Ulster Orchestra’s 2012-13 masterclass season
Pianist Nikolai Demidenko is one of the teaching soloists in the Ulster Orchestra’s 2012/13 Masterclass series
Could public masterclasses be the next ‘big thing’ for classical music audiences?
Combining learning for students with opportunities for audiences to explore the thinking and practices of professional musicians isn’t a new idea. Under- and post-graduate students have benefitted from the platform for several decades, although its usually been the domain of learning institutions or summer-schools.
Having a chance to peer under the bonnet of performance technique seems like an untapped opportunity for mainstream audiences. It certainly provides a much-needed alternative from the usual historical bias. A boon for audiences and for students. Everyone’s a winner.
The Ulster Orchestra is hosting a small series of masterclasses for trumpet (Tine Thing Helseth), cello (Paul Watkin) and piano (Nikolai Demidenko) as part of their 2012/13 season. The first session with Tine Thing Helseth is on 20th September. I only wish I could get there myself.
Book places on the masterclass series here.
Access to masterclasses was always a bit of a hidden gem at Aldeburgh in my time. I always loved getting to sit in when I could, and I vividly remember how inspirational both teachers and students were to watch… Why does nobody much else do it, I wonder?
Is it a fear that it might be a bit too niche? As though people are only interested in good tunes and not much bothered about how those ‘tunes’ are generated?