. Paul Nitsch in preparation for the Concerto competition in a month (see here).

"Dr. Paul Nitsch is the Carolyn G. McMahon Professor of Music and the Macavity Artist-in Residence at Queens. He teaches piano, and is a concertizing performer. He has performed most recently in the eastern United States and in Portugal, Austria and Italy. He was awarded two Fulbright Foreign Study grants for study in Vienna, Austria, at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts (Hochschulr für Musik and Darstellende Kunst), and has studied with highly recognized teachers and musicians, including Leon Fleisher, Walter Hautzig, Anne Epperson and George Crumb. He is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md, and the Cleveland Institute of Music at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Nitsch also served for 30 years as Artistic Director for the Friends of Music at Queens, is past Pianist-in-Residence and Assistant Director of the Garth Newel Music Center in Hot Springs, VA., Artistic Director of the Fontana Concert Society in Kalamazoo, MI, and Executive Director of the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival at Warren-Wilson College in Asheville, NC. His hobby (as well as profession) is playing chamber music, and he enjoys cooking."

I didn't know what to expect, so regretfully I missed the opportunity to film Mary playing Noona's Concerto in d minor, but I did see her teacher motioning to me from across the room to film her session with Dr. Nitsch! so at least I got that for Mary to study further at home.

I did successfully film John's performance of Concerto in Classical Style by Martha Mier (and his session, until my phone ran out of memory). Of note, I so enjoy seeing John (on the cusp of 10) maturing in his music and moving beyond achieving technical performance to expressing more emotion in his body and playing.

The teachers instructed students to take notes on other student's sessions with Dr. Nitsch, which was an excellent learning opportunity.

The whole experience was wonderful and I wish we'd been prepared (having eaten, and knowing all of what to expect) to stay the three hours' duration or so, but instead we made our exit. I look forward to any other similar opportunities to take Master Classes in the years to come!